Easy and Delicious Chocolate Ganache

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This rich, smooth, silky Chocolate Ganache is so very easy to make with just 2 basic ingredients Chocolate and Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.

Chocolate ganache for me is like liquid gold in desserts. You can glaze a cake, make a filling for the cake, dip the strawberries in it, use it as a frosting, topping for ice cream and so much more. The use of the ganache is endless. You can even flavor the ganache to enhance the dessert.

Ganache elevates the level of any dessert, it not just adds a beautiful flavor but also an enticing aroma and a rich texture. It is a simple yet delectable dessert topping.

What is a chocolate ganache?

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and heavy cream. It is made by adding hot cream to chopped chocolate and mixing it together till it's smooth and shiny. The texture of the ganache depends upon the ratios of chocolate and cream. The higher portion of cream makes loose and more liquid ganache. More portions of chocolate would yield a thicker ganache.

So the texture of ganache is all about the play of proportions of chocolate and heavy cream.

What kind of chocolate can be used for making the ganache?

It is absolutely important to use good quality chocolate to make a tasty and well-textured ganache. It is advisable to use a chocolate with higher cocoa percentage (60% - 75%). This will make a rich ganache that is not too sweet.

Though there is always a debate going on about using a bar of chocolate over Chocochips, to me it really doesn't matter. What matters is that whatever you use should be of the best quality. Remember that since this is only a game of 2 ingredients quality of ingredients is the game-changer.

But I would recommend staying away from milk or white chocolate as these are overly sweet and have a high content of milk. In case you use these to make the ganache, reduce the quantity of heavy cream as this chocolate contains milk and will make the ganache too runny.

Does the quality of Heavy Cream matter?

Quality ingredients are the key to this recipe. So a high-fat percentage heavy cream is ideal for chocolate ganache. A 36% fat content-heavy cream would be perfect. The less fat content the heavy cream has the more runny the ganache will be. Also low-fat content cream would lead to less rich textured chocolate ganache.

How to Make a Chocolate Ganache?

1. Chop the chocolate roughly into smaller chunks/pieces. You can skip this step if you are using chocolate chips. Chop the chocolate chunks as small as possible as this will give good space for the cream to seep well into all parts of the chocolate.
2. Transfer the finely chopped chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside.
3. Heat the heavy cream but do not let it boil over.
4. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and cover the bowl with a plate or cling wrap and set aside.
5. Mix the chocolate and cream together to form a rich, smooth, and shiny ganache.

What are the various ratios of ingredients for Chocolate Ganache?

1:1 ratio of heavy cream and chocolate, i.e. equal parts makes a soft frosting/ganache.

Use of this ganache: Soft ganache can be used to frost cakes or cheesecakes, make chocolate drips for cake, glaze fruits, and much more.

Texture and consistency of soft ganache: When the warm cream and chopped chocolate are mixed together the mixture is liquidy. As the ganache cools it becomes thicker and denser yet rich and creamy. If refrigerated the ganache thickens quickly and can be used as frosting too.

When the ganache is ready and just about at room temperature you can use it to make drips on the cake. This consistency will make perfect drips on a nice cold frosted cake.

This is also a perfect temperature ganache to coat cookies, donuts, or glaze strawberries and fruits.

I even like to use this ganache as a topping for Panna Cotta. Especially my Cadbury Chocolate Panna Cotta. You can check out that recipe too.

When it comes down to room temperature and rests for an hour you can pour it over a cake as a glaze. This is a thick glaze. While glazing the cake pour the ganache over the cake and spread it using a spatula to cover the cake evenly.

Let the ganache cool down for about 2 hours on the countertop or refrigerate it for an hour to thicken a little bit. This thickened ganache has a perfect consistency to pour on top of ice cream.

For a perfect ganache for filling in the cake, you need to let the ganache refrigerate for 2 - 3 hours at least. That way it does not start melting before you finish frosting the cake. You can even pipe it over the cupcakes.

Two-part chocolate and one part cream

Two-part chocolate and one-part cream make a thick ganache. This is perfect to make chocolate truffles or stiff piping work. When this ganache cools it's almost like a fudge.

One part chocolate and 2 part cream

One part chocolate and 2 parts cream are used to make thin ganache or liquid ganache. This ratio is good for the thin pourable ganache.

This can be used as a thin glaze, added to drinking chocolate, use as chocolate dipping for fondue or a chocolate fountain, and also to make a light and airy whipped chocolate ganache.

The interesting fact about this ganache is that even if this ganache cools it will not harden up but will become a little thick.

How to store Chocolate Ganache?

A freshly made chocolate ganache can be easily kept on the countertop at a cool temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days.

You can refrigerate it for a week or two or you can even freeze it for a couple of months. Whenever you store chocolate ganache remember to do it in an airtight container.

When you refrigerate a chocolate ganache it becomes thick.

If you need to use a previously stored/refrigerated ganache, get it out and let it come down to room temperature. If you need to use it immediately, you can melt it in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time till it comes to room temperature.

Flavoring the Chocolate Ganache -

Though the Chocolate Ganache by itself is divine, you can always flavor the ganache to compliment the dish it's paired with.

• Add ⅓ cup of Nutella to a cup of ganache to make a Nutella flavored ganache.
• Pour hot coffee decoction over the chocolate along with the heavy cream to make a mocha-flavored ganache.
• Add a few teaspoons of brandy or alcohol for a boozy flavor.
• Add the extract of the flavor you want to infuse to the cream and pour it over chopped chocolate.

Tips and tricks to make this Chocolate Ganache

• If you are using a chocolate bar, chop it finely so that the cream can seep into the smallest particles of chopped chocolate. This will help in making a quick and smooth ganache.
• Let the hot cream and chocolate sit for at least 5 minutes before mixing them.
• If you are new to making ganache and handling chocolate, it is best to use chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are stabilized chocolate and thus are easy to work with.
• If the chocolate doesn't melt after mixing the cream and chocolate don't worry just put the bowl in the microwave and heat up for 20 seconds on high and mix it together. Repeat the 20 seconds bursts till the chocolate melts and the mixture comes together.
• Be careful that water doesn't get into the mixture. If water mixes with the chocolate the mixture will seize and not let the chocolate melt.
• Be careful of the temperature of the cream, a boiled over cream is too hot and if you pour it over the chocolate then it will destroy the texture of the ganache and make it grainy.

If you have tried this Chocolate Ganache recipe then do drop a comment below on how it turned out. I would love to hear from you!