Chocolate Ganache Recipe – Quick Way to Thicken
Chocolate ganache sounds like a fancy dessert that is too hard to make… what if I told you, it was so easy to make, so delicious, and so versatile! Only two ingredients and two steps!
Homemade chocolate ganache has become a staple recipe for our family. For each birthday cake, I prepare a chocolate cake mix following the box instructions. I know I could make it from scratch, but I usually don’t have the time. I use the chocolate ganache as a filling for the cake, whip it for the icing, and save the excess ganache to let it drip along the sides. This super simple chocolate ganache recipe and elevates any box cake mix to a bakery level.
What Is Chocolate Ganache?
Ganache is a French term for glaze, icing, sauce or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream. Chocolate ganache is made from chocolate chips or a chocolate bar and heavy whipping cream.
Why You’ll Love It
Chocolate ganache is extremely easy to make. Making chocolate ganache only uses two ingredients in a two-step process using things you already have in your kitchen. No fancy kitchen hardware or extreme wait times needed. Chocolate ganache is so delicious for an obvious reason in the name… chocolate. One thing that makes this so delicious are the countless applications of it. Dip fresh fruit? Use as icing? Use as a filling? Add to hot chocolate? Yes! Endless opportunities for chocolate ganache, especially as a chocolate lover. Not a chocolate lover? You can also make white chocolate ganache. just swap out the brown chocolate chips to white chocolate chips for a refreshing white chocolate ganache.
How To Use It
Chocolate ganache is essentially a chocolate sauce… and the uses for chocolate sauce are endless!
The most common uses of chocolate ganache are:
- Using the liquid ganache to have drip cakes
- Pastry filling
- Filling for cake layers
- Dipping sauce
- Whipped cream
- Ice cream topping
Type Of Chocolate To Use
Finding the right chocolate to use is a personal preference. Semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate chips are most commonly used. Better-quality chocolate bars can be used. The different types of chocolate to use in chocolate ganache are endless. you can even use white chocolate.
A note about the cocoa ratio in the chocolate: the higher the cocoa percentage of the chocolate the lower quality the ganache will turn out. This is because the fat in the cream needs to join with the sugar in the chocolate. There is not enough sugar in the dark chocolate ganache to liquefy and hold the fats and solids in suspension, causing the ganache to split. A higher percentage of cocoa powder in the chocolate, like dark chocolate, has less sugar.
If you are using chocolate bars, it is important to chop up your chocolate bars into small pieces so the warm heavy whipping cream can fully melt the chocolate.
Type Of Cream To Use
Heavy whipping cream is most commonly used for chocolate ganache. Other alternatives are half and half, milk, and even water. Half and half consists of half milk and half heavy whipping cream. Using half and half as a replacement to heavy whipping cream will increase the fluidity of your ganache. Using milk or water will make your chocolate ganache very liquid. The less cream in the liquid used to make the ganache will make the flavor less intense and more watery. Higher fat content contributes to a thicker ganache.
Chocolate Ratio And Cream Ratio:
For thicker ganache that can be used as filling or icing:
2 parts chocolate : 1 part cream
For thinner ganache that can be used as a sauce, drippy cakes or whipped cream:
1 part chocolate : 1 part cream
Option 1: How To Make It
Based on your preference for a thicker or thinner ganache, you should use this method for thinner ganache.
Place 1 or 2 cups of chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate bars of your choice into a small bowl, set aside
Bring 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a simmer
Do not let boil – If the cream gets too hot, it will overheat the fat in the cream and cause the chocolate to separate once combined.
Once heavy whipping cream is warm, pour over chocolate chips
Cover with a towel and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the cream to fully incorporate the melted chocolate
Once melted, mix with a fork until the chocolate is complete mixed into the cream.
Do not use a whisk to mix because it adds too much air.
Option 2: How To Make It
Based on your preference for a thicker or thinner ganache, you should use this method for thick ganache. If you add too much chocolate per cream, the hot cream might not melt all the chocolate. In this case a double boiler method over low heat can be used.
For a double boiler: bring a medium-sized pot filled halfway with water to a simmer.
Get a glass mixing bowl or glass Pyrex measuring cup that is small enough to nests inside the pot but reaches the water.
Add 1 cup of cream to the bowl and place it inside the pot of water making sure the water doesn’t overflow or enter the glass bowl.
Once the cream is warmed but not boiling, add 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips into the glass mixing bowl. Continuously stir to ensure the temperature doesn’t get too hot and until the melted chocolate is completely incorporated
How To Thicken Chocolate Ganache
Now you have this wonderful chocolate sauce, but it is too runny to use on a cake. I have been impatient before and put warm ganache as the filling between two cake layers. I turned my back and the top layer was on the floor!
The hotter the ganache is, the thinner it is. You have 2 options to thicken the ganache.
- Let it cool. It is very easy to do if you have the time. All you have to do is wrap the ganache with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge or at room temperature, at least for an hour. After that, you can mix the ganache again to thicken the texture.
- Increase the ratio of chocolate. Thin ganache means it contains too much cream. The more chocolate you add into the ganache, the thicker it will be.
How To Make Whipped Ganache
Use the thinner 1: 1 ratio of cream to chocolate when making ganache.
For best results, let it cool down fully. To speed this up, place the ganache in the refrigerator.
Pour the ganache in a stand mixer or use an electric mixer to beat the ganache at high speed until the cream whips into a fluffy texture.
This process can take up 5- 10 minutes. You will start to see the chocolate turn from a dark brown to a light brown. Be careful not to overmix! The cream will turn gritty into small chunks. If you have chocolate butter, you went too far.
Whipped ganache turns into a light and perfectly sweet chocolate ganache
My son’s second birthday cake
Chocolate cake mix
Chocolate ganache filling
Whipped ganache icing
Chocolate ganache drip
