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This Chocolate Ganache Recipe is so easy to prepare with only two ingredients – chocolate and heavy whipping cream! It’s such a simple and delectable dessert topping!
The Ultimate Chocolate Ganache
Back when I first started baking from scratch, there were two things I was intimidated to make for the first time – chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream. Looking back it seems so funny because both are made with so few ingredients and come together quickly. They are seriously the two easiest things to make, but make the most amazing toppings. Why it took me so long to try either of them is just silly.
What to use Chocolate Ganache for
Chocolate ganache is so versatile and can be uses in many ways. It’s kind of like a cross between a glaze and a frosting. Depending on the temperature and thickness of your ganache, it can be used as both or either.
I love to use chocolate ganache to top cheesecakes like my Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake and Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake, drizzle over cakes and ice cream cakes like my Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake and Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Cone Cake and have even piped it onto desserts, like my Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake. The options are endless.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
So to make chocolate ganache, you’ll need your chocolate and heavy whipping cream. To be honest, I typically use chocolate chips, but you can also use a good quality baking bar. I’ve used Ghirardelli bars before and they work very well. If you use a baking bar, you’ll just want to chop up the chocolate into smaller pieces. You want them small enough that they’ll melt fairly easily with the addition of the warm cream. Think chocolate chip sized.
When it comes to the cream, I tend to add a little less than some do. I prefer my ganache a tad thicker and prefer working with it that way, but you can always add an extra tablespoon or two if you want to thin it out a little more.
To get started, add your chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl and then heat up your heavy whipping cream. I heat my cream in a glass measuring cup right in the microwave, but you could also do it in a pot over the stove. If you use the microwave, it won’t need long – maybe a minute – but don’t pop it in the microwave and walk away. You want it to get nice and hot, but once it starts to bubble, remove it from the microwave quickly or it’ll bubble up and over the cup and go everywhere!
Yes, I learned that the hard way.
When your cream is warmed, pour it over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. You can cover the bowl with clear wrap if you like, to trap in the heat.
Slowly whisk the chocolate ganache and cream together. You don’t want to do it too quickly, or you’ll end up with more air bubbles in your ganache. Stir it gently until it all comes together to a nice, smooth consistency, then it’s ready to be used.
How to Work With Chocolate Ganache
Temperature is important when it comes to applying chocolate ganache to a dessert. The warmer it is, the thinner it is and the cooler it is, the thicker. That may seem obvious, but depending on how you’re using it you’ll want it one way or the other.
When you use it for things like topping cheesecakes and cakes, it’s best to let it cool for about 10 minutes or so. It should still be nice and pourable, but not so thin that it doesn’t stay where you put it.
If piping it or whipping it, you’ll want to refrigerate it first. To whip it, simply add it to a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whip it. It’ll lighten in color and fluff up and be ready to use. When I pipe it, I often add a touch of corn syrup to it so that even when it’s cool, it’s still a nice consistency for piping.
The bottom line is temperature matters. If it seems a little thick, you can warm it back up and if it seems a little thin, let it cool down. After you work with it a bit, you’ll get more comfortable with working with it.
The Difference Between Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate Frosting
The primary difference between ganache and buttercream frosting is the ingredients. Buttercream has a butter base to which you add powdered cocoa (usually) and powdered sugar to add flavor and volume. Ganache is strictly chocolate that is melted and thinned out with cream. Both can be used as frostings, but ganache is like eating pure, softened chocolate (because it is!) and frosting is well, frosting. It’s flavored with chocolate, but actually contains more butter and sugar than chocolate.
However you use chocolate ganache, you’re going to love this recipe! It’s so versatile and once you try it, you’ll use it all the time!
MORE GREAT RECIPES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Best Chocolate Cake
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake
Raspberry Chocolate Layer Cake
Baileys Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Oreo Cake
Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Chocolate Ganache is so easy to prepare with only two ingredients – chocolate and heavy whipping cream! It’s such a simple and delectable dessert topping!
Ingredients
6 oz (169g | 1 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
2. Add the heavy whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and heat for about 1 minute, keeping an eye on it. If it heats up too much, it’ll end up everywhere. Remove from the microwave just before it bubbles up.
3. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. You can cover the bowl with some clear wrap to trap in the heat, if you like.
4. Gently stir the cream and chocolate together until they come together to a smooth consistency. Try not to whisk too vigorously, which can add air bubbles to the ganache.
5. Use the ganache on cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc. For glaze/toppings for cakes, cheesecakes, ice cream and such, I like to let the ganache sit for about 10 minutes, then apply it. If you’d like it a firmer consistency for whipping or piping, refrigerate it until firm. It can be whipped after it’s chilled. For piping, let it soften out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes, then stir it with a spoon. If it seems workable, but still holds it’s shape, it’s ready for piping.
Notes
I tend to use chocolate chips for my chocolate ganache, but you can also use a good, high quality chocolate bar or baking chocolate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 3154
- Sugar: 304.4 g
- Sodium: 491.1 mg
- Fat: 206.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 305.4 g
- Protein: 33.3 g
- Cholesterol: 241.6 mg
Can I use this for Strawberries? My chocolate get thick to quickly to make them? Thanks in advance ☺️
You could – it thickens – but it’s not firm like regular chocolate. They’d be sticky.
Awesome,,
Hi is it possible if I use dark chocolate chips? if yes should I add sugar to make it sweeter ?
You can use dark chocolate chips, but I wouldn’t recommend adding sugar. If you want it a little sweeter, I’d use semi-sweet chocolate.
We add a lil bit of honey to our ganache at work
I added extra cream to this recipe and used it as a dipping sauce for strawberries. Delicious!
Have you cooled them, and did the set up? Thanks 😊
I am so glad that I could find you. I have some doubt regarding the heavy whipping cream you used, is that different from normal whipping cream as I am having that one with me.
Regular whipping cream has a lower fat content, which would affect the final consistency of the ganache.
if you want to make the mil chocolate darker and add cocoa powder to the chocolate, will it still drip?
It would thicken the ganache and it would not drip the same way.
Can you freeze the cooked cake before you ice it. I’m making the Baileys cake
That should be fine. Just wrap it well and thaw it in the fridge.
Hello i wanted to know is it possible to use thickened cream or fresh cream to make the ganache if there is no heavy whipping cream in the stores near me 🙂
thanks
Different types of cream have different amounts of fat, which affects consistency. You could try another cream, but you might get a little different consistency.
I want to use this for a drip cake (My first one) how long should I leave it before putting it on the cake???
That depends a little on how warm it is from your cream and how warm your home is. I’d check it after 5 minutes or so and trying drizzling it down the side of your bowl to see how it does. You don’t want it to drip down super quickly, but also not too slowly.
Hi this is a really good recipe that I’ve used before but now I’m in self isolation and I don’t have any cream. Is there anything I could use instead of cream if I want to use it for a drip cake?
That’s a hard one to answer. Different milks/creams have different amounts of fat in them, so they all give you a different result. You could certainly try using a milk that you have on hand, but you might want to use less and then only add more if you need it.
Dear Lindsay, Thank you so much for adding my knowledge in baking..
Dear Lindsay,
Thank you very much. This is really helpful.
Thank you very much.
I want to make chocolate ganache and use it for opera cake. I plan to prepare it, the evening before, store it in the fridge and have it ready by the morning, when I get started. Do you think it will be too hard to work on ?
It depends on how you want to use the ganache. When cold, it will be firm. But you can heat it back up and get it to the temperature/consistency you need it to be.
How would you change the milk amount if you want to use milk chocolate, considering milk chocolate has milk??
The milk is really jusy for the ganache consistancy rather than flavor so don’t change the amount of milk/cream
What happens to the ganache when you put butter on it?
I assume you mean in it and not on it. Butter is naturally thicker than cream, so you’d end up with a thicker consistency ganache. It could potential he be a little harder to work with depending on what you’re using it for.
Dear Lindsay,
I can’t believe I never came across your page until now but I am so glad I did because you are amazing! The way you specify everything makes this so much easier & your tips are so helpful! I made this ganache today & it came out perfect! Kudos to you!
Thank you so much, Tania! I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed everything!
Better Chocolate for Ganache
A professional pastry chef once told me that Chocolate Chips are not the best to use for melting either in ganache, frostings, brownies etc.. Chocolate Chips are formulated to keep their shape, such as in Chocolate Chips in cookies.
Block, chunk or bar chocolate melts more quickly and smoothly for any applications where the chocolate is melted.
I hope this helps
I found that the higher end chocolate chips melted smoothly and did just as well. Whereas the store brand did not.