Two-Ingredient Chocolate Ganache Recipe
It’s the smooth glaze on Boston cream cupcakes, the fudgy layer that tops millionaire’s shortbread, and the creamy base for truffles: chocolate ganache. Rich, shiny, and surprisingly easy to make, chocolate ganache is a staple recipe that every baker should have in their repertoire. Besides being deliriously decadent, chocolate ganache is extremely adaptable. Depending on how you plan to use it, you can tweak the ratio of chocolate to cream to create a thinner chocolate that’s perfect for dripping down cakes (today’s recipe is ideal for that!) or, you can use more chocolate and less cream to create a thick, fudgy spread for bars, cheesecake, and just about anything else. You can even whip your ganache after it cools to make a a fluffy ganache frosting–more on that below. If you feel like you’re having déjà vu, there’s a good reason. I shared a similar chocolate ganache recipe a few years ago; however, that recipe used a different ratio than the one I’m sharing today, and as a result, yielded a firmer ganache. While I still like that recipe, I wanted to share a general all-around ganache that be used for many desserts. Let’s get to it!
What You Need
Regardless of whether you’re making a thin or thick ganache, you’ll still only need the same two ingredients:
Chocolate. I recommend using couverture or high quality baking bars with a high cocoa butter content, but chocolate chips will also work in a pinch. If you want to make a white chocolate ganache, you must use a high quality white chocolate or couverture–you should not use white chocolate chips. You’ll also need to reduce the amount of cream for white chocolate ganache; see the recipe notes for details. Heavy Whipping Cream. Heavy cream, double cream, or heavy whipping cream will work perfectly for this ganache recipe. The more heavy cream you use, the thinner your ganache will be, and vice versa.
SAM’S TIP: For added richness and a flavor boost, you can add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract after melting everything together. This works for both whipped ganache frosting or just regular ganache!
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
I’ve included notes in the recipe card below to help you alter this ganache for different uses. No matter which ratio of chocolate to cream you use, the process will still be the same. SAM’S TIP: If you plan to use your ganache as a drip decoration on a cake (like the one pictured at the bottom of this post), it’s best if you chill your cake before using. This will help to slow the ganache as it runs down, creating a tidy, defined drip. If you’re new to drip cakes (or just need a refresher) watch the video below for step-by-step instructions on how to use ganache for a drip cake!
How to Make Whipped Ganache Frosting
While you could simply cool this chocolate ganache until it’s a spreadable consistency, you can also whip it into an airy, pipeable frosting that beautifully tops cakes and cupcakes. To make whipped ganache frosting, simply prepare the ganache as instructed, let it cool completely, then beat it with an electric mixer until you have a whipped, frosting-like consistency. This frosting will be softer immediately after whipping but can be piped or spread over a cake and will become more firm over time. You can also use this recipe to do a beautiful chocolate ganache drip over a cake. If you’ve never done this before, I do include a guide in the video on how I did the ganache drip on the cake below. Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like
Chocolate GravyHomemade Hot Fudge SauceMy Favorite Chocolate FrostingHomemade Chocolate Pudding
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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