Introduction: Easy Chocolate Ganache

By Clever Wren Cakes
About: Hi, I'm Jen! In my free time I'm a crafter, food lover, and cake decorator. I have a genuine love and appreciation for all things creative and handmade.

Ganache is a delicious mixture of chocolate and heavy cream. Any kind of chocolate (white, milk, dark) can be used with different ratios of cream to achieve the same results. Sometimes butter is added to ganache to achieve a shinier glaze, although, in this instructable we will be making traditional ganache without butter. I really like the matte finish is gives!

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE RECIPE - 2 to 1 ratio
(If you would rather make white chocolate or milk chocolate ganache use the same directions as below but use a 3 to 1 ratio instead.)

  • 12 ounces dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
  • 6 ounces heavy cream

1. Place chocolate chips in a large ceramic or glass mixing bowl.

2. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream just to a boil.

3. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips. Gently shake the bowl back and forth to cover all the chocolate with cream. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4. After about five minutes stir the ganache with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the cream into the chocolate.

5. Using a hand mixer on low speed, mix the ganache. Stop randomly while mixing to check if there are any lumps. If there are, this is unacceptable and you will need to place the ganache in the microwave for a few seconds and then continue to mix until no lumps remain. Ganache should be runny at this point with a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream.

6. Leave ganache out at room temp to set up. This can take several hours depending on the temperature in your kitchen. I don't recommend putting ganache in the refrigerator to set up, only because if you leave it in there too long the sides will harden and you will have to microwave it and start all over. Let's avoid that!!

7. Once the ganache has set up (after several hours) you will want to whip it even further using your hand mixer. The color will lighten and the texture will become more airy.

8. It should be the consistency of whipped cream and not fall off of an offset spatula (or the back of the rubber spatula) when held upside down. Set the ganache aside uncovered and at room temperature until you are ready to use it. The longer it sits the harder it will become.

Dark chocolate ganache can be used to cover a cake, on brownies, as a filling for cakes and cookies, or on a spoon! Really you should just use it on anything! It's delicious. :)