As much as I love American fudge frosting, nothing beats the decadent, indulgent taste and texture of chocolate ganache. Made of pure chocolate and heavy cream, ganache is a chocolate lovers best friend. Its versatility as a glaze, decorative piping, and whipped cream answers the need for icing, frosting, and filling.
Below I have pictured 3 different ways to adorn cupcakes using the same recipe and batch I made yesterday. As a glaze, you can easily pour ganache over cakes for a nice smooth finish. If you are looking for a chocolate whipped filling, look no further. Just whip the ganache as you would heavy cream, making sure your mixing bowl and beater are nice and cold. And whatever you do, not put your ganache in the freezer with the hopes of whipping it. It will not whip and have a curdly like texture. For a thick frosting or decorative piping, allow the ganache to cool for a truffle like texture. Anyway you decide to eat it, this ganache will satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate cravings. Below are step by step photos to guide you. Enjoy!
| Chocolate Ganache Recipe 3 Ways |
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- 12 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- optional 3 tablespoons flavored liqueor
- Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cakes as a glaze. The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set. Typically I stick mine in the refrigerator so it is slightly cold before whipping. For piping or frosting, allow the ganache to completely cool and set up. When you are able to spoon the ganache and it can hold its texture, it is ready for piping.
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love this instructional…my only question is when do you add the liquor.
just found your website…I am making this for husband’s birthday cake…
thank you for the help…
Hi Dororthy.. your hubby will love chocolate ganache in cake! Add the liquor (or sometimes I put a drop of vanilla in… or a small bit of coffee) after the liquid has cooled slightly – maybe to just above room temp. You can add it before you put in fridge if you’re doing that.
HTH!
Is it okay to use cooking chocolate for this recipe? Would the high oil content cause issues?
I used baking chocolate for this as follows: Baker’s 100% cacao, Baker’s 54% cacao. I used some of my higher math skills to combine them to reach *my* idea of the perfect dark chocolate: 75% cacao (well, close to that, at least). I followed the recipe exactly and got RAVE reviews on my ganache. Someone actually said that he assumed I’d been working on my recipe for years and his wife forbade me to share the recipe with him because she said they enjoyed it way too much.
Also, I had some ganache leftover, so I added a couple tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and a couple tablespoons of heavy cream and formed hand-rolled truffles, which I rolled in some Ghiradelli powdered chocolate. HEAVEN!
I haven’t made this yet, but i’ve made TONS of Alice’s recipes and they all turned out amazing, so I thought I’d give this one a try. I was wondering how you made the recipe the 3 different ways- do you use a different paddle attachment? I want it whipped and piped.. can you help?
Alice, I have a couple questions:
1. What type of chocolate do you use? (i.e., semi-sweet, bittersweet, milk, dark, etc.)
2. Which style/type of Ganache would you recommend go inside cupcakes?
What type of chocolate is it?
How much ganache does this recipe make and how many cupcakes could I ice with the amounts above?
Hi Alice,
I love your website. Detail is great.
I am making a layered chocolate/ice cream cake that I’d like to cover in chocolate ganache and do some piping work in ganache. Can I freeze the ganache once I’ve done my work? My 8 year old has his heart set on this cake and i’m not a baker.
Thanks for your help and for the great website!
Tammy
I love your piping in the third pic…can you tell me which tip you used and did you use the shell method? Thanks
Ok so I have looked everywhere for an answer to my question and am finally posting this hoping to get an answer. I make chocolate ganache all the time for dipping cupcakes (as a glaze) and they are yummy but whenever I try to frost cupcakes with ganache that has set up and I can pipe with a bag…the frosting gets too hard to enjoy. It doesn’t stay soft and creamy. Is there something else that I need to add or is this just to be expcected with ganache?
Renee – I am also looking for the answer to this question!! Hopefully someone can help!!
Try a lower chocolate to cream ratio. If it is getting too thick, use less chocolate or more cream, that should keep it thinner. Good luck!
I read elsewhere to increase the cream, like 12oz cream to 8 oz chocolate.
You can also add butter to keep ganache soft.
What a great idea to use to cover cake pops
I am going to try this recipe for a cake that i am baking for a great friend! Thanks very much!! Thumbs up!
Awsome and simple recipe i tried it out on cupcakes.. brilliant!
I used almond milk instead of cream. What a difference!!! It was amazing!! definitly try it!!
dont store your unused or left over ganache in the ref.store it in room temp only.my ratio 250ml cream and half kg chocobar
I want to whip the mixture, can I use an electric mixer?
Yes, use an electric mixer or stand mixer.
Can I cover a cake with ganache, let it set/chill and then pipe buttercream on top of it for my son’s birthday cake. Will the ganache set and thus the piping on top won’t run etc.?
Is there any technique to make cupcakes flat? mine never come out that way! Thanks!
If they don’t come out flat, cut off the top so they become flat.
With cakes you usually indent the top a little bit with the back of a spoon & they will only rise enough to fill out the dent
turn your oven down. your temperature is probably too high.
You can use dental floss to cut the top of the cake or cupcake so it is flat.
I love this ganache recipe, I’ve used it for cakes and cupcakes and it’s always a huge hit. I’m using white chocolate this time around to top some home made devils food double chocolate cupcakes for thanksgiving. I know this will be a hit too!
I tried this last night using semi sweet choc and carnation brand cream and i let it sit over night in the fridge and it was still liquidy. Where did i go wrong
Hi Gabby,
Did you use heavy cream of condensed/evaporated milk? I wasn’t aware that Carnation makes heavy cream.
I had the same problem. I used heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips. I’m wondering if I got the wrong chocolate?
I’m excited to try this recipe for a wedding coming up in January. I assume using white chocolate would work just the same?
I have a white chocolate ganache recipe that is 12oz of white chocolate morsels to 1/2 C heavy cream. This turns out excellent. it’s made the same way, just a different proportion. I have tried it with milk chocolate morsels as well and it turns out equally as well. I think a lower cream content works better for the softer chocolates, but you could definatly try it with this recipe, it might turn out even fluffier than mine did. experiment while you have a little time. you don’t have to make it in full batches to experiment.
Hi, thanks for such informative post, but I was wondering how many days will the glaze keep? I need to bake and decorate 5 days in advance and am looking for an icing/ glaze that will keep. Thank you
Love this recipe! I made a few additions though, so I thought I’d share them.
1- I used two types of chocolate; about 200g Cadbury Dairymilk and 100g Dark Baking chocolate. If I’d use the Cadbury alone, the cream would lighten the Ganache and it wouldn’t become darker/glossy.
2- I didn’t add all the cream at once, I added to taste.
3- Instead of liquor I used 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, it tastes lighter & more chocolaty!
Another tip, you could also use Fresh Cream (whipping cream) instead of heavy cream. That’s if you’d like a nice piping ganache. Don’t whip the cream, add some in just after removing the chocolate from the stove.
Nevertheless, it’s one of the the tastiest, most original recipe I’ve come across on the net, way to go!
Hi Asma,
Thanks for your tips!
I have to say this is just the MOST divine & versatile ganache recipe that makes a simply delicious, decadent topper for cakes, slices, biscuits or cupcakes. Thanks so very much for imagining, creating & sharing Alice!
Hi Kate,
Yes, I love ganache. You can also store in the refridgerator and pull some out when needed to make hot cocoa. Just add warm milk.
Hey. How do I make the ganache suitable for filling cupcakes? Thanks!
I’m planning a “painting party” for my daughter’s birthday and am trying to come up with a “paintable” cupcake. I am not generally a baker, and have only recently heard of ganache, so I was wondering if a white chocolate ganache glazed or dipped cupcake would be stiff enough to be “painted” on with gel icings or even a watered food coloring? Or does anyone have another idea of how to frost and then “paint” a cupcake?
Ashley:
If you add a little less cream it should set hard enogh as a glaze or you could whip up some marshmallow fondant its quick and easy and it’s also easy to paint also if u make fun cut out shapes out of the fondant they can paint thos e and once thety dry take a little bit of water and you can attach it to the other piece of dried fondant or just ontop of the ganache which would add another layer to her cupcaked! You can find a simple marshmallow fondant recipe online just Google “simple marshmallow fondant recipe ” it only takes 3
ingredients!
And thank you for this easy recipe and thanks to everyone who commented with additional tips!
Kandee thank you so much! I will google it and see what I think. I’m going to try different techniques first and see what works out the best. Thank you for giving me another option because I am trying to wing it here!
Hi Alice, I just made the ganache for whipping but can´t seem to get it to thicken, it just remains a beautiful smooth ganache no matter how much I beat.
I put it in the fridge until it was somewhat cold like the recipe said.
Any ideas what might be happenning?
Love the recipe! Btw, you can use condensed milk instead of cream and it still tastes delicious
Hi, could I use half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate?
Omfg this was so stuipdly easy! So freakin awesome! Awwwwmazing.
what is heavy cream in english we have whipping double & single
Great recipe! big fan of ganache here.
please help someone
I’m making ganache for my sons 1st bday cake. I’m using a edible image on top. should I put the image on the day b4 bday or put it on the morning of the party. I’m just wondering if the ganache will smudge the picture 
thanks
o yeah how much choc and cream would I use for a 35cm by 35cm cake thanks heaps
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