Chocolate Ganache is such an easy recipe, made with just 2 ingredients – chocolate and cream, but it has so many practical uses as a dip, frosting, filling, and topping. You’ll love this versatile master recipe for the best homemade ganache.
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Chocolate Ganache Video
See how simple it is to make this amazing chocolate ganache recipe at home. Soon you’ll be pouring this chocolate sauce over everything you can get your hands on,
Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe
I remember the first time I made this chocolate ganache recipe, I messed it up by stirring it too soon. I also measured the chocolate all wrong, but don’t worry, if you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure chocolate chips with level dry ingredient measuring cups – I’ll share all my tips below so it’s fail-proof for you! Once you have this recipe mastered, you can use it a hundred different ways (see ideas below).
I have made this chocolate ganache recipe countless times as frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes, a dip for Eclairs, or poured over Poppyseed Cake. See our video below to learn how to master this ganache recipe.
Tips for Making the Best Ganache
- 1:1 Ratio – you only need two ingredients measured in equal WEIGHT proportions. Measure the chocolate using a scale (or the package weight) and the cream with a scale or measuring cup meant for liquids.
- Good Quality Chocolate – For a classic ganache, use high-quality semisweet chocolate bars or chips (35-55% cacao) or bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao). It also works with milk chocolate and white chocolate.
- Tools for Ganache – You’ll need a small saucepan to heat the cream, a glass or metal heat-proof bowl to melt the chocolate, and a silicone spatula or metal spoon to stir. Make sure they are all dry because water can make ganache seize.
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
It really is just chocolate and heavy cream, but be sure to measure correctly and use good quality ingredients for the best taste and texture.
- Chocolate – classic ganache is made with semi-sweet chocolate. Use high-quality chocolate bars such as Ghirardelli baking bars, which have 40-50% cocoa, chopped into small pieces. You can also save a step by using high-quality chocolate chips with 51% cocoa.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Use heavy cream with 36% milk fat. Heavy cream with 40% milk fat will work, but the ganache will be too thick to pour. Avoid half-and-half or milk because the fat content isn’t high enough for the ganache to set.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
It’s so simple to make chocolate ganache. Follow these easy steps:
- Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. You will see steam coming from the pot and small bubbles around the outside, but don’t let it boil. As soon as it simmers, pour the cream over the chocolate chips, swirling the bowl to cover all the chips.
- Cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat and let it sit undisturbed (no mixing) for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and swirl the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula or metal spoon. It will turn into a velvety ganache right before your eyes and you’ll get excited!
Pro Tip:
Keep in mind that the longer the ganache sits, the thicker and more of a frosting or mousse it becomes, but it won’t become hardened. Once it has cooled, or after refrigeration, you can whip it into a frosting (see instructions below).
There are 3 Forms of Ganache
- Ganache Glaze or Dip: Let it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 15 minutes until it coats a spoon nicely before pouring it over a cake (see our tips below)
- Ganache topping or filling: wait until it cools, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Use it plain to frost a cake or cupcakes; as filling between cake layers, or inside cupcakes or donuts; or pipe using a wide-tipped piping bag.
- Whipped Ganache: refrigerate for 2 hours, then whip on high speed for a few minutes until fluffy and lightened in color. It makes 3 cups of ganache frosting, which pipes beautifully.
How to Glaze a Cake with Ganache
Place the cake on a wire rack over a rimmed platter or rimmed baking sheet. Pour your slightly cooled liquid chocolate ganache evenly over the top of your cake until the desired coverage is reached. You can lift up the wire rack and re-use the chocolate ganache that drips onto the platter.
Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache
- Lumpy Ganache – If the chocolate isn’t melting, the cream may not be warm enough or the chocolate pieces were too big. Solution: Reheat in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, just until it melts.
- Separated, oily, or seized – cream was too hot or there was water in the bowl. Solution: stir in 1 Tbsp of warm milk until the mixture comes back together.
- Grainy – usually from low-quality chocolate, or using a whisk (incorporates too much air), or a plastic bowl. Solution: add a tablespoon of warmed milk while stirring.
- Too Thin/Too Thick – the ganache thickens as it cools, but if it’s not thickening, try melting more chocolate chips and stirring them in. If it’s too thick, add warmed milk by tablespoons.
This decadent chocolate ganache is one of our favorite chocolate recipes. It’s so easy and delicious that you’ll be searching high and low for things to dip, spread, and cover with chocolate sauce. Don’t wait to try this recipe!
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate baking bars, finely chopped, or chocolate chips, 8oz =1 1/3 cups
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (36% fat)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy whipping cream just to a simmer on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Just as soon as you see a simmer, immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Swirl the bowl to be sure all the chocolate is covered.
- Place a lid on the chocolate chips to trap the heat. Let it sit without mixing for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and swirl the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula. Start in the center and work outward until the mixture is smooth, but be sure not to overmix.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before pouring it over a cake. It will thicken more as it cools. See more ways to use ganache in the notes.
Notes
- Serving Size is based on 2 Tablespoons of Ganache. The recipe makes 1.5 cups of ganache or 3 cups of whipped ganache. This is enough to glaze one cake roll or frost 12 cupcakes.
- Milk fat matters: Use heavy whipping cream or heavy cream with 36% fat for the best results. Light cream won’t set properly.
- For dairy-free or vegan ganache: vegan/dairy-free chocolate and a can of full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Shake the can well, then measure out 8oz.
- If you want more ganache, increase the ingredients proportionally.
- How to Use Ganache: To glaze a cake, cool for 15 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. For frosting, let the ganache cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until mousse-like texture. Spread or pipe as frosting or whip using an electric mixer for whipped ganache.
- How to Store Ganache: cool completely. Cover and store at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving. If separated, reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding more warm cream or melted chocolate chips as needed.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
How to Use Ganache
These are SOME of our favorite ways to use ganache. The uses are endless! Let us know in the comments how you use it:
- Poured as Icing over Cheesecake, Brownies, Poppy Seed Cake Roll, or Chocolate Babka
- Frosting for Chocolate Cake, Mini cheesecakes, or Peanut Butter Cookies
- Filling for Italian Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies, Macaroons, Cream Puffs
- Dip for Donuts, Apple Fritters, or Shortbread Cookies
- Stirred into regular or Iced Coffee
- Swirled into Banana Bread or Zucchini Bread batter
- Served as dip for strawberries, bananas, or Churros
- Drizzled over Ice Cream, Scones, Pecan Pie Bars, Baklava, Bread Pudding, Baklava Cups, Mini Pumpkin Pies, Crepes, Pancakes or Waffles
My ganache was so runny. What went wrong?
Hi Andrea. It could be the type of chocolate or quality, using too much liquid, overheating thr cream, or not allowing it enough time to cool down.
Natasha, you saved my ganache. Mine separated and I added warm milk back in slowly, and it became nice and creamy.
Thank you
I’m so glad that trick worked! That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Bill!
I’ve never made ganache before, but I closely followed your instructions and notes and it came out perfect on my first try! I would recommend this quick and easy recipe to any newbie bakers out there : )
How many cakes would this fill? I have a 7 layer cake to make for my daughter’s party? So need enough to fill 6 layers
This makes 3 cups of ganache frosting which pipes beautifully. It depends on how thick the outside of your cake will be. You can try to double the recipe first and add more if you need more.
Hello I made your vanilla cupcakes (only cupcakes, haven’t done frosting yet) so I was wondering if I can use this ganache as a frosting somehow using piping bag with a star tip? Thank you!
Ganache topping or filling: wait until it cools, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Use it plain to frost a cake or cupcakes; as filling between cake layers, or inside cupcakes or donuts; or pipe using a wide-tipped piping bag.
I would like to frost my cake with about a quarter 23 eighths of an inch thick frosting with this ganache.Once I refrigerate it, do I have to keep it refrigerated after putting on the cake
Hi Lenny. Yes, after using this ganache, we like to keep the cakes refrigerated.
Would it be easy to dip cupcakes into the ganache to coat top as an icing?
Hi Mara! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with these cupcakes.
Hi Natasha,
This ganache is my go to!
It’s so easy and delicious.
Question: If I wanted to make this all Bailey’s ganashe, would I substitute some of the heavy whipping cream fir it or add it afterwards. Also how much should I add?
Thanks so much.
Cindy
Hi Cindy! Glad you enjoyed it, however, I have not tested that to advise.
Wonderful! I have been leary of trying to make anything like this. I thought it would be harder. But you made the direction simple to follow. I like it better then frosting. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
Delicious! I cooled it over ice water, then whipped it. It was perfect for my sour cream chocolate cake. I put toasted sliced almonds around the sides of the cake. What a hit!
So good! I don’t normally like frosting. But this recipe… It’s perfect! It’s my go to for chocolate frosting. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for the feedback!
This ganache was so easy and amazing both in the flavor and the nice shinny appearance. It made my birthday cake so special.
After the chocolate was melted I did add some Nespresso expresso powder, which I was a bit concerned that it might not absorb and be grainy, but it was perfect. Voila, a slightly mocha taste! I love & appreciate you website / recipes!
Absolutely a great & simple recipe!!! This will be my forever go to ganache recipe. My leftover is going into the freezer. Thank you so much!
Used your Ganache recipe today for a chocolate cake I baked. Your video was very helpful. I used a third or so of the slightly warm ‘shiny’ Ganache between the two 8″ layers (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips). I wrapped the cake and put the remaining Ganache in a metal mixing bowl and refrigerated it for an hour. I then used my mixer to whip the Ganache to a perfect icing consistency which only took a couple of minutes. It did double in size and was just enough to ice the top and sides of the cake. Really, the easiest icing I have ever made! It was a big hit! Thanks!!
Hi! I want to use ganache in between the cake. Do you use the whipped version of it in between or the one shown only in the beginning?
Hi Kay, I would use whipped between layers.
Easy and fabulous recipe..easy to pour over the cake and it turned out wonderful…wanted to take a photo but thought of it after having poured a mirror glaze over it…thanks for all the time you take to share your knowledge with all of us
You’re very welcome, Mary! So glad you loved it.
Such an easy recipie, but more importantly, Natasha explains it so beautifully and sweetly. Made it and enjoyed it tremenduously. I cannot attach an image here or I would have shown you. I am sold on your recipies and the way you explain your cooking. It is delightful and such a pleasure to watch and listen.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Amar!
Hi – most heavy whipping creams in the store doesn’t specify what percent milk fat it is. Any idea how to best get an idea? I know here you say we want to find 36%
Hi Charlie, in our local stores the fat content is listed on the carton. I would recommend asking a store associate if they can help find the fat content you need based on what they have in stock. I wish I could be more helpful.
It was really easy to make and delicious. I made a chocolate cake in a tray and poured it over after 15 min of standing at room temperature.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ronel!
I like this loaf. I did not use the frosting or espresso powder and it is still delicious. Not too sweet and with an excellent texture. Simple instructions and ingredients I always have on hand 🙂
Thanks for testing this recipe to perfection and sharing it with us! I cut the recipe down by 25% to use over the top of a 4 layer 8 inch chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting (your recipe too) between the layers. I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never had ganache before. It was so easy to put together and wasn’t overly sweet. It really enhanced the chocolate flavor of the cake and was very creamy.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this Chocolate Ganache recipe! Thanks a lot for this review.