How to Make Ganache
Quick steps (15 min)
You need: kitchen scale, serrated knife, heatproof bowl, small saucepan, silicone spatula, immersion blender (optional)
To make ganache, pour just-simmering cream over finely chopped chocolate, leave it for 2 minutes to melt, then stir from the centre outward until it turns smooth and glossy. The ratio of chocolate to cream by weight decides whether you get a pourable glaze, a spreadable filling or a firm truffle centre.
What ganache is
Ganache looks simple, but it's an emulsion. Cream brings water and milk fat; chocolate brings cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar. Stirring disperses tiny droplets of fat through the water phase, while the cocoa solids and sugar thicken it. Emulsifiers in cream and the lecithin in most chocolate help hold the droplets apart.
When the balance is right, ganache is shiny and silky. When it's off, the fat separates and the surface goes greasy and grainy. That is a broken emulsion, and it's almost always fixable.
Ganache ratios
All ratios are by weight, for dark chocolate around 60–70 percent cocoa with 35 percent cream.
| Chocolate : cream | Texture when set | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 : 2 | Thin sauce, or fluffy once whipped | Chocolate sauce, whipped ganache frosting |
| 1 : 1 | Pourable warm, soft-set when cool | Glaze, drip cake, tart filling, macaron filling |
| 3 : 2 | Thick and spreadable | Frosting, layer cake filling |
| 2 : 1 | Firm and scoopable | Truffles, piped chocolates |
Milk chocolate needs about 1.5 to 2 times more chocolate than dark for the same set; white chocolate needs about 2 to 3 times more. Higher-cocoa dark chocolate (above 70 percent) sets firmer and can split more easily, so add a little extra cream.
Why chopping and waiting matter
Fine, even pieces melt at the same rate from the cream's stored heat. Big chunks leave unmelted lumps, tempting you to reheat the whole bowl, which overheats the outside and can split the emulsion.
Waiting 2 minutes lets heat soak into the chocolate before you stir. Stirring too early cools the cream on unmelted chocolate and leaves the mixture lumpy.
Stirring from the centre in small circles builds the emulsion in one spot first. As that glossy centre grows, it pulls in the rest of the mixture, much like making mayonnaise.
Steps
- Weigh the chocolate and cream for the ratio you need. For a 1:1 drip ganache on a 20 cm cake, 150 g of each is plenty.
- Chop the chocolate finely and put it in a heatproof bowl. A serrated knife makes fast work of a bar. Discs or callets can go in as they are.
- Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer. Small bubbles at the edge, around 85–90 °C / 185–195 °F. A hard boil evaporates water and can make the ganache greasy.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Make sure all the chocolate is submerged. Don't stir yet.
- Stir in small circles from the centre outward until glossy. Use a spatula rather than a whisk to avoid beating in air bubbles. It will look broken at first, then suddenly come together.
- Blend briefly with an immersion blender for the smoothest result. Keep the blade fully under the surface. This gives the finest emulsion and the longest shelf life.
- Cool to the right temperature for how you're using it. For a glaze, pour at about 32–35 °C / 90–95 °F. For drips, let it cool to about 30 °C / 86 °F so it runs partway down and stops. For frosting or truffles, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface and leave at room temperature until thick, a few hours or overnight.
Chef Fizz says: If your ganache splits, don't panic and don't add more chocolate. A spoonful of warm milk and a quick blend brings it back almost every time.
Whipped ganache
Make a 1:2 ganache, then chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Whip it with a mixer on medium until it holds soft peaks, about 1 to 3 minutes. Stop early; overwhipped ganache turns grainy just like whipped cream.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Greasy, split ganache. Too hot or too much fat. Add 1 tablespoon of warm milk or cream at a time and blend.
- Grainy texture. Usually the mixture was stirred too hard while cooling, or the chocolate had seized from water. Gently warm to about 35 °C / 95 °F and blend.
- Lumps of unmelted chocolate. Pieces were too big. Warm over a pan of hot water for 10 seconds at a time, stirring.
- Too runny to set. Too much cream. Melt in more chopped chocolate.
- Too firm to spread. Too much chocolate or chilled too long. Warm gently, or let it sit at room temperature.
Flavouring
Infuse the cream before heating with orange zest, coffee beans, tea or spices, then strain. Add liqueur once the ganache is smooth, up to about 1 tablespoon per 100 g of chocolate. Butter stirred in at about 35 °C / 95 °F adds richness and softness to truffles.
Questions
What is the ratio for chocolate ganache?
By weight, use 1 part dark chocolate to 2 parts cream for a sauce or whipped ganache, 1:1 for a glaze, drip or soft filling, and 2:1 for truffles or a firm filling. Weigh both rather than measuring by volume.
What is the ratio for white or milk chocolate ganache?
White and milk chocolate contain less cocoa solids, so they need more chocolate to set. Use about 2:1 milk chocolate to cream or 3:1 white chocolate to cream for a drip or filling, and go higher for truffles.
Why did my ganache split or look oily?
The emulsion broke, usually because the mixture got too hot or had too much fat for the liquid. Stir in a tablespoon of warm milk or cream and blend with an immersion blender to bring it back together.
How long does ganache last?
Covered ganache keeps about 2 days at cool room temperature, 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 3 months frozen. Truffles with more chocolate keep longer than soft, cream-heavy ganache.
Can you make ganache with milk instead of cream?
Yes, but milk has less fat and more water, so use more chocolate, about 2:1 dark chocolate to milk for a glaze. The ganache will be less rich and sets softer.