Ganache -Top Ten Tips to the Perfect Ganache
Top Ten Tips to the Perfect Ganache
Ganache, my perfect go to treat.
Thin, thick or somewhere in between, I don’t care, I love it all.
Licked from a spoon or whipped as a frosting, I’m more likely to lick ganache off the cake than eat the cake itself.
Ganache is a great thing to master, and I can definitely say, I had to master making it and using it when I had my cake café (Fondant & Apron Strings).
Every cake I made was covered in a thick layer of Belgium chocolate ganache under the rolled fondant and decorations, so I can honestly say that I am an expert in the making of chocolate ganache, and of course eating it.
If you learn to make creamy smooth ganache, you’ll never have to think too hard for a dessert to make.
Adding ganache to desserts or even making ganache the main component of a dessert, is the easiest thing to do and I’m sharing these top tips, hacks and recipes so that you can enjoy chocolate ganache as much as I do.
1) What is Ganache?
Ganache, said like geh-nash is easy to make and with only two ingredients, chocolate and cream it’s not going to break the bank either.
It’s the melted chocolate combined with the cream which leaves an intense flavoured chocolate mixture that can be flavoured with alcohol, herbs, spices and extracts that’s tickles my taste buds.
Adding flavours to the ganache, getting it to the correct thickness and with just a little bit of work after this stage, and it’s ready to use in any way you want.
2) How to use it?
Depending on the thickness, ganache can be used to make chocolate truffles, sauces, cake fillings and icings.
It can be whipped until it’s pale and light and ready to be piped or left runny enough, it can be used as a glaze for the top of cheesecakes.
3) Cream
I use double cream every time to make the perfect ganache.
The cream thins out the chocolate and the final texture of the ganache depends on the ratio of the chocolate to the cream.
Adjusting the ratios of the cream and chocolate will get the right texture for what you need.
(Keep reading for the ratios).
I’ve read a few recipes where they’ve made ganache using just milk, a mixture of milk and cream or even just water (Nooooooo).
In my opinion, the only way to get a ganache that has the perfect silky smooth consistency every time, is to use double cream, and ill ‘duke’ it out with anyone who tells you to substitute cream fo water
Chocolate from Lidl
4) Chocolate
Along with the double cream, chocolate is the only other ingredients need to make ganache (not taking into consideration any flavourings you want to add).
I tend to stay away from dark chocolate and head towards the darker milk chocolates for my ganache. Just a personal taste thing. This is not to say i’ve not used my fair share of dark chocolate , or white, to make ganache, but semi dark is my go to of choice.
I used to use Callebaut milk chocolate when making cakes professionally, now that I’m not having to buy chocolate in bulk to make ganache, I’m a big fan of Lidl milk chocolate, not too milky - not too dark either.
A lot of chocolate makes a lot of ganache
Not over heating the cream or chocolate is important for good ganache so:
Before adding the warm cream to the chocolate, chopping the chocolate in to small pieces will make it easier and quicker to melt.
Having the chocolate in small pieces, also means that the warm cream won’t cool down before the chocolate is fully melted.
Any type of chocolate will make ganache, if you like to eat it, then it’s good for making ganache, but like each type of chocolate has its own qualities to eat, the same taste qualities will be transferred to the ganache.
Each chocolate will also have different melting points, taking more time to melt or less, so you might want to do a little bit of experimenting with your mix before using it in larger projects etc.
Use chocolate that you like to eat
5) Temperature
Yes, the temperature of the cream does matter when making ganache, and this is where it might become a little bit of a conundrum.
The cream has to be hot enough to melt the chocolate but not too hot that it burns it.
The general consensus is to have the cream at around 100c.
I’m not a thermometer kind of person when making ganache, I rely on my eye and spoon feel of the ganache to do the work.
When the cream is hot enough the chocolate will melt, and that’s basically what it’s all boils down to in the end.
The temperature of the ganache after it’s made is a factor too!
Glaze:
Ganache needs to be used before its completely cold yet warm enough to pour without melting the cake or cheesecake etc.
If the ganache is needed to flow down the cake to leave a trail, then having it slightly cooler is going to work better to hold it’s drip shape.
Truffles:
The ganache needs to be cooled
It also needs to be chilled before shaping so that it holds it’s shape and doesn’t melt too much whilst making them.
6) Ratios
Whichever thickness you’re making the ganache, how it’s made remains the same, how much chocolate to cream to use is the thing that changes, the ratios.
The type of chocolate you use to make the ganache will have some baring on the ratios of cream to milk used.
There’s a higher fat content in milk and white chocolate than in dark or bittersweet chocolate so experiment with using a higher percentage of chocolate to cream that you would otherwise use.
1:1 Ratio – 1 Part Chocolate to 1 Part Cream
Consistency when cool: Pudding like texture - spreadable
While warm: Pourable
Room Temperature: Like brownie batter
Uses:
Filling and frosting for cakes.
Makes a great thick glaze.
Can be whipped for frosting too.
This constancy is great as a filling for a large cake and as a frosting for the outside of a large cake too.
Once its cooled, giving it a whip makes it fluffy making it like a very flavoursome thick chocolate cream mouse.
1:2 – 1 Part Chocolate to 2 Parts Cream
Consistency: Thin enough to pour (like a milk drink)
Will not set up hard, but becomes thicker as it cools.
Use:
Thin glaze.
Dipping
Chocolate fountain or fondue
Very light whipped frosting
Drinking chocolate
2:1 Ratio - 2 Parts Chocolate to 1 Part Cream
Consistency when cool: A thick fudge like mixture.
While warm: Can be used as a thick pipe-able frosting.
Room Temperature: Before cooling completely, this ratio can be piped for cakes and cupcakes.
Use:
Truffles
Frosting
Fill cakes
Great for covering a cake
7) Microwave it
Making ganache calls for very warm/hot cream.
The cream is usually heated up on the stove in a saucepan then poured over the chopped chocolate.
The chocolate melts, it gets mixed together and voila, ganache.
Using a microwave to make ganache can be a bit controversial, I love to use this method and find that it’s great when making it on mass.
The tip to making ganache in the microwave is do it very slowly.
Ganache in the Microwave
Place the chopped chocolate in a microwavable bowl along with room temperature cream.
Heat the mixture for 30 seconds
Remove it from the microwave and mix well.
Back into the microwave for another 30 seconds and heat.
Another mix
Repeat until the chocolate has JUST melted.
Don’t over heat it
8) Flavour it
Ganache tastes fabulous just as it is, but if you need it to taste of something else it’s easy to do.
Here are some ideas for flavour:
Rum
Chopped Nuts
Peanut Butter
Flavoured Oils
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Earl Grey
Dried Herbs
Vanilla
Chilli
If using dried herbs or teas:
Steep the dried herbs etc in the warm cream for at least 30 minutes
Strain the cream to remove all the leaves etc
Re-heat the infused cream to make the ganache
Infused Double Cream - Straining Cheeky Chai Tea from Warm Double Cream
9) Store it
Ganache is great to use straight away, but it’s still fabulous once it’s been in the fridge or frozen too.
Leaving the ganache at room temperature (as long as it’s cool) works for a few days, store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks or tightly wrapped, placed in the freezer, it will keep for months.
From the fridge, once ready to use, bring up to room temperature then whip it to bring it to life, the same for using ganache from frozen. Make sure to defrost it completely before getting it ready.
10) Other stuff
Even though ganache is easy to make, things can go wrong.
Here’s my list of some of those things and easy ways to fix them:
1) Problem: Dry & Cracked
Over heating or cooling too rapidly
Solution: Cool slowly at room temperature before transferring to the fridge or freezer.
2) Problem: Chocolate Not Melting
Solution: Chocolate isn’t cut up small enough to let the heat of the cream melt it, so chop the chocolate smaller in future.
or
Cream may not be hot enough.
3) Problem: Chocolate has seized
Seized chocolate means that the chocolate has made contact with water and goes very thick , grainy and hard to move around when trying to mix it - a big glob of chocolate
Solution: Don’t let any water come in to contact with the chocolate.
4) Problem: Ganache has split.
Solution: A way to bring a split ganache back to life is to add a little bit of warm not boiling milk or cream a tablespoon at a time. Mix with a spatula as the milk/cream is being added. Remember, the resulting thickness will depend on how much milk/cream is used to bring it back to life, so you might have to change your plans for its use once the problem is put right.
5) Problem: Greasy or Grainy.
Cheaper chocolate has more fat and when mixed with double cream (also a fat) can give it a fat overload resulting in a greasy layer on the top of the ganache.
Solution: a) Use the best chocolate you can afford.
b) Use a rubber spatula to mix it together may hep too
Stay away from a whisk - Whisking adds too much air making it easier to for the fat to separate.
c) Add the grainy ganache to a sauce pan and heat it up very, very slowly. Keep stirring with a spatula until it melts. Don’t be in a rush to do this, you don’t want to cause another problem, splitting.
How to Make Ganache
No matter what ratio of chocolate to cream you’re using, the basic procedure for making ganache is consistent across most recipes
Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
Place the double cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until its almost boiled (Do Not Boil)
Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chopped chocolate.
Leave the cream and chocolate to sit for a few minutes.
After a few minutes, once you can see the chocolate looks soft, mix it together until it’s all combined - Do not use a whisk
Once the ganache is smooth, glossy and creamy, it’s ready use or store.
Smooth and creamy
