Chocolate Ganache (with Ratios for Every Use)
Two ingredients, infinite uses — once you know the ratios. Spreadable filling, glossy drip, whippable frosting, or rolled truffles all start from the same simple method: hot cream poured over chopped chocolate.
Plus 1h cooling / chilling time
Method
- 1
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Smaller pieces melt more evenly than chunks — aim for roughly the size of a coffee bean.
- 2
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and warm it over a medium heat until you see steam rising and the first tiny bubbles forming around the edges. Do not let it come to a full boil — that scalds the cream and dulls the flavour.
Heat the cream04:00 - 3
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and add the salt if using. Leave the bowl completely undisturbed for 2 minutes — the residual heat is doing the melting for you. Resist stirring early; you will get a streaky finish if you rush.
Rest02:00 - 4
Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, start stirring in tight circles from the centre of the bowl outward. The mixture will go from broken-looking to a deep glossy emulsion in about 30 seconds. If a few bits of chocolate are still solid, microwave for 10-second bursts and stir between each until silky.
- 5
The ganache is now at "drip" consistency — pourable, glossy, and warm. From here, choose your application: pour straight away for a glaze or drip, leave at room temperature for 1–2 hours to thicken to a spreadable filling, or refrigerate for 2 hours then whip with a hand mixer for a fluffy frosting.
Cool to spreadable60:00
Baker's Notes
- •Ratios are everything. Dark chocolate uses a 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream by weight (this recipe). Milk chocolate needs more chocolate to set — use 1.5:1 (300g milk chocolate : 200g cream). White chocolate is softest of all and needs 2.5:1 to 3:1 (500–600g white chocolate : 200g cream).
- •Use ratios for different jobs: pourable glaze or drip = use the recipe as written and use it warm. Spreadable filling/frosting = let it cool to the consistency of soft peanut butter. Whippable frosting = chill until firm, then whip with a hand mixer for 1–2 minutes — it will lighten in colour. Truffle base = chill firm, then scoop and roll.
- •Drip cake test: dip a clean spoon into the ganache and lift it about 5cm above the bowl. The drip should run smoothly and stop about 4cm down. If it runs straight off, cool for 5 more minutes; if it sits in a clump, microwave for 5 seconds.
- •Use real chocolate. Compound chocolate (often labelled "cake covering") will not emulsify properly with cream. Look for "couverture" or chocolate where the only fat listed is cocoa butter.
- •Storage: airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for 3 months. To revive, microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each.
- •Yield: this 1:1 batch fills and covers a 20cm two-layer cake, or makes around 24 small truffles. Use the ganache calculator on cakeytops.co.uk to scale for tiered cakes.
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