Chocolate Ganache Recipe – Super Easy!

If you love baked goods, I’m sure you’ve already been introduced to the blanket of velvety goodness that is chocolate ganache. Ganache has been used to cover nearly every sort of baked creation you can think of, because it has a luxurious sensuality that leaves people a little out of breath. It’s bedecked the crowns of cupcakes, eclairs, and even taken the lowly donut to new heights.

Ganache doesn’t harden like traditional frostings. It stay soft and supple, even after a stint in the fridge (which will indeed cause it to firm up, but not become brittle). When warm it pours easily, also unlike frosting, and can be used to create an organic-looking flow of icing that you can’t accomplish with anything else.

The thing that most baking civilians don’t realize is that – shhhhhhh! – a chocolate ganache recipe is probably one of the easiest frostings you can make, nearly as simple as the whipped cream recipe I posted a few days ago. I’ve screwed up my fair share of cooked icings, and let me tell you – even I can’t mess up ganache.

I’m posting this now because I’m going to talk about a cake next week that calls for a chocolate ganache recipe, and I want to dedicate a whole post to perfecting this lovely little recipe. It’s painfully simple to make, but as with anything else, there are a few caveats when it comes to actually using it.

For now, here’s the basic ganache recipe. Scroll down for details on how to use the stuff.

Super Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Makes about 2 cups of ganache.

• 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely (or use chips)
• 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon of flavoring, such as espresso or bourbon (optional)

1. Pour chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) into a metal mixing bowl.
2. Stirring constantly, heat whipping cream, butter and vanilla in a small saucepan to just about boiling, but don’t let it actually come to a boil. You should see bubbles forming around the edges of the pot. If you’re using a thermometer, heat it to about 180 degrees.
3. Immediately pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and use a small whisk to mix until completely smooth.
4. Add flavorings, if you’re using them.

That’s it! I told you ganache was easy, didn’t I? You don’t even have to directly heat the chocolate, so there’s no chance of scorching or seizing it. In fact, if you’re ever made truffles, you’ve made ganache. And if you’ve never made truffles, see how easy it is?

When frosting a cake – with any type of frosting – you’ll want to create a crumb coat, which will prevent random crumbs from ruining the smooth coating on your cake:

1. Place cake on a wire rack, which is placed over a piece of parchment to catch any falling ganache.
2. Brush away any loose crumbs.
3. With a cake spatula, spread a few tablespoons of ganache over the top and sides of cake, then refrigerate for a few minutes to set the coating.

To finish frosting your cake, pour the rest of the ganache in the center of your cake and quickly spread with a spatula. Use sweeping strokes to push the ganache over the sides and create an even layer over the whole thing. Cover any bare spots with extra icing.

Refrigerate any leftover ganache for future use, but seal it well and use it quickly as it will capture bizarre flavors in your refrigerator!

Here are a few tips (as well as a tutorial and interesting history) about making ganache by Joy of Baking:

• To make a glaze or coating: use one part cream to three parts chocolate.
• To make a truffle filling: use one part cream to two parts chocolate.
• To make a light filling: use one part cream to one part chocolate.
• Refrigerated ganache can be whipped for fillings and frostings or formed into truffles.
• When warm, it can be poured over whatever you like to make a smooth, shiny glaze.
• When chilled it can be spread like regular frosting.
• If covering a cake with ganache that is to be refrigerated, make sure the cake is cold before frosting. This will ensure that the ganache does not dull when stored in the refrigerator.