Ganache

Dark Chocolate Ganache

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by Deeksha Pathak

What comes in your mind the moment you hear the word Ganache…

It is creamy, melt in mouth, sinfully delicious chocolicious frosting for cakes which is very popular for its versatile usage.

To prepare ganache there is not a big list of ingredients. It is prepared with just two ingredients!! Yes, to prepare the basic ganache, only cooking chocolate and heavy cream is required. Extra ingredients are required only if we are adding some flavor to it.

Ganache is prepared as per requirement in thick, medium or thin consistency by adjusting the ratio of milk cream and chocolate. Usually there are three different ratios for ganache which are very popular.

1) 1:1 ratio means to take equal quantity of chocolate and cream. This ganache has thin consistency. It doesn’t have very dark color as equal quantity of cream is mixed with chocolate. Though, while preparing it looks very thin, it settles down slowly. It can be used for soft fillings, creating dripping effects for the cake and glaze for cake and cheesecake. If preparing this ganache for glaze, then add little bit of butter while heating the cream. This addition of butter add a nice sheen.

2) 2:1 ratio has one portion of cream and double the quantity of chocolate. This ganache settles down nicely and becomes thick. That’s why it is used mostly for filling, frosting and decorating the cakes. It can be whipped also, but after whipping it becomes light in colour.

3) 2.5:1 ratio works for very stiff consistency of ganache as chocolate is 2.5 times more than the quantity of cream. This makes ganache very stiff ganache after setting down. It is ideal for Truffles.

Remember, each type of ganache sets down on room temperature, but consistency will be different for each because chocolate and cream are in different ratios.

In India usually we don’t get milk based heavy cream. And our whipping cream is also mostly non dairy cream. The most popular milk cream used here widely is Amul milk cream and the fat content in this cream is only 25%. That’s why for truffles we need to increase the ratio 2.5:1, to make it stiff.

Let’s see how do we prepare ganache….

Chop chocolate block and keep the shredded pieces in a bowl which is slightly bigger in size. Bigger size bowl will be helpful to mix ganache evenly.

Pour cream in a separate bowl and heat it on medium heat. The moment it starts bubbling from the sides of the pan and about to reach at the boiling stage, immediately pour it into chocolate bowl evenly everywhere so that it can cover the chocolate shreddings completely.

Don’t disturb this bowl for 5 minutes. Later, mix this with spatula nicely. With the heat of the cream, chocolate will melt but still if you feel that some chocolate chunks are remaining, you can keep the bowl in microwave or use double boiler method to reheat the mix for a short time. Again mix the mixture and all the remaining chocolate chunks would be melted.

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and keep it on room temperature till ganache completely cools down. Once ganache cools down, use it as per your requirement, or if you need it to be more firm then keep it in the fridge.

Tips to remember while preparing ganache :

  1. Check the expiry date for cream and chocolate.
  2. Chocolate should be on room temperature.
  3. Try to chop chocolate in equal size. It will help chocolate to melt evenly otherwise bigger chunks will take more time in melting and you have to pop in the bowl multiple times in microwave.
  4. Don’t heat the cream on high temperature. Keep the heat on sim or medium. Don’t let the cream boil too much. When you see it bubbling through the edges of the pan, pour immediately on chopped chocolate.
  5. After pouring cream on chocolate, don’t stir it for at least 5 minutes. Let the chocolate melt nicely with the heat of cream and after 5 minutes, start mixing it. If chocolate is not melted completely, keep the bowl in microwave for 10 or 15 seconds initially, mix it and again if it is required, heat it on short interval. The same process can be done on double boiler also.
  6. Ganache sets down on room temperature, but it takes long time. So after preparing, once ganache cools down, keep it in the fridge cling wrapped. Cooling time on room temperature or the time of ganache becoming firm in the fridge is not fixed. It might vary depending on the size and depth of your bowl and the quantity of ganache .
  7. After keeping in the fridge ganache becomes very stiff. Take it out from the fridge, let it come on room temperature and through double boiler method or through microwave you can loosen up stiff ganache.
  8. Remember, if using microwave to loosen up ganache, do it in short intervals.
  9. If preparing ganache for dripping or glazing, use it when it is thin.
  10. Wrap ganache in a cling film and keep it in an air tight container in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for three months.

I hope this post is helpful to you if you are preparing this luscious ganache for the first time!!

Ganache

 

Published by

Deeksha Pathak

I like reading, watching movies, listening to music, doing some art and craft, cooking, baking and exploring new ideas. Baking is my new passion!!

86 thoughts on “Dark Chocolate Ganache”

    1. That’s so true Bernice, until we try something, certain recipes sound very complicated. But probably they just need once or twice trials, and we wonder…. .. ‘what made me think that this is complex’.

    1. Hi Tanja, I guess you are more used to of Buttercream frosting. Ganache is mostly done with truffle cakes. But its so delicious that if you have prepared this frosting before cake, then you will end up half of it by licking it from the bowl.. lol..
      If you are not comfortable with dark chocolate, can try with semi sweet chocolate also.

      1. I had the exact same thought about licking out the bowl, Dee. 🙂
        There was a time, when I liked only milk chocolate, but I have grown to prefer dark chocolate, so that is not a problem!

      2. Superb… Same here Tanja!!
        I was fond of only sweet chocolate, but slowly to cut down my sugar intake developed a taste bud for dark chocolate and now I just can’t tolerate sweet chocolate any more!!!

  19. My first time hearing “ganache.” I love dark chocolate! I actually have a bag of dark chocolate with me now.

    The first reminder “check the expiry date for cream and chocolate” makes me laugh! So helpful and useful! Indeed!
    I am going to try to make it. One question, is there any substitute for cream?

    1. You know Oscar it sounds really funny but many a times people don’t even check expiry date of yeast and then they complain that we followed your recipe but it was a disaster. Cream is a milk product so should be more careful.
      There are trials with doing ganache with water, but it’s complicated as water and chocolate are enemy of each other. Cream adds silky smooth texture to ganache. I have never done but you can try with condensed milk in small quantity. But I guess it will be too sweet. In India milk cream doesn’t have sugar, so ganache is balanced.
      Are you vegan also…

      1. Sometimes I eat milk and cheese when I eat out with friends … It is ok to me. I just try to avoid it — my stomach is not used to it. ^O^

        I can find cream with no sugar in the States as well! I want to try the authentic recipe first!

  21. Indeed a lesson in making ganache and right mixture for the dark chocolate. Your effort is commendable and admire the hard work Deeksha,

  24. Yum! I’ve never tried ganache before, but the way you’ve explained it, I think even I could do it! 😉

    I wanted to leave a comment on your chocolate cake post, but wasn’t able… Anyway, just wanted to say I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t feel chocolate cake absolutely must have frosting. Sometimes it just can’t wait. 🙂

    1. Ruth, I am so sorry, sometimes these technical issues are so annoying.
      Try to prepare ganache, but just be careful, it’s too addictive… to be licking from the bowl or with our favorite chocolate cake Lol……
      Have a great week ahead!!

  33. I generally make my cakes without an icing or ganache, overly healthy. But this year, I’ve decided to indulge in chocolate ganache so that my daughter does not look forward to the store bought cakes 😀 .. Will definitely try this!!

    1. I believe it is a wonderful decision Kanwaldeep!!
      Ocassionally also if we can do slightly more efforts to keep our family in good shape and avoid market bought goodies,then kids will slowly become used to of home baked or cooked food. Probably they might be interested to give us a helping hand in preparation also😊😊

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