Though this powerhouse of a dessert recipe may seem intimidating at first glance, it is actually rather straightforward and simple to make. Just follow my recipe tips and suggestions below and you’ll be drizzling and spreading this smooth and silky chocolate confection in no time! For more delicious chocolate dessert recipes, check out my Oreo cake, rocky road cake, and chocolate bundt cake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chocolate – choose high-quality semi-sweet chocolate to make the purest flavored chocolate ganache. I recommend a chocolate bar if possible but you can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips if necessary. Alternatively, bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and even white chocolate can be used. See my pro-tips below for relevant recipe adjustments if using any of these variations. Heavy Cream – also known as heavy whipping cream, heavy cream is warmed until hot before being poured over the chocolate. The cream melts the chocolate evenly and creates a velvety and luscious base. This recipe relies on the milk fat in the cream, so do not use half & half, whole milk, or any other dairy alternative, or you will be left with chocolate sauce or a broken ganache instead.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until very steamy and just about to boil.
- Meanwhile, chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt from the heat of the cream.
- Stir the mixture of chocolate and cream together until fully combined, smooth, and glossy. If any of the pieces aren’t fully melted, you can microwave the ganache at 50% power for about 10 seconds and mix again.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Chop the chocolate finely. Chopping the chocolate into finer pieces adds surface area and lets the hot liquid melt the chocolate faster and with less additional heat. Use a serrated knife if possible, as the teeth of the knife help to easily break up the chocolate chunks. You can also use chocolate chips and skip the chopping or give them a few swipes with the knife if desired. Use a metal or glass bowl. You want to use a heat-safe bowl to make this recipe, as a plastic bowl can melt, add an unpleasant flavor, or make the chocolate less glossy or even grainy. Instead, use a metal or heat-safe glass bowl. Let the warm cream sit with the chopped chocolate before stirring. Save yourself time mixing the chocolate and cream together; pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will let the chocolate melt; all that is left for you to do is stir it up to smooth and silky perfection! Stir the chocolate with a silicone or rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Do not use a whisk, as it can incorporate too much air, affecting the final consistency of the ganache. Optional: adjust the consistency. You can make the ganache thinner or thicker by using more or less cream. This recipe, as written, makes a thicker ganache by using a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream (1 cup chocolate and 1/2 cup cream). You can make a thinner, pourable ganache by swapping the ratio to 1:2 parts chocolate to cream (1/2 cup chocolate to 1 cup cream). Or, use equal parts chocolate and heavy cream (a 1:1 ratio; 1 cup chocolate and 1 cup cream) for a thinner but still spreadable ganache. You can also make this recipe as directed and stir in more warm cream until the desired consistency is reached. Optional: make white chocolate ganache. For a white chocolate ganache, reduce the cream to ⅔ cup and follow the recipe directions as listed. White chocolate is softer and runnier when melted so you don’t need as much cream. It is also more heat-sensitive, so make sure your cream doesn’t boil, or the white chocolate can split.
Troubleshooting This Recipe
Grainy ganache. To prevent an unpleasant grainy finish, use high-quality chocolate, a glass or metal bowl, and a spatula or wooden spoon to stir. Low-quality chocolate can have impurities and imperfections that will show in the final product. The chocolate doesn’t melt. This usually happens when the chocolate isn’t chopped finely enough or when the cream isn’t hot enough. If in doubt, chop the chocolate extra fine and warm the cream on the stovetop until it steams and just starts to simmer around the edges. Finally, let the hot cream and chopped chocolate mixture sit for the full 5 minutes so the chocolate has the time to melt. If there are still chunks of chocolate remaining, warm in the microwave as directed above or move the mixture to a double boiler and warm over boiling water, stirring frequently, or until smooth and silky. Note: if you don’t have a double boiler, you can also place a heat-safe bowl over a simmering pan of water, being careful not to let the simmering water come in direct contact with the bowl. The chocolate seizes up. You will know the chocolate has seized if it dries up and becomes a gritty and hard-to-stir mass. To prevent this from happening, do not let any water get in the cream and chocolate mixture, and don’t expose the chocolate to excessive heat in the microwave. If adding the ganache to the microwave to melt the remaining chunks of chocolate, warm it at only 50% heat for 10 seconds. If chunks of chocolate still remain, warm for additional 10-second intervals, stirring between them, refraining from using in stronger heat or for longer intervals.
If you’ve tried this chocolate ganache recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
