So lets talk about this easiest decadent and sinful frosting of all times. If you haven’t tried it yet wait until you do it because you will see yourself ganaching anything and everything. Chocolate Ganache is not limited to your cakes and cupcakes . There is so much more to ganache . You can make chocolate truffles , pipe in between cookies, glaze your brownies, cheesecakes, in short use on any baked goodies. Slather it on your toast , make ice creams , enjoy chocolate fondue ,drizzle it on pancakes , waffles, ice creams , add a dollop of ganache to your coffee and you will have the best café mocha ever.nd Ganache is a very sturdy frosting and most preferred one by all cake decorators . It forms a wonderful base for fondant covered cakes too. If you are feeling low or depressed just have spoonful or two of this luscious treat and you will automatically feel better. Not convinced yet…. What if I say you need just 2 main ingredients that is chocolate and heavy cream and is ready within minutes following the simple steps shown below You will need cream and chocolate plus any flavorings or spices if you desire TADAAAA!!!! Ganache is ready Lets talk about the ingredients in brief
CHOCOLATES
Always use the best quality chocolate for optimum results. Best ones are dark chocolate or semi sweet / bitter sweet chocolates. Look for chocolate bar or chips with cocoa content more than 50 % cocoa for best results Chop chocolate in smaller chunks so that they melt quickly once you add the cream Do Not use candy melts or chocolate without cocoa butter You will easily find cooking / baking chocolate bars / chips on the baking isle of any departmental store White chocolate can be used for white ganache .
Heavy Cream
Always look for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with fat content 33 % or more for best results More fat content means richer and stabilized ganache
Extracts and spices
You can add vanilla ,lavender or other extracts to the ganache if desired . Add these after ganache is ready – smooth and silky and lumpfree . You can infuse the hot cream with flavors too – add Spices like cinnamon , ginger powder , lavender after cream is warmed up – let the flavors blend for 2 minutes. Strain the mixture and rewarm it until simmer before adding it to the chocolate.
Melted Butter / corn syrup
They can be added to chocolate ganache to give an extra sheen or for glazing . You can add them after adding cream to the chocolate . 1 -2 Tsp melted butter /corn syrup for every 1 cup of chocolate ganache Very much optional . As I said only 2 main ingredients Chocolate and cream Lets talk about the ratios There are 3 ways to use ganache Glaze Piped Whipped Though ganache is forgiving ratio wise , its best that you stick to the standards for successful results.
Piped ganache
Meaning ganache is cooled until scoopable consistency so that it can hold shape and can be directly piped onto desired baked goods. The standard ratio For piped ganache, frosting, and crumb coating cakes, making chocolate truffles is 2:1 chocolate: cream which beans 2 parts of chocolate and 1 part of cream by weight. Yes, your best bet is to weigh both chocolate and cream but you know what my kitchen weighing scale was broken and I didn’t buy it for a year. I have had beautiful ganache by measuring the ingredients in cups too. So go ahead and use your measuring cups if you don’t have a weighing scale.
Chocolate Glaze
The standard ratio for chocolate glaze is 1:1 i.e equal parts chocolate and cream It is best used for dipping fruits, crackers, warm fondue, dipping cookies, and glazing cakes
Whipped chocolate ganache / chocolate mousse filling
My favorite form of ganache. It’s so much like chocolate mousse. For the whipped chocolate ganache, a 1:1 ratio of semi-sweet chocolate to heavy cream works the best. Chocolate ganache is allowed to set until its soft scoopable consistency then whipped until soft peaks. Do not over-whip. The ganache should be room temperature soft and not hard if you intend to whip it or else it will separate or turn grainy. Whipped ganache can be used to pipe on cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and mousse filling for cakes.
White chocolate ganache
White chocolate ganache uses 3 :1 ratio i.e 3 parts of chocolate and 1 part of the cream You can tint chocolate to any color using oil-based and not water-based food colors. I know it’s too much information but do go through it carefully to minimize mistakes.
Storage
Store the ganache in an air-tight plastic or glass container. It will last 2 weeks in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer. Chocolate ganache will stiffen in the fridge as well as the freezer. Just thaw it until it comes to room temperature, do not reheat it to accelerate the process unless you want it for the glaze.
Step by step ganache followed by the recipe
Gather the ingredients Measure chocolate and heavy cream Simmer heavy cream in a heavy bottom pan stirring occasionally . Let it come to a boil Pour over the chopped chocolate evenly and cover loosely with a lid to trap the heat so that the chocolate melts successfully Let it stand this way for 30 seconds. Now slowly , and I mean slowly not vigorously start mixing it with a hand held whip or a spatula in round motion . It will look gritty at first but will slowly come together Have patience and stir it for a few minutes. See how silky smooth and shiny it looks . Make sure its smooth and lumpfree Let the ganache cool completely to room temperature – should take 10 minutes or so At this point you can use it as drizzle , glaze etc Or cover with plastic cling wrap , touching the ganache to avoid sugar film formation . Cover it with a lid and let it set at room temperature until thick scoopable consistency like buttercream. I like to leave ganache to set overnight on kitchen counter and not in the fridge. It works perfect , never gets hard. After ganache is set , like spreadable consistency you can whip it or directly frost or pipe onto your cakes. wanna have a bite
