Rich, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet: Chocolate Ganache is a classic baking delight! Drip or spread it onto cakes, spoon over ice cream, use it as a dip, and more! Read my recipe tips in the blog post above before starting for flawlessly smooth and rich ganache every time.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until very steamy and just about to boil. (You can also heat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until very hot.)
Meanwhile, place the chocolate 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 chocolate and cream together until fully combined, smooth, and glossy. If there are a few pieces of chocolate left unmelted, you can microwave the ganache at 50% power for about 10 seconds and mix again.
You can use the hot ganache to drizzle over cakes. Or, press plastic wrap to the surface of the ganache and set it aside to cool completely and firm up, about 4 hours. A firm, set ganache can be piped or scooped. Ganache can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
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Notes
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.