How to make a chocolate ganache
Chocolate ganache consists of just two ingredients: chocolate and cream, in equal measure*. You can add sugar with the cream to your personal taste. It is not essential to the recipe and is only really applicable if using a dark chocolate with a cocoa content higher than 70% dark chocolate.
Chocolate ganache is a richer and more expensive option for cake covering than chocolate butter icing.
Note* Higher cocoa content chocolate e.g 80% cocoa content may require more cream as some customers have reported equal measures does not allow enough cream to absorb the cocoa butter, and can cause separation of the chocolate/cream mixture.
Equally, less cream may be required with Milk and White Chocolate as equal measures can sometimes fail to provide a stiff enough ganache mixture.
Method
- Bring the cream (and sugar if required) to a boil, then remove from the heat to cool for one minute before pouring over a bowl of chopped chocolate/chips
- Let it stand, covered, for a moment to soften the chocolate, then whisk until smooth.
Butter, oil or corn syrup can also be added when a dark shiny glaze is desired (covering cakes and chocolate sauces) .
Flavoured chocolate ganache
You can flavour your chocolate ganache with liqueurs or extracts and these can be added once the cream and chocolate are combined and fully melted.
Follow steps 1 and 2 and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. In an electric mixer, mix on high to aeriate and thicken to then pipe into the chocolate spheres.
Making rolled chocolate truffles with ganache
Same as above but requiring further refrigeration after mixing to thicken and allow scooping out small amounts of the ganache and rolling into small balls, avoiding over handling, to then coat in chocolate and decorate.
Covering a cake with chocolate ganache
First, brush any loose crumbs from your cake. Using a cake spatula or knife, cover the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of ganache. (This is called a crumb coat and seals in any cake crumbs so that your cake will have a smooth finish.) Refrigerate the cake for about 5 minutes or until the crumb coat has set. Then place the cake on a wire rack, and put the wire rack on top of a large baking sheet (to catch any excess ganache that drips from cake.) Then pour the ganache into the center of the cake. Working quickly, spread the ganache with a large metal spatula or knife, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake. (This will create an even coating of ganache.) If there are any bare spots on the sides of the cake, cover with ganache. Let the ganache set before covering and storing the cake.
