Ganache is French in origin and it refers to a luscious paste made from heavy cream and chocolate. The versatility of ganache is what makes it great! With just 2 simple ingredients, you can use ganache as a glaze, frosting, filling, mousse, or even dip. So many different applications with one recipe!
The ganache varies depending on the ratio on the ratio of chocolate to cream, what type of chocolate is used, or at what temperature it is used. A thinner ganache is typically used in fondue while a thicker ganache is used to make chocolate truffles. The ganache can also be used to frost or even fill cake after cooling and thickening. You can even add whipped cream to ganache to create chocolate mousse.
Thicker Ganache (Used to make truffle or piping decorations onto a cake)
Ratio of 2 parts Chocolate: 1 part Heavy Cream by weight (e.g. 500 g chocolate and 250 g of cream)
Typical Ganache (Used as fondue, frosting, or for making chocolate mousse)
Ratio of 1 part Chocolate: 1 part Heavy Cream by weight (e.g. 500 g chocolate and 500 g of cream)
Thinner Ganache (Used as a glaze)
Ratio of 1 part Chocolate: 2 parts Heavy Cream by weight (e.g. 250 g chocolate and 500 g of cream)
This combination makes the ganache really runny and fluid thus enabling it to use as a glaze.
Other ingredients to add into the mixture The following ingredients can be added to make ganache more luscious or even increase shelf life. • Butter (Enable a smoother mouthfeel and increase shelf life) Use up to 20% of ganache weight • Glucose (Helps the ganache to maintain smooth and does not dry so quickly. Glucose also add sweetness to the ganache) Use not more than 30% of ganache weight • Whipped Cream (Add fluffiness and lightness) Use up to 150% of total ganache weight • Gelatine (Setting ganache to make chocolate mousse) Use 2% of total weight of cream and whipped cream • Neutral Mirror Glaze (Enable shiny look)
You can also experiment with other ingredients such as vanilla or fruit purees and even liqueurs to enhance the flavour of ganache.
Common Issues Working With Ganache • Over-mixing the ganache is a common issue while working with it. It causes the ganache to “split”, resulting in a lumpy appearance. This gives a rough mouthful after setting. • Wrong Ratio of Chocolate to Cream. This might be due to the cream losing too much liquid while boiling thus causing the ratio of chocolate to cream to change. • Over-mixing the ganache even after it has cooled
Remedy Follow the following remedy steps to reverse the splitting of ganache: • Warm up milk (do not boil) to 30 – 40 °C • Add a litre at a time into split ganache while stirring gently with spatula • Only add more milk after mixing thoroughly
Ganache should be smooth and shiny for application uses. After reading our informative guide to create ganache, try making your own for your desserts today!
Cheers,
Chef Jacques Poulain.