Smooth Chocolate Ganache

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
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Updated on 12/20/22
Smooth Chocolate Ganache

The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
231 Calories
17g Fat
18g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 231
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 180mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chocolate ganache is a really simple preparation that is commonly used as an icing or pastry filling, and also for making candy. Some chocolate ganache recipes include butter or even eggs, but this one is made with only two ingredients: melted chocolate and heavy cream. You can also flavor your ganache with brandy, cognac or vanilla extract.

Be sure to read our mixing tips below for the best chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dark chocolate,chopped

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Smooth Chocolate Ganache ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.

    chocolate melted over a double boiler

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Heat cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't scorch.

    heavy cream in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Pour about a quarter of the hot cream into melted chocolate and stir until completely incorporated.

    cream and chocolate in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Repeat until all the cream is mixed in and ganache is shiny and smooth. If you are adding other flavoring ingredients, such as brandy, cognac or vanilla extract, stir it in now.

    Smooth Chocolate Ganache

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • You can use the ganache right away if you want to pour it over a cake or pastry. Or if you want to pipe it on top of cupcakes, let it cool at room temperature for about two hours first. Or if you are making truffles, chill the ganache in the fridge until firm.
  • You will get a smoother result if you add the cream to the melted chocolate a little at a time, mix until it's fully incorporated and then add some more until all the cream is mixed in.
  • For the chocolate, 70 percent chocolate is ideal. The percentage refers to the amount of cocoa in the chocolate, and the higher number is darker. Seventy-percent chocolate will have a deep, rich flavor without being bitter.
  • For the cream, be sure to use heavy whipping cream, which has 36 to 40 percent butterfat. You can use more cream for a softer ganache, or less to make it firmer (which you might want to do if it's a warm day). The ratio given here will be the right consistency for icing cakes or for making truffles.