Best chocolate ganache frosting recipe for perfect smoothing! This is the favorite frosting in the cake design world, to use under fondant or to cover all your layer cakes and have this extra smooth coating.
If you are new to cake design and all these techniques and recipes are confusing you. In this article, I explain everything you need to know about this chocolate ganache frosting, which will no longer have any secrets for you!
What is chocolate ganache?
We already know the classic recipe for chocolate ganache. A preparation made of heavy cream and baking chocolate, widely used to fill and decorate pastries such as macarons and other cakes like a chocolate cake.
Chocolate ganache is a classic preparation widely used in pastry, a mixture of melted chocolate and whipping cream.
And the only difference with this homemade chocolate ganache frosting is simply the quantities of the ingredients that are calculated with a perfect ratio to give it a firmer texture, more stable and perfect to smooth the outside of the cakes.
Why use this chocolate ganache ratio?
This chocolate frosting recipe has a firmer texture and doesn't need to be stored in the refrigerator like the classic chocolate ganache recipe and most importantly it is more stable at room temperature.
And it is very useful for cakes that are exposed for a long time in wedding receptions, birthdays, baby shower etc..
This is also why it is much loved instead of other frostings such as buttercream recipes, whipped ganache and for cakes covered with fondant.
You may also like: My 10 best cake decorating tools for beginners !
The best ganache ratio
It is the ratio between the chocolate and the heavy cream that will define the final texture of the ganache. For the classic recipe it' s 1:1 (half / half) but to use it as a covering for a cake the ratio will be higher which gives an even firmer texture.
You can use baking chocolate in feves or callets or the classic pastry chocolate in bars. The latter is often sweeter and may contain less cocoa butter. And for the heavy cream, take the heavy whipping cream or regular heavy cream, full-fat with at least 30% of fat.
- Dark chocolate ganache: between 54% - 65% cocoa with a ratio of 2 : 1 that is, two parts chocolate to one part cream.
- Milk chocolate ganache: between 35% - 40% cocoa with a ratio of 2.5 : 1 that is, two and a half parts chocolate to one part cream.
- White chocolate ganache: between 28% - 35% cocoa with a ratio of 3: 1 or three parts chocolate to one part cream.
Example: I have 400 g of milk chocolate, I divide by 2.5, so I need 160 ml of cream.
How to make chocolate ganache frosting
- Weigh your ingredients with an electronic scale, an essential step to have the right amount of chocolate and cream to make a successful ganache.
- Cut or chop the chocolate as finely as possible and place it in a container.
- Heat the heavy cream, placing it in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, remove from the heat as soon as it boils.
- Melt the chopped chocolate, pour over chocolate the heavy cream in 1 or 2 times depending on the quantity, let it rest for a few moments before stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Mix the ganache with a hand mixer to smooth and eliminate the small pieces of chocolate remaining (be careful not to add air to your ganache, the mixer head must remain constantly immersed in the preparation).
- Let the melted chocolate ganache cool, cover it with plastic wrap on contact and place the warm ganache either in the fridge for at least 4 hours or at room temperature up to cool completly.
How to use the chocolate ganache ratio
To use it it should have a texture similar to a buttercream or a peanut butter consistency. After going into the fridge the chocolat ganache will harden a lot, you will need to warm it up a bit in the microwave and mix it with a spatula to make it smoother.
You can then use it immediately to cover all your cake layers.
Tip: Check out my post on how to frost your cake.
FAQS - Frequently asked questions about chocolate ganache
Yes, it is quite possible to use it as an frosting alone.
Store your ganache cover in the fridge for up to 1 month, at room temperature it will keep for about 2-3 days.
Or in the freezer in a covered container for up to 3 months
Others frostings recipes
- Classique chocolate ganache
- Kinder chocolate ganache
- Chocolate mascarpone frosting
- Whipped white chocolate ganache frosting
- Milk chocolate ganache
How much ganache use for my cake ?
Use this table to calculate the amount of chocolate and cream according to the diameter of your cake. (for a height of 4 inch and only for the outside)
Did you like this recipe? Don't forget to rate it and leave me a review in comments! And to not miss any recipes follow @sweetlycakes on Instagram and tag me to share it if you make this recipe 😊!
Smooth chocolate ganache frosting
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 parts
Description
This gorgeous chocolate ganache frosting will give a super smooth effect on your cake.
Ingredients
Dark chocolate ganache
- 300 g (10,5 oz) Baking Chocolate - semi-sweet 54 %
- 150 ml (½ cup) heavy cream - full-fat
Milk chocolate ganache
- 300 g (10,5 oz) milk chocolate - 33%
- 120 ml (⅓ cup) heavy cream - full fat
White chocolate ganache
- 340 g (12 oz) White chocolate - 28%
- 113 ml (⅓ cup) heavy cream -full fat
Instructions
- Break into pieces or chop the chocolate finely and place it in a container.
- Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan over medium heat and remove from the heat of the first boil.
- Then pour 1 to 3 times the warm heavy cream over the chocolate and let it rest for a few moments before stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Continue to mix until a homogeneous ganache is obtained.
- Finish by blending for 10-20 seconds with a hand blender to smooth it perfectly.
- Cover the ganache with cling film and leave at room temperature or place your ganache in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- The ganache is ready when it has the texture of a buttercream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Cake Design, Layer cake
- Cuisine: american, australian
Nutrition
- Calories: 193
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 10
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 18
Keywords: chocolate ganache
AMAZING! The table worked out perfectly for the amount I needed. My son requested a blue raspberry minecraft cake with chocolate frosting for his 6th birthday. At it's heart it's a raspberry flavored white cake and milk chocolate ganache sent it over the TOP in a way buttercream NEVER could have. It tastes like a chocolate covered raspberry. Perfection! Thank you for providing such wonderful instructions. I'll be using this ratio in the future to frost cakes!
Hi Melody, Thank you very much for your feedback, indeed I have a lot of positive feedback on this recipe which is a great help for bakers
Hi there
Can I use white chocolate gananche to pipe flowers?
Thanks
Hi, so with this ratio of chocolate and cream I don't think it's possible, the texture of this recipe is not suitable for piping decorations, you would have to increase the amount of cream and do some tests.
Is it possible to cover a dark chocolate ganache crumbcoat with a coloured (light) chocolate ganache frosting?
For context, I am in a hot climate and fondant is not an option.
I need to make a 'flowerpot' cake: chocolate cake for the 'dirt'/'potting mix', dark chocolate ganache for the tier filling and crumb coat, and a coloured white ganache for the frosting (the 'flowerpot')
Any advice would be appreciated!!
Yes, it's entirely possible to use this ganache for the exterior of your cake instead of fondant. You can choose the white chocolate version and color it using oil-based food coloring suitable for chocolate.