Milk chocolate ganache, a light and creamy two-ingredient frosting that’s perfect for filling and frosting cakes, cupcakes, and all your homemade desserts.
Milk chocolate ganache, a light and creamy two-ingredient frosting that’s perfect for filling and frosting cakes, cupcakes, and all your homemade desserts.
This milk chocolate ganache is a recipe I use often in my pastry work whenever I want a smooth, fluffy chocolate frosting that pipes beautifully.
The texture is softer than classic ganache and works great as a cake filling, cupcake topping, or for clean layer-cake frosting.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft and fluffy texture that whips in minutes.
- Only two ingredients for a simple, reliable ganache.
- Perfect for cakes and cupcakes with a smooth, creamy finish.
Ingredients you need
You only need two ingredients to make this milk chocolate ganache frosting:
- Milk chocolate - Use high-quality milk chocolate bars or baking chips with good cocoa butter content for a smooth, stable ganache.
- Heavy cream - Use heavy cream (30–35% fat). One part hot cream melts the chocolate, and one part cold cream helps the ganache whip thick and fluffy.
Ganache ratio
Milk chocolate is naturally sweeter and softer than dark chocolate, so it needs less chocolate and more cream for the perfect whipped texture.
- Classic ganache: 1:1 ratio (equal parts chocolate and cream) → firm, rich, great for fillings.
- Whipped milk chocolate ganache: 1:2 ratio (one part chocolate, two parts cream) → light, fluffy, and easy to pipe.
This quick ratio guide helps you choose the right consistency depending on how you plan to use your ganache.
Tips for this recipe
- Use quality chocolate for better texture and stability.
- Don’t overheat the chocolate or it may split.
- Chill fully before whipping or it won’t thicken.
- Whip on medium speed to avoid grainy texture.
- Stop early as soon as it turns fluffy — overwhipping makes it dense.
How to make milk chocolate ganache
Here’s the step-by-step method to get a smooth, fluffy whipped ganache every time.
Chop the milk chocolate finely and place it in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the first part of the cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate.
Stir with a spatula until fully melted and smooth.
Add the cold cream directly into the warm ganache and mix until combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4–5 hours or overnight.
Once cold, whip the ganache on medium speed until fluffy and stable.
Use immediately to frost cakes, cupcakes, or as a filling.
Serving suggestions
- Frost a chocolate sponge or vanilla cake
- Pipe on cupcakes for a smooth, creamy finish
- Use as a filling for layer cakes or roulades
- Swirl on brownies or bars
- Spoon into dessert cups with fruit or crushed cookies
Storage
- Keep the whipped ganache in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered airtight.
- You can freeze it for 2–3 months, but only for mousse-style desserts (it won’t pipe properly after thawing).
Recipe variations
- Dark chocolate ganache for a deeper flavor
- White chocolate ganache for a sweeter, vanilla-forward frosting
- Coffee ganache by adding instant espresso powder
- Hazelnut or Biscoff ganache with a spoon of Nutella or cookie butter
- Caramel ganache by mixing in salted caramel
Recipe Questions
Why isn’t my ganache whipping?
It’s usually not cold enough. Chill it until fully firm before whipping.
Can milk chocolate ganache be used for piping?
Yes, once whipped it holds soft peaks and pipes beautifully for swirls and borders.
Does whipped ganache get hard in the fridge?
It stays soft and creamy; it won’t set as hard as a classic 1:1 ganache.
Can I use regular milk instead of cream?
No, it doesn’t contain enough fat to thicken and whip.
Why did my ganache turn grainy?
It was overwhipped or overheated. Stop as soon as it becomes fluffy and smooth.
More Ganache frostings
I hope you’ll love this recipe! Rate it ★★★★★ and leave a quick comment — it always helps. Happy baking!
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Milk Chocolate Ganache
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Soft and fluffy milk chocolate ganache made with just 2 ingredients, perfect for frosting cakes, filling cupcakes, and decorating all your desserts. Enough to fill and frost one 6-inch layer cake or to frost 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz – 1 cup) milk chocolate, baking chocolate
- 150 g (⅔ cup) heavy cream, full-fat and hot
- 150 g (⅔ cup) heavy cream, full-fat and cold
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped milk chocolate in a large bowl.
- Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate.
- Let it sit a few seconds, then mix with a spatula until fully melted and smooth.
- Add the cold cream and mix until combined.
- Blend with a hand blender to smooth the ganache.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours).
- Place the chilled ganache in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until smooth and firm.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge.
Notes
Storage: Keep in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months (texture will no longer be pipeable after thawing).
Tips:
- Use a scale for accuracy.
- Choose high-quality milk chocolate with good cocoa butter content.
- Don’t overheat the cream to avoid separating the chocolate.
- Make sure the ganache is fully chilled before whipping.
- Whip on medium speed to avoid grainy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: frosting, fillings, cream
- Cuisine: French
Menolly
Are the chocolate /cream ratios the same if I wanted to make semi sweet whipped Ganache, or white chocolate whipped Ganache? Thank you. ❤️
Fadela
hi, I have already a blog post for the whipped white chocolate ganache recipe and the semi-sweet chocolate
Robert Wall
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MS
Great results, thanks!
Makena
This recipe was great! Perfect for a black Forrest cake for any chocolate lover!
Carol
I find this recipe at an opportune time. I am just going to make a dark chocolate cake and I have made the filling and ganache before with dark chocolate. My husband found this cake before to be "too chocy" But I loved it. I think maybe this ganache would level out the flavour for him a bit and I will still love, love, love it! Cannot wait to try this interesting method!
Mandy
This sounds so good as a macaron filling (with a raspberry curd especially) any ideas on about how many macarons this might fill?
Fadela
Thanks! This ganache isn’t ideal for macarons because it's too light and airy once whipped. I recommend using the milk chocolate ganache from my chocolate macaron recipe instead – it's more stable and perfect for filling.
Sophia
Hi, if I add strawberry puree to this recipe will I need to adjust the cream or chocolate at all? Thank you.
Fadela
Hi! Yes, you can add strawberry purée, but you’ll need to reduce the amount of cream to keep the right texture — otherwise, the ganache might not whip properly. Personally, I don’t recommend it unless the recipe is adjusted carefully. A fruit filling or a separate layer is often a better option.
Dianke
How many cupcakes would one batch be able to decorate?
Fadela
Hi! One batch makes enough for about 10–12 cupcakes, depending on the swirl size and the piping tip you use.