Chocolate ganache that’s so good you’ll want to fill your bathtub with it. Rubber ducky not included.
What do truffles, eclairs, Boston cream pie, and bon bons have in common?
Rich chocolate ganache!
Uses For Ganache
That’s right, chocolate ganache is every baker’s best friend. Heck, some people would probably marry it, it’s that good. Ganache is only two ingredients (sans flavorings) and it’s so versatile. You can pool it on a cake, whip it up into a mountain of frosting, or chill it down to roll in some powdered sugar.
First you need to decide what you would like to use your ganache for. Does it need to be on the liquidy side to run gracefully down the side of a cake? Or firmer to make a truffle? Once you’ve made that decision, you’re good to go. (We’re going to have a tutorial on how to figure this out coming up soon!).
Today we decided to go with 6 ounces of heavy whipping cream and 2 cups of chocolate chips. This makes a thick ganache perfect for truffles. We did the entire process in the microwave so it’s fast and simple.
How To Make Ganache
Step #1
Start by measuring out the heavy whipping cream.
Step #2
Heat the cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between.
Step #3
While the heavy cream is heating, measure out the chocolate chips and place in a bowl.
Step #4
Heat the cream until it reaches 200°F, right below the boiling point.
If you do not have a thermometer (we suggest a great one here) you can tell the cream is warm enough when it just begins to bubble and is hot to the touch (careful, don’t burn yourself!).
Step #5
Pour the warm heavy cream over the chocolate chips.
Step #6
Once all the cream is added, use a spatula and stir until smooth.
Keep stirring and you will soon see the chocolate melt and incorporate with the warm cream.
Step #7
Look at all that chocolatey goodness! At this point the ganache is ready if you are planning to apply it to a cake or some other treat.
However if you are making truffles, chill the ganache until it is firm, about an hour or overnight. The ganache is ready for rolling once it keeps a solid shape when the bowl is tipped.
Chocolate Ganache
Learn how to make perfect ganache with the microwave! So easy!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 oz. heavy cream
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat the cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals and stirring in-between. The cream is ready when it reaches 200°F, right below the boiling point. You can tell the cream is warm when it begins to bubble and is hot to the touch.
- Remove the cream from the microwave and pour the chocolate chips in. Stir until smooth.
- At this point the ganache is ready if you are planning to apply it to a cake or some other treat. If you are making truffles, chill the ganache until it is firm, about an hour or overnight.
This post originally appeared in February 2016 and was revised and republished in February 2022.
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. Are both cups of the chips semi sweet? Thank you
Your ganache follows what ratio? I know of 2 to 1 1 to 1 and 1 to 1.5. But what does yours follow?
2 cups of chocolate chips is around 12oz, so it’s close to the 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. You can learn more about ratios for ganache and applications for each one over here – https://thecookful.com/temperature-and-ratios/ Hope that helps, Frank!
Good