**Hello to all y’all finding me through Pinterest! I’m so glad you are here and am blown away by the incredible response I’ve gotten to this ganache post! It really is so simple and so, SO yummy! As I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy with my sweet second babe, please know that I may not be able to field questions as I have in the past. Thank you for understanding and happy ganaching :) **
Oh ganache… How I love thee. How I lived 20 some odd years never knowing of your glorious fudgy goodness, I don’t know, but I could never go back to that sad, ganacheless place.
It’s. that. good.
I was a little intimidated when I first set out to make it, but ganache truly is the absolute easiest way to make a foolproof, super rich chocolate frosting. And your friends and family will swoon over your baking skills… It’ll be our secret.
By definition ganache is just two parts chocolate melted into one part of heavy whipping cream. I found, for my purposes, a 3:2 ratio works a bit better. When I used the 2:1 ratio the frosting harded up to a really, really dense fudge consistency, making it hard to eat on a cupcake. Increasing the amount of whipping cream kept it a bit softer and made for a really nice frosting that piped well.
For supplies you will need a microwave safe mixing bowl, a scale (optional) and a whisk.
Easy Chocolate Ganache
24 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
16 oz (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
To start, grab your heavy whipping cream. You can just as easily buy a pint of heavy whipping cream and use the whole thing, skipping the scale, but I only had a quart on hand so I’ll be weighing mine out.
Place your bowl on the scale and zero it out.
Pour 16 oz of heavy whipping cream (should be about 2 cups or a pint).
(my scale is reading 1 lb 0 oz… or 16 oz)
Place bowl of whipping cream into the microwave for 2-3 minutes. You want it to be hot, but not boiling. Pour chocolate chips into hot whipping cream.
Shimmy the bowl back and forth so that the chocolate settles to the bottom and is completely covered by the hot whipping cream. Let the bowl set for a few minutes to allow the hot whipping cream to soften the chocolate.
Then grab your whisk and stir…
…and stir…
…and stir…
… and stir until you get a smooth chocolate sauce. Don’t be afraid to throw it back in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time if the chocolate doesn’t seem to be incorporating.
What you have now is a ganache sauce, which can be used to glaze a cake, dip a cupcake, coat a truffle or even be used for fondue.
If you are looking for a thicker, frosting consistency to the ganache, you simply let it cool. Cover it with plastic wrap and throw it in the fridge for about 3 hours, or until it’s firm.
And that’s really it! Just spoon it into a piping bag and frost your cupcakes! …Or eat it by the spoonful. I’m not going to pretend like it’s never happened. ;)
the welch cupcakery 
Oh my goodness! Hi Stacy! I’m friends with your sweet sister Cari :) I was on Pinterest and saw this pin for chocolate ganache and here you are! So cool. Your treats and pictures are beautiful. I’ll be back!
Oh that is so fun!! :) Thanks for checking my blog out :)
If you cool the ganache in the fridge so that you can put it on cupcakes, does the ganache turn back into a liquid form once you take it out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature?
Not at all, Natalie! It will soften a bit from where it was in the fridge but it will maintain its shape at room temperature.
What if you were to add a block of softened cream cheese and mixed it with the refrigerated ganache, would that lighten the frosting/change the consistency?
You could certain give it a shot, Colleen! I used to make a chocolate mousse that was made with chocolate, whipping cream and cream cheese and it was delicious! Whipping the chilled ganache with a whisk attachment will also give you a much lighter consistency, without adding any other ingredients.
I would love to have your recipe for the chocolate mousse you described above! Is there anyway you could post it for us?..I would love to surprise my grand-kids with a ‘fancy’ dessert! :)
It is actually just something I found in a little Betty Crocker pamphlet! Let me know your email address and I can send it to you! Otherwise, a basic mousse just consists of folding melted chocolate into whipped cream (just follow the directions on carton of heavy whipping cream for the whipped cream) Sometimes I find the chocolate will reset when it comes in contact with the cold whippes cream, leaving my mousse with little chunks of chocolate throughout it but I saw a recipe once that added a smidgen of water to the chocolate when melting it to help it keep its liquid consistency when mixing it in.
About how many cupcakes could you frost with the above recipe? Also, have you used dark chocolate, or would you advise against it?
Thanks! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Hi Janelle! I honestly can’t remember exactly how many cupcakes it frosts… I want to say 2 dozen though.
I think you would be fine using a dark chocolate! I’ve personally only made it with milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate though.
Hello I’m really interested in making this but I can’t figure out exactly how much chocolate I should be adding. Is it the whole 24 oz?
Yes, Whitney! 24 oz chocolate and 16oz whipping cream!
Hello just wanting to confirm if I whip the cream it will be lighter consistency? I’m making cupcakes and don’t want an overly heavy rich icing
If you whip the cream prior to adding it to the chocolate you are essentially making a chocolate mousse. I would google a recipe for that to compare. If you whip the ganache after it is set up, it will have much more air incorporated into it, making it lighter than it was, but it will still be rich!
Hi I tried this but the mixture stayed liquidy so I added icing sugar till it was harder and still tastes delicious
This looks so yummy! Unfortunately when we tried it ours never got solid enough to pipe onto our cupcakes. I am trying to figure out if there is a way to add something to it to use it. Ours looked just like your pictures, but after being in the fridge even overnight it is still too runny. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I wish I had a magic solution for you, Leslie! I’ve never had mine not set up, so I’m really not sure! You used 16oz heavy whipping cream and 24oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips, correct? In the fridge it should set up within a couple hours- there really isn’t anything “technical”, like mixing time, that would have impacted whether it set up or not. You could maybe try adding more melted chocolate and then allowing it cool time again. A typical ganache recipe calls for 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream- my recipe does call for a bit more cream which has worked well for me, but maybe a 2:1 ratio would work for you?
Just realized we forgot to double the chocolate chips! Yikes! Here goes trying to fix it!
Leslie
Bless your heart! I can’t wait to give this a try! You give great directions.
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Hi!! Im living in netherlands and I couldn’t get my hands on heavy cream. Do you know any substitute for it? Thanks a lot. I really like the looks of this frosting
While I’ve never used anything besides whipping cream, I did a quick Google search and someone has had success using 2% milk and melted butter. Using her ratios, you would want to use 1.5 cups of milk and 9 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix them together, warm, and add the chocolate as you would have to the heavy cream. Good luck! You’ll have to let me know how it works! I’m curious to know how that would turn out!
Wow thank you so much…I’ve spent countless hours trying to figure out how to make this dark glossy chocolate frosting for cupcakes and could never figure it out…lol!! You are right, it is so simple
Yum! Looks delish! How long will this be good in the fridge? If it is in the fridge overnight, will it be good and have a good consistency to frost cupcakes the next day?
It definitely would be okay the next day! I often make it in the evening and let it set up overnight before using! It will probably be pretty thick after being in the fridge overnight but you could either pop it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time to warm it a bit, or even put the whole batch in a mixer with a whisk attachment and soften it that way.
So glad that I found this post! I have made this recipe several times now – sometimes on a much larger scale (I make cakes on the side and my bride this weekend requested ganache filling for her chocolate tiers) – and the only thing I do differently is use an immersion blender instead of a whisk to incorporate the chocolate. It isn’t necessary, but it sure is better than trying to whisk 8 cups of cream into 6 pounds of chocolate!
Yes!! I love my immersion blender! I do the same thing for larger batches! :) It makes it soooo much easier!
How long will the ganache hold up in the fridge before it becomes too hard and unusable?
How long will the ganache hold up in the fridge before it becomes hard and unusable? Like could I make it the night before and use it the next morning?
I make it the night before all the time! If it’s too hard in the morning you can either set it out for a bit, microwave a few seconds and stir it, or even throw it in a mixer and let your paddle or whisk attachment soften it up. The last option would incorporate air into it making it a little lighter (and the color will also lighten).
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I planned to mix it up with the semi sweet chocolate, exactly as you said, but I was afraid it may be too bitter. I kept worrying I’d have to mix in sugar or butter to make it taste sweet. Oh wow!! It’s soooo delicious just as it is!! No overly sugary taste, just super chocolatey!! And it’s so beautifully glossy. I will definitely be using this ganache again and again!! Thanks again!!
Love the taste! How long does it keep before going bad in the fridge?
OH MY SOUL! I am a believer!! Just made this for the first time for a friend’s birthday cake. I bought 2 jars of the store bought frosting in case it didn’t turn out, but I should never have doubted! It tastes like the inside of a Lindor truffle…my favorite part! I don’t know if I should admit how easy this recipe is or just pretend like I’m a baking goddess… :)
If I make the cupcakes with the frosting the night before then put in the fridge would they be good the next day ( since it gets hard).
They would! I would just let them come to room temperature before serving so that the ganache will be a bit softer.