Fudgy chocolate ganache frosting made from two ingredients.
Ingredients
- 360 ml (1 and 1/2 cups) thickened cream or heavy cream (see notes)
- 360 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa) or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons) butter, softened, optional
Instructions
- Finely chop chocolate using a large sharp knife. Place chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
- Warm cream in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute until cream is hot but not boiling. You could also do this step on the stove using a small saucepan on medium heat if you prefer.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate. Cover with a plate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Start to stir chocolate and cream mixture using a spatula or a whisk. Continue until chocolate and cream are combined and all the chocolate is completely melted (see notes if your chocolate hasn’t fully melted here). Stir through butter, if using.
- Leave chocolate ganache to set in the fridge, stirring well every 15 minutes, for at least 1 hour or until it thickens.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake or cupcakes.
- Storage: Keep ganache in the covered in an airtight container in the fridge. It will firm up over time, so simply warm it in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time, to bring it back to spreadable consistency.
Notes
Thickened cream: Thickened cream or heavy cream is what you will need for this ganache. Creams can be called different names across the world, but try and find a high fat cream (at least 35%).
Dark chocolate: For this recipe, I use dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate that’s 70% cocoa. I recommend a nice-tasting dark chocolate that’s somewhere around 50-70% cocoa. Anything sweeter, like milk chocolate, can be a little too sweet.
Lumps in ganache: When you mix together the cream and chocolate, you need to have a completely smooth ganache. If there are any small lumps of chocolate, they will still be there when your ganache has cooled. When you initially add the hot cream, this is the time to ensure ALL the chocolate has melted. If you can still see lumps of chocolate, it’s likely your cream was not hot enough or your chocolate wasn’t chopped finely enough. Never fear, you can heat the entire thing in the microwave for 30 seconds or pop it on a double boiler until it’s silky smooth and lump-free.
Flavour ideas: You can easily flavour this ganache by steeping ingredients in the cream, like fresh orange zest, vanilla beans or even coffee beans. I often use this recipe to make a Chocolate Orange Ganache for my popular Chocolate Orange Cake. You could also add a tablespoons or two of peanut butter, Nutella or your favourite spread to the hot ganache instead of butter.
Storage: Keep ganache covered in an airtight container in the fridge. It will firm up over time, so simply warm it in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time, to bring it back to spreadable consistency. Alternatively, you freeze it. Let it thaw at room temperature and then warm it in the microwave until it’s spreadable.
Pictured is my Moist Chocolate Cake recipe.
