Chocolate ganache is, in its most pure form, absolutely heavenly. I use  it as both a filling and an icing on my cakes. Traditionally, chocolate ganache is a mixture of cream and chocolate in equal proportions. This one-to-one ratio is the proportion of cream to dark chocolate–chocolate with 50% or more dry cocoa solids. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate both fall into this category. Other chocolates, such as milk chocolate and white chocolate, have higher fat contents, making them more viscous. Since adding equal proportions of cream to them would yield a ganache too soft to hold its form, the proportions of cream-to-chocolate for milk and white chocolate are different.

Ganache is very easy to make, but a kitchen scale is absolutely imperative. Back in the day I made a ganache recipe that called for 8 ounces of chocolate. I knew that 8 ounces was a cup, so I carefully measured my chocolate in my one cup measure, and added my 8 ounces of cream. What resulted was a soupy (albeit delicious when eaten with a spoon) mixture that never firmed up. The problem? A cup of chocolate weighs only about six ounces. (Think about your 12 ounce bag of Nestles chocolate chips. The Toll House recipe calls for two cups–or 12 ounces–of chips, making each cup about 6 ounces in weight). When measuring chocolate–even in ounces–do not use a measuring cup.

Chocolate must be measured by weight not by volume, hence the necessity of the kitchen scale. Below, the chocolate in the 8-ounce measuring cup above weighs in on a kitchen scale at only 6 ounces.

For any ganache recipe, you’ll need:

• heavy cream (not half-and-half or milk), measured in a glass measuring cup (like a pyrex)
• chocolate of your choice (important to note the kind and follow the recipe)
• kitchen scale
• The Rose Levey Beranbaum Method (below)

The Rose Levy Beranbaum Method for Making Chocolate Ganache (from The Cake Bible)
Break chocolate into pieces and process in food processor until very fine. Heat cream to the boiling point and, with the motor running, pour through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process a few seconds until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Allow to cool for several hours or until frosting consistency.

This method makes an incredibly smooth ganache. Also, this method cools down more quickly than the double boiler method. The only disadvantage I have found to the Rose method is that it involves cleaning the food processor when finished, and I hate cleaning the food processor.

Below, Ghiardeli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips, Callebaut Milk Chocolate (32% cacao), and Callebaut White Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (measured by weight, not a measuring cup!)
8 ounces heavy cream (use a glass measure)

Milk Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces heavy cream

Follow the Rose Levy Beranbaum Method (above)

White Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
3 ounces heavy cream

Follow the Rose Levy Beranbaum Method (above)

Chocolate Chai Ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (measured by weight, not a measuring cup!)
8 ounces heavy cream (use a glass measure)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine cream and spices and bring to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Turn off heat and allow to steep. Pour cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any residual spices.

Follow the Rose Levy Berenbaum Method (above)

Note: All of the recipes above use Callebaut (my absolute favorite). Be sure to test the recipe first with whatever chocolate you’re using, as different chocolates will have different fat contents.

Bring to room temperature to use ganache as a cake filling or frosting. And good luck!

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