5-Minute Chocolate Ganache
Smooth, glossy chocolate ganache made in the microwave with just bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream. Use it warm for glazing, dipping, and drip cakes, or let it set for piped frosting, whipped frosting, and truffles.
Servings: 6
Calories: 181kcal
Ingredients
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate bar
- ½ cup heavy cream Optional: additional 1 - 3 teaspoons depending on desired thinness
Instructions
- Break the chocolate into small, uniform pieces and add it to a microwave-safe bowl along with the heavy cream.
- Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir well. Depending on the strength of your microwave, you may need to repeat this 3 to 4 times.
- Once the chocolate has melted down to small pieces, stop microwaving and keep stirring until the ganache is smooth, homogeneous, and silky. It should flow smoothly off your spoon with no unmelted pieces.
- Use warm for glazing and dipping, or let it cool and set for frosting (see notes).
Notes
- Yield: Makes about ¾ cup of chocolate ganache.
- Chocolate: Use a good-quality dark, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate bar for the best flavor and the smoothest texture.
- Glazing a cake: Make sure the ganache is easily pourable. Test it on scrap pieces of cake, then pour over the cake in one go to cover it all at once.
- Drip cakes: Use a squeeze bottle or small spoon and do a test drip first. Too thick? Warm 5 seconds at a time. Too thin? Let it firm up at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Piped frosting: Let the ganache cool completely at room temperature, then pipe with a pastry bag and tip.
- Whipped frosting: Once completely cool, whip on medium-high with a whisk attachment for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Thickening: Ganache firms as it cools. Let it cool in the fridge or at room temperature, without stirring. If it's still too thin, stir in small pieces of chopped chocolate and rewarm in short bursts until smooth.
- Thinning: Rewarm 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each. If it's still too thick, stir in heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface. Use within a week.
- Reheating: Remove the plastic wrap and warm in a microwave-safe bowl 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each, until it reaches the consistency you need.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg