What is the best chocolate to cream ratio for making a ganache?

Ganache is like liquid gold in your kitchen; if you can find a use for it, it is easy to go overboard. Ganache elevates dessert recipes to a whole new level with a rich chocolate flavor and a creamy, luscious texture. You can use it in many recipes, your creativity is the limit!

What is chocolate ganache?

A basic chocolate ganache contains two ingredients – couverture chocolate and whipping cream. You simply need to melt your cream, pour it over the chocolate and stir the mixture until smooth. Adding butter or corn syrup is not a must, yet can make the ganache extra shiny. The whole procedure takes about five minutes using a range or microwave. 

You need to consider three things to achieve the right consistency for your particular dessert.

Read more: What's the Difference Between Compound and Couverture Chocolate?

First is the ratio of chocolate to cream. Using more chocolate than cream results in a thicker chocolate ganache. Using an equal amount of the three ingredients produces very soft frosting. It also makes a great dipping or glazing. More on the best chocolate to the cream ratio for making ganache in the next section of this blog. 

The second factor you need to consider is the temperature of the ganache. Ganache is usually very liquid when still warm. Therefore, you will want to use ganache when it is first made to make drip cakes or dip coat ice cream.

Finally, knowing the right type of chocolate (dark, milk, and white) to use for a particular recipe is extremely significant. For example, you will want to go for white chocolate for the perfect cake chocolate frosting.  Again, in a general sense, you need quality chocolate when making a ganache. High-quality chocolate melts into a perfect consistency and carries the authentic chocolate taste.    

What are the best ratios for a perfect chocolate ganache?

A perfect ratio of chocolate to cream will depend on the chocolate ganache you are working with. A ratio simply means how much chocolate to cream you are using. The first number represents chocolate, the second cream. For example, a ratio of 2:1 means twice the amount of chocolate to cream in a ganache. Therefore, if you have 250 grams of cream, you will have 500 grams of chocolate. 

Here are the common chocolate to cream ratios for the ganache:

1:1 ratio - dark chocolate ganache

This dark chocolate ganache uses an equal proportion of chocolate and cream. It always stays a bit soft, hence suitable for pouring over ice cream when warm. You can also use it as a glaze for cakes. Additionally, it also forms soft frosting for cakes and cupcakes.

2:1 ratio - dark chocolate ganache frosting

Using twice as much chocolate compared to cream results in a very thick fudge-like ganache. This ganache is perfect for making truffles or thick fillings for macarons, whoopie pies, cookie sandwiches, or tarts.  The ganache usually solidifies as it cools, especially in the fridge. You can also add a tablespoon of corn syrup with the cream to make a solid yet chewy texture and shiny appearance.

Read more: How to Make Chocolate: Chocolate Bar Making Process

3:1 ratio - white chocolate ganache frosting

White chocolate lacks cocoa that aids in the setting. It only has cocoa butter, so using a lot more chocolate is a brilliant way to make it set properly. Using a 3:1 or even 4:1 ratio can really help in this case. White chocolate ganache does not taste too sweet and can be used effectively in hot environments.

1:2 ratio - thin ganache glaze

Use one part chocolate to two-part cream to achieve a thin, pourable ganache glaze suitable for dipping fruit in or pouring over ice cream. This chocolate sauce is perfect for whipped ganache, which is like a combination of chocolate whipped cream and chocolate mousse. 

Now that you know the basic chocolate to cream ratio for making a ganache, you are ready to try out the process. Get quality chocolate from Embassy Chocolate and begin making your ganache for different recipes. Remember you can play around with the ratio slightly to achieve the specific product you want.