Chocolate ganache sounds like something that belongs in a patisserie window, but it's one of the most forgiving and versatile things a home baker can make. Two ingredients. No thermometer required. And once you understand the ratios, you can use ganache as a drip, a filling, a frosting, a glaze, or a truffle centre — all from the same base recipe.
This guide covers everything: ratios for different chocolate types, step-by-step method, how to colour ganache, and the most common problems and how to fix them.
What is Chocolate Ganache?
Ganache is a smooth, glossy mixture made by combining chocolate and cream. The cream melts the chocolate and the two emulsify into a silky, rich sauce that can be poured, spread, whipped, or piped depending on its temperature and ratio.
It's used in professional bakeries for everything from cake fillings and drip decorations to truffles and tart glazes. For home bakers, it's one of the best techniques to learn early — it elevates the look and flavour of almost any cake.
The Two Ingredients You Need
Chocolate: Use the best-quality chocolate you can find. Compound chocolate (often labelled "cooking chocolate") can work but real couverture or high-cocoa eating chocolate produces a smoother, more flavourful ganache. For coloured ganache, white chocolate is the base.
Cream: Heavy or thickened cream (35%+ fat content) is standard. Avoid light cream or milk — the fat content is too low and the ganache won't set properly.
That's it. Everything else — flavourings, colour, texture — builds from these two.
Ganache Ratios: The Key to Getting It Right
The ratio of chocolate to cream determines how thick or thin your ganache sets. Getting this wrong is the main reason ganache either stays too runny or sets rock solid.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
| Use | Ratio (chocolate:cream) |
|---|---|
| Drip (pourable) | 1:1 |
| Filling / frosting | 2:1 |
| Truffle centres | 3:1 |
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Milk chocolate contains more sugar and less cocoa solids, so it needs less cream to set at the same consistency.
| Use | Ratio (chocolate:cream) |
|---|---|
| Drip | 2.5:1 |
| Filling / frosting | 3:1 |
White Chocolate Ganache
White chocolate has the highest sugar content and lowest cocoa solids, requiring the least cream of all.
| Use | Ratio (chocolate:cream) |
|---|---|
| Drip | 3:1 |
| Filling / frosting | 4:1 |
These ratios are measured by weight, not volume. A kitchen scale gives you consistent results every time.
How to Make Ganache (Step-by-Step)
What You Need
- Digital kitchen scale
- Heatproof bowl
- Small saucepan
- Spatula or whisk
Method
Step 1: Finely chop your chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Smaller pieces melt more evenly.
Step 2: Heat your cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer — small bubbles forming at the edges, not a rolling boil. Overheating the cream can cause the ganache to split.
Step 3: Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. This allows the heat to melt the chocolate before you stir.
Step 4: Stir gently from the centre outward using a spatula, working in small circles. The mixture will look broken at first — keep stirring and it will come together into a smooth, glossy ganache.
Step 5: If any lumps remain, place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler) and stir until smooth. Do not let water get into the bowl.
Step 6: Use immediately as a glaze or drip, or allow to cool to your desired consistency.
How to Use Ganache for a Drip Cake
Drip cakes are one of the most popular uses for ganache, and they're more achievable than they look. The keys are temperature and a well-chilled cake.
- Make your ganache at the correct drip ratio (1:1 for dark, 3:1 for white) and allow it to cool to around 35°C — it should coat a spoon but still be pourable.
- Chill your frosted cake thoroughly — at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. A cold cake sets the drip quickly and prevents it running all the way to the base.
- Pour a small amount of ganache onto the centre of the cake top. Spread gently to the edges and let gravity pull the drips over the sides.
- Adjust drip length by tilting the cake plate slightly, or by pushing ganache toward the edge in small amounts with a spoon.
For coloured drips, white chocolate ganache tinted with oil-based food colouring gives vivid, controllable results. See below for how to colour ganache correctly.
How to Make Coloured Ganache
Coloured ganache is most commonly made with white chocolate as the base. The critical rule: use oil-based food colouring only. Water-based gels will cause the chocolate to seize — turning it grainy and unusable.
Colour Mill Oil Blend is the go-to choice for this. It's specifically designed for oil and fat-based products, blends streak-free into white chocolate ganache, and produces vivid, consistent colour.
Method:
- Make your white chocolate ganache as above.
- While still warm and fluid, add 1–2 drops of oil-based colouring.
- Stir gently until fully blended. Add more colour as needed.
- Allow to cool to drip consistency before applying.
Avoid stirring vigorously while colouring — too much agitation while warm can introduce air bubbles.
How to Use Ganache as a Filling or Frosting
A thicker ganache (2:1 or higher ratio) that has been allowed to cool and set can be whipped to a lighter, fluffier texture — known as whipped ganache. Whipped ganache makes an excellent cake filling and a rich, glossy frosting alternative to buttercream.
To make whipped ganache:
- Make your ganache at the 2:1 ratio and allow it to cool at room temperature until it's thick but still soft — like peanut butter consistency.
- Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until it lightens in colour and becomes fluffy.
- Use immediately to fill and frost cakes.
Whipped ganache pairs particularly well with candy melts for creating modelling chocolate or decorative chocolate panels on the sides of cakes.
Troubleshooting: When Ganache Goes Wrong
Ganache is too thin: The ratio has too much cream, or the ganache hasn't cooled enough. Allow to cool further, or gently melt in a little more chopped chocolate.
Ganache is too thick: It has cooled too much. Warm briefly in the microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between each.
Ganache has split (looks greasy or curdled): This usually happens when the cream was too hot, or when water got into the mixture. Fix it by warming the ganache gently and adding a tablespoon of warm (not cold) cream, stirring from the centre until it comes back together.
Ganache has seized (grainy, stiff lumps): This happens when water — including steam — contacts melted chocolate before the ganache emulsifies. Unfortunately, seized ganache is very difficult to rescue. Prevention is the fix: make sure your bowl and utensils are completely dry.
Ganache is streaky when coloured: You used a water-based gel colour. Switch to oil-based colouring — browse the food colouring range at Baking Pleasures for oil-compatible options.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Ganache stores well, which makes it a great make-ahead component.
- Room temperature: Up to 2 days (in cool conditions, away from direct heat)
- Refrigerator: Up to 2 weeks in an airtight container
- Freezer: Up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before using
To reheat refrigerated ganache, microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each, until it reaches the consistency you need. Avoid overheating or it can split.
Mastering ganache opens the door to some of the most impressive cake finishing techniques: drip cakes, chocolate truffles, mirror glazes, and perfectly smooth chocolate frosted cakes. Start with a simple dark chocolate ganache at a 1:1 ratio and build from there — once you've made it a few times, it becomes second nature.
Find everything you need to get started in the cake decorating supplies range at Baking Pleasures, including professional chocolate, oil-based food colourings, and piping tools.