Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate lovers: this is the recipe for you! Rich & silky chocolate ganache whipped ’til light, fluffy, & spreadable. Great on cakes, cupcakes, & cookies.
I’m here today with another fabulous frosting recipe for you!
I love sharing icing recipes because they can really take your cake, cupcake, and cookie recipes to another level! There are lots of choices here on Baking a Moment, including this Swiss meringue buttercream, this royal icing, and this whipped cream frosting.
But this whipped chocolate ganache might be my favorite one yet! The texture is so silky and light, and it’s got the most incredibly deep, dark, and intense chocolate flavor. If you are a true chocoholic, you are going to love this recipe!
WHAT IS GANACHE?
“Ganache” is just a fancy word for chocolate and cream that have been melted together. It’s got a silky-smooth texture and it totally melts in your mouth.
The addition of cream makes it softer at room temperature than just regular chocolate.
It can be used in a lot of different ways. While it’s melted it can be used to create a drip edge on a cake, or you can just pour it all over the cake to enrobe it. Once it’s cooled and solidified, you can roll it into balls to make truffles.
Or, you can do like I’ve done here and whip it up, to create a luscious frosting or filling.
WHY USE GANACHE INSTEAD OF BUTTERCREAM?
I love a good buttercream, but if you are really going for the maximum chocolate flavor, this is your best bet. It’s got the same fluffy texture as buttercream, but with TONS more rich chocolate flavor.
Because it’s only got 2 ingredients, the chocolate flavor really shines. There is nothing to get in its way!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Making ganache is super-simple, and you only need 2 ingredients: chocolate and cream.
I like to use semi-sweet chocolate because the flavor is deep and rich. But you can make ganache with milk chocolate, white chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate too.
Start by chopping the chocolate into small pieces.
It’s best to use chocolate bars (rather than chocolate chips) when it comes to melting chocolate. They will melt smoother and they have less of a chance of seizing up, curdling, or splitting.
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and heat the cream. You can heat the cream on the stove or in the microwave, just be sure to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t boil over!
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes or so, the chocolate should be melted and you can whisk the ganache smooth.
Look at how good it looks! It’s so glossy and dark.
Let the ganache cool until it reaches the perfect consistency. Honestly, this is the trickiest part of the whole thing. You want it to be solid, but still soft.
To speed things up, you can put the bowl of ganache in the fridge for 10 minute intervals, whisking after each. In my fridge, this took a total of 30 minutes. I just gave it a good whisk every 10 minutes, and it was perfect after 3 10-minute intervals.
Once you have a nice solid but soft consistency, whip it up on high speed until it’s doubled in volume, a little paler, and fluffy.
You can whip it in a stand mixer OR with a hand mixer.
Know that at first, the color will look light (from all the air you whipped in), but as it sits it will become much darker.
CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?
It’s a good idea to make this ahead, since waiting for the ganache to reach the perfect consistency can be a bit of a pain.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Ganache is fine at room temperature for a couple of days. But any longer than that, and it should probably go into the fridge.
It will stiffen up and harden quite a bit when kept cold. If it becomes too stiff, just allow it to come to room temperature. It may need to be re-whipped, just to get it fluffy again.
You can also freeze ganache. It will keep in the freezer for around 3 months, and in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
This whipped chocolate ganache is so great on cakes and cupcakes, and it would work for frosted cookies too! It also works really well under fondant, especially once it’s been chilled.
Here are some of my favorite cake recipes, to pair with this incredible filling:
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
- Heat the cream steamy, and until small bubbles start to form around the outer edges (this can be done in a small pot on the stove, or in the microwave). Be careful it doesn't boil over!
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the ganache until smooth, then allow it to set. (This can be done at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Whisk it every 10 minutes to keep it smooth and lump-free.)
- When the ganache is firm but still soft, transfer it to a mixing bowl and whip it on high speed until fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes).
Hi! this looks lovely, if i wanted to add a hazelnut spread like nutella, how much can i add to keep the consistency firm? do i need to decrease some of the chocolate or cream?
I think you are going to have to experiment with that a bit. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure. Good luck and let us know how it works out!
Oh! Â My!! Goodness!!! Â Seriously amazing – so easy to work with and is addicting! Â My husband wants a bowl and spoon for it!! Â
I read thru twice and you didn’t see where you have the the recipe, only put cream and chocolate. Is it heavy cream? If so, how much and same with the chocolate…🤔🤨
The recipe is at the bottom of the post, just above the comments section 😉
Would this be ok for cake filling if the cake will be stored in the fridge? Will it return to being somewhat fluffy once at room temperature?
Yes, it will firm up a lot in the fridge but once it warms to room temp it should soften back up. Good luck!
This recipe looks delicious!
I am wanting to do a German chocolate cake.
I dont want the chocolate frosting to be too sweet next to the coconut frosting,
Do you think this would complement this style of cake well?
Thank you!
I absolutely do! This frosting is deeply chocolatey and would balance out the sweetness of the coconut/caramel beautifully. If you need a recipe, check this one out: https://bakingamoment.com/german-chocolate-cake/. It calls for a different chocolate frosting, but you might really like the cake and coconut/caramel filling. Good luck!
When you say it frosts 24 cupcakes does that mean with a healthy piped swirl on top or just put on with a knife?
I typically pipe on and I’m pretty generous!
How would we do this with white chocolate?
It would work exactly the same way!
Is this sweet because there isn’t any sugar in there. Thanks. Love your recipes!!!😉
Chocolate contains sugar so yes I would say so. It tastes like dark chocolate.
This recipe is so easy and very delicious. I made this to frost and fill 2, 8″ chocolate cakes and it was amazing! Highly enjoyable
If I’m decorating a birthday cake with the ganache and making it the day before would it be best refrigerating the cake because of the whipped cream or would this harden too much?Â
It will harden in the fridge- if you want the frosting to remain soft you should probably leave it at room temp.
Is this the right consistency for piping?
Yes!
if i’m using chocolate chips do i still have to chop it?
No.
how to thaw the whipped chocolate ganache that has been frozen for a week? I want to use it as frosting and filling for cupcakes
thanks
I would just place it in the fridge or leave it on the counter until it’s thawed, just like anything else. Good luck!
Can this frost and decorate a half sheet cake??
Hi if you wipp it and use as a filling will it be soft if cake is room temp
It’s similar to a frosting so yes.
Does this need anything to stabilize it if you make it for a cake in advance? I’m thinking of stabilized whipped cream perhaps but I worry about it collapsing on a cake made a day in advance. Thoughts?
It’s extremely stable as is. Keep it cold and it will be quite sturdy. Good luck!
Can i use normal Full cream milk instead of Whip cream?
I have not tried that so I can’t really say for sure if it would work. Good luck!
Used this as a filling with an oreo base and whipped cream layer on top and it turned out great!
Ooh, that sounds fantastic!
My family loved this recipe. It was super easy and tasted delicious. It was easy enough for my 10-year old son to make on his own, which was great for me! We used this as a cake filling and loved it! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy you and your son enjoyed. Thanks for the positive review!