Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting

This is exactly the dreamy vanilla frosting that I use on my cakes instead of buttercream. There are a lot of versions on the internet, but this is the original recipe! The truth is that I actually don't love American buttercream and this Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting is so unbelievably creamy, thick, fluffy and smooth without any grittiness. It's also so easy to make with just 3 ingredients and it's not cloyingly sweet. There's no sugar added since there is plenty of sugar already in white chocolate. Unlike buttercream, this whipped ganache frosting is not heavy at all and it stays soft even when refrigerated without forming a crust. It is so light and airy that it almost tastes and feels like ice cream. It is a very popular recipe, and I think you will love it! It's the frosting I use for my dreamy White Chocolate Raspberry Cake and my BEST Funfetti Cake (a must try!).

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy recipe - this vanilla frosting is so easy to make and you don't need a stand mixer. A basic electric hand mixer works well.
• 3 ingredients - you only need simple ingredients: white chocolate, cream and vanilla!
• Vanilla bean frosting - if you have a precious vanilla bean that you've been hanging on to for the right recipe, this is it! This creamy base is the perfect way to show off the incredible flavor from a vanilla pod.
• Tastes like ice cream - since this frosting is based on cream instead of butter, it tastes like the best vanilla ice cream!
• Super smooth - I promise this is the smoothest frosting ever! There is no grittiness at all and it is so light and fluffy.
• Not too sweet - this frosting isn't sickly sweet and there's no additional sugar needed since white chocolate is more than 60% sugar already.
• No powdered sugar - you don't need powdered confectioner's sugar to make this frosting like you would typically use for American buttercream. Because of this, it is so light and not at all dense. It also doesn't form a crust and stays soft even when cold.
• No butter frosting - since you don't need butter to make whipped ganache, this frosting is not heavy nor dense.

INGREDIENTS FOR WHIPPED WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• White chocolate - this is the most important ingredient, and the quality of your white chocolate makes a huge difference in this recipe. Seek out pure white chocolate (not compound chocolate) which has only cocoa butter as the fat. There should not be any other vegetable oils added in the ingredient list. This is the one I use here. You should use fresh white chocolate because the milk fat and proteins can degrade over time which will have a big impact on your results. Milk powder also attracts moisture from humidity in the air which affects how chocolate melts. Read the EXPERT TIPS and FAQ sections below to learn more. Also, if you think you don't like white chocolate, then it is likely because the milk powder is oxidized which gives it a barnyard flavor. Fresh white chocolate has a cleaner, smoother taste.
• Cream - you will need heavy whipping cream which has 35% milkfat. Anything with less fat will not give the same results. It must be fresh, so purchase the cream within a week of making this recipe.
• Vanilla bean - here is the perfect recipe to show off a fancy vanilla bean! The pure ingredients and creamy flavor really enhances the vanilla and carries the flavor. I purchase mine here. It also adds lovely black flecks which gives the frosting a premium look.
• Pure vanilla extract - I like to use a bit of vanilla extract even when using the vanilla bean just to bump up the vanilla flavor. If you don't have a vanilla bean, or you don't wish to purchase one, you can make this frosting with all vanilla extract. Using good quality vanilla is essential to making this recipe and I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract. You can also use vanilla bean paste.

HOW TO MAKE VANILLA WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING

• STEP 1). Chop the chocolate. Finely chop the white chocolate and place it into a large bowl.
• STEP 2). Heat the cream. Pour a portion of cream into a saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean seeds or vanilla bean paste and place over medium heat. Watch it as it comes to a simmer.
• STEP 3). Pour hot cream over the chocolate. Once simmering, immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, cover the bowl and let stand for 1 minute. Uncover the bowl and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and silky. Let it cool for 5 minutes so it is no longer hot.
• STEP 4). Add cold cream. Gradually pour in the remaining cold cream while whisking until combined and smooth.
• STEP 5). Chill. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight until completely cold. I
• STEP 6). Whip. Once thoroughly chilled, whip with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until thick and fluffy. This will take about 2-4 minutes but it depends on your mixer. Watch the video to see the consistency you should be looking for.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS (watch the recipe video at the bottom of the page for a full tutorial)

STAGES OF WHIPPING VANILLA GANACHE

EXPERT TIPS FOR WHIPPED GANACHE

• Use only PURE white chocolate. It is important that the chocolate is of high quality with a high cocoa butter content, as it's the cocoa butter that gives the ganache stability after whipping. This is the only white chocolate I use here.
• Use FRESH white chocolate that is not expired. This may seem strange since chocolate doesn't really go "off" or expire from a microbiological point of view, however the quality does change. The milk fat and milk proteins from the milk powder in white chocolate degrade over time and these changes affect the meltability and emulsification properties of white chocolate. Old white chocolate does not melt well. The cocoa butter can separate from the milk solids and will not emulsify with the cream which can leave you with a grainy frosting or a curdled, soupy mess that is difficult to revive.
• Chop the chocolate finely - if you're using chocolate from a block or bar, then you'll need to chop it up. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly, quickly and smoothly the white chocolate will melt under the cream. It will guarantee a silky ganache. If you use this white chocolate that I recommend, then you don't need to chop it.
• Use heavy cream with minimum 35% milk fat. This is very important. Anything with less than 35% fat will not whip.
• Use fresh cream. Old cream will not whip properly. This has to due with protein and lipid chemistry. As cream ages, it starts to acidify. Even if you don't taste it, it is acidifying. This acidification causes certain milk proteins (caseins) to denature and slowly coagulate which means they cannot perform their very important task of holding up air bubbles as effectively. Old cream will not whip to a pillowy creamy consistency, and instead it will look curdled and broken.
• Heat only a portion of the cream. To ensure the vanilla whipped ganache has the right consistency and holds enough air, only heat a portion of the cream. Heating denatures proteins that are responsible for stabilizing the foam or network of air bubbles. Keeping majority of the cream cold ensures it will whip up nicely.
• Make a smooth emulsion. This is KEY. When mixing the hot cream with chocolate, it is important to stir gently to make a smooth emulsion. I like to use a whisk, but with a stirring motion (not whisking) in order to avoid incorporating air and physically breaking the emulsion which would cause the fat to separate out. The white chocolate should be completely melted into the cream. Then, when you add the cold cream, ensure you do it gradually while mixing constantly so it emulsifies evenly. You can even use an emersion blender at this point to ensure it is completely emulsified.
• Chill it thoroughly. The finished ganache must be chilled for a minimum of 8 hours before you whip it in order for it to whip to its full capacity and become fluffy. Do not rush this process as cocoa butter needs time to recrystallize so that it can stabilize the whipped ganache.
• Do not under-whip - if this frosting is under-whipped, it will be soft and will not be thick enough to hold peaks and valleys as you spread it onto your cake. You'll know it's ready when it holds stiff peaks, looks super glossy/silky and is filled with air bubbles. You should be able to take a scoop of it with a spoon and the frosting should not run into the valley created by your scoop - it should hold a defined valley.
• Do not over-whip - I'm not trying to be cheeky, but you also need to be cautious of over-whipping which will cause the frosting to become grainy. The truth is that it's actually easier to under-whip than over-whip this frosting which I think is a good thing because under-whipping can be corrected, but over-whipping cannot be corrected.

RECIPE FAQ

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