This is the ULTRA silky Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting that I pair with my Moist Yellow Vanilla Cake and it's also delicious on my very popular Best Moist Chocolate Cake and One Bowl Vanilla Cake. It's so simple with just TWO ingredients. TO make whipped ganache, the proportions are important. It has more cream than the type of ganache you would use to make chocolate truffles.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make - this frosting is made with basically just 2 ingredients and you don't even need a mixer to whip it up!
- Not too sweet - this is nothing like American buttercream! 1). It doesn't contain any butter, 2). It doesn't have any added sugar other than what is in the chocolate (in other words, it doesn't use a pound of powdered sugar!)
- Light yet fudgy chocolate frosting - the texture of this ganache frosting is so silky smooth and fudgy. It's like a cross between chocolate mousse and chocolate fudge.
- Keeps well - this recipe for ganache frosting is very stable and will keep well at room temperature for up to a week. It also can be made in advance, stored refrigerated and then whipped from room temperature right before you need it.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Chop the chocolate into very small pieces. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- STEP 2). Heat the cream. Combine cream and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Pour it over chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and let stand for 3 minutes.
- STEP 3). Stir. Whisk gently from the center and working your way out to the edges making concentric circles until it transforms into a thick glossy ganache. It should be completely melted and smooth.
- STEP 4). Cool. Let the ganache cool completely at room temperature until it is thick and spoonable, but not firm. It should look like chocolate pudding. This will take 1 to 1 ½ hours. If your climate is very hot, you can refrigerate until thickened, but be sure to stir every 5 minutes so that it cools evenly and it is uniformly thick yet still soft. It is important that the ganache is not warm at all, nor cold or firm when you whip it. If it is still warm, it will not whip (or it will just take a very long time to whip), and if it is cold it will become too stiff to pipe or spread on your cake.
- STEP 5). Whip. Beat the cooled ganache with an electric mixer or using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer on medium speed for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until lightened in color like creamy milk chocolate. Do not over-beat or it can become grainy. If you use the refrigerator method and left it for too long that it became cold, it will whip very quickly within 30 seconds. In this case it is best to leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes before whipping. Use immediately.
EXPERT TIPS TO MAKE WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING
There are a couple of important things to consider when making whipped chocolate ganache frosting. Since it only uses 2 ingredients, the quality and proportions of the ingredients make a difference.
- 1). Do not use chocolate with a cocoa content higher than 70%. Dark chocolate with 60% cocoa works best. The sugar helps the chocolate blend more smoothly with the cream.
- 2). Let the cream and chocolate stand undisturbed for at least 2 minutes to let the hot cream gently melt the chocolate. This will ensure that the emulsion forms smoothly when you begin to stir it.
- 3). Stir gently when combining the cream with the chocolate. I like to use a whisk because it will help the mixture emulsify faster, but be sure not to beat it vigorously! Use the whisk as you would a mixing spoon and just stir from the center outwards until the glossy emulsion forms. You do not want to incorporate air at this stage or the ganache may separate.
- 4). Do not whip cold ganache. It needs to cool down, but if it is cold then it will become stiff and grainy when you whip it.
Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Light and creamy whipped chocolate ganache frosting made with just 2 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup 237ml 35% whipping cream
- pinch of salt optional
- 8 oz 227g semisweet dark chocolate (50-55% cocoa), finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine cream and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Pour it over chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and let stand for 3 minutes.
- Stir gently with a whisk (do not whip) from the center and working your way out to the edges making concentric circles until it transforms into a thick glossy ganache. It should be completely melted and smooth.
- Let the ganache cool completely at room temperature until it is thick and spoonable, but not firm. It should look like chocolate pudding. This will take 1 to 1 ½ hours. If your climate is very hot, you can refrigerate until thickened, but be sure to stir every 5 minutes so that it cools evenly and it is uniformly thick yet still soft. It is important that the ganache is not warm at all, nor cold or firm when you whip it. If it is still warm, it will not whip (or it will just take a very long time to whip), and if it is cold it will become too stiff to pipe or spread on your cake.
- Beat the cooled ganache with an electric mixer or using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until lightened in color like creamy milk chocolate. Do not over-beat or it can become grainy. You can also whip by hand with a whisk if you are concerned about over-whipping.
- NOTE: If you use the refrigerator method and left it for too long that it became cold, it will whip very quickly within 30 seconds. In this case it is best to leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes before whipping. Use immediately.
Elle Campbell
If I’m making this ahead of time, would I whip it then store it? Or leave it in the fridge for a few days unwhipped, then remove from fridge and whip?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Elle! It can be made in advance, stored refrigerated and then whipped from room temperature right before you need it.
Cara
Maybe this is a dumb question, but when yo say, "Use immediately," do you mean pipe/frost immediately or consume immediately? For example, I were to pipe this ganache onto cupcakes and then store them in the fridge overnight, would the ganache become grainy?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Cara! My recommendation is to pipe immediately as it begins to firm up once mixed and will become more difficult to work with. There is no issue storing the frosted cupcakes in the fridge overnight.
Tim
Now a 5 star rating as this is very good instruction on how to make very good ganache whipped frosting that luterdisolves in your mouth with a great mouth feel and balahced sweetness. So so many frostings are way to sweet rather than balanced for the sweetness of the total bite of the product.
Lisa
Made this over the weekend (with a batch of the white chocolate ganache)… super easy recipe and wonderful texture and sheen on the finished product. And the taste is perfect, not too sweet just lovely chocolatie heaven!
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Lisa!
Lilia
Thanks for sharing such a pleasant thinking, paragraph is nice, thats
why i have read it completely
Linda
I made this frosting for my daughter’s birthday cake and she loved it. I added a bit of vanilla extract and it was delicious.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Linda! The vanilla is a great idea 😉
Anonymous
I made the frosting for my cousin, it was delicious,, I loved it, I drove 300km distance to my cousin's place it reached safe, never melted,,,?
christina.marsigliese
That’s awesome Linda! I’m glad it worked out.
Sarah
this was so easy to make and so chocolatey! loved that it wasn't too sweet
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Sarah! I like that it's not too sweet also 🙂
Anonymous
Preparé tu receta de cake muy húmedo de chocolate y me quedó deliciosa. Muchas gracias por esta receta, fue todo un éxito.
christina.marsigliese
Muchas gracias! I'm happy that you enjoy this recipe.