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Vanilla Whipped White Chocolate Ganache Frosting
This is the dreamiest and creamiest vanilla frosting you will ever come across with absolutely zero grittiness. It is silky smooth and not heavy nor dense. Whipped White Chocolate Ganache Frosting is made with just 3 ingredients and easy to prepare. Say goodbye to super sweet buttercream and say hello to this incredible whipped ganache!
Ingredients
- 7 ½ oz (215g) pure white chocolate minimum 28% cocoa butter (see EXPERT TIPS above for important notes on white chocolate)
- 1 ½ cups (355ml) 35% heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
NOTE: this frosting is perfect for my BEST White Vanilla Cake and my BEST Funfetti Cake, ideal for birthdays!
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate. Finely chop the white chocolate and place it into a large heat-safe bowl. I always use these couverture white chocolate chips.
- Heat and infuse the cream. Measure out the total amount of cream that you'll need for the recipe, then pour ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (95ml) of this cream into a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan and place the remaining cream back in the fridge until needed. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds or vanilla bean paste to the saucepan with the cream (TIP: Reserve the scraped pod to add to your container of sugar to make vanilla sugar). Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Watch it as it comes to a simmer and do not let it simmer for long or moisture will evaporate and you will lose water from the cream. If you're using vanilla bean paste instead of a pod, then you can simply just heat up the cream alone.
- Make the ganache. As soon as the cream is simmering, immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate, cover the bowl and let stand for 1 minute so the heat can gently melt the chocolate. Uncover the bowl and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and silky. It is important that the chocolate is completely melted at this stage. If it is cold in your house and the heat of the cream isn't enough to melt it, then place the bowl over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water to continue to melt it gently while stirring constantly. Once smooth, let it cool for 5 minutes so it is no longer hot and then gradually pour in the remaining cold cream (260ml) in three stages while whisking until combined. Gradual additions will ensure that everything blends homogeneously since an emulsified mixture is the key to success for this recipe.
- Chill the ganache. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the ganahce, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for minimum 6 hours, and I highly recommend overnight until completely cold. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP. It must be thoroughly chilled before you move to the next step. This long refrigeration time not only cools it down, but it also allows time for the melted cocoa butter crystals to fully re-crystallize which will stabilize the whipped ganache.
- Whip it until thick and fluffy. Once thoroughly chilled, the mixture will be thick but still pourable. It will not set up firm and that is normal. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip on medium speed until thick, airy, fluffy and stiff. This will take 2-3 minutes but it depends on your mixer. Do not whip on high speed. Gently whipping will help create fine air bubbles and a smoother texture. Watch the video below to see the consistency you should be looking for because if you over-whip, then it will become grainy. Use immediately or cover the bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to use within a few hours.
