Chocolate ganache is a confection made from chocolate and warm cream in an equal parts ratio.

Chocolate Ganache

What is Chocolate Ganache?

Chocolate ganache is a confection made from chocolate and warm cream in an equal parts ratio. Butter and sugar are added to improve the texture and flavor. This confection has a brown chocolate color and a sweet flavor, similar to chocolate.

  • It is used in preparing desserts and works well as a glaze, filling, icing, and truffles.
  • There are three main types of chocolate ganache: dark, milk, and white, depending on the type of chocolate used.

Some of the best chocolate brands used in preparing ganache are:

  • Guittard Semisweet
  • Valrhona
  • Scharffen Berger
  • Ghirardelli
  • Chocolove
  • Baker’s

Origin of chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache is believed to be of French origin. According to some, it was invented in Paris at the Patisserie Siravdin. Though, others suggest it may have originated in Switzerland. One story credits French chef, Georges Auguste Escoffier, as being the inventor of the confection. The story goes that his apprentice dropped hot cream into a bowl of chocolate. Escoffier called him a “ganache”, meaning fool, took the bowl and stirred the mixture. The resulting confection became what we know today as chocolate ganache.

Nutrition

Nutritional profile for chocolate ganache (16 servings):

Chocolate is rich in phenolic compounds. Flavonoids such as catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins induce antioxidant activity, providing beneficial health effects. Regular consumption of chocolate may help in boosting heart health, reducing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, increasing immune response, protecting nerves from inflammation and injury, aiding skin health, as well as work as a mood enhancer. Also, it has the ability to help prevent cancer due to its ability to prevent oxidative stress. Furthermore, regular consumption of cream may help in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancers.

Commercial production

Chocolate Ganache requires two main ingredients: chocolate and cream. For a rich chocolate flavor, semi-sweet or dark chocolate is preferable to milk chocolate. The ingredients must be in equal parts by weight. 

First, the chocolate is chopped finely into small pieces. Then, heavy cream is heated until it bubbles and is poured over the chocolate. This is allowed to sit for a few minutes, allowing the hot cream to melt the chocolate. Finally, the ingredients are then mixed together to produce the confection.

The ganache bowl can be wrapped in clingfilm and stored in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.

Chocolate ganache recipes

Chocolate ganache is popularly used for preparing truffles. Also, it works as a frosting and icing for cakes and cookies. It is stuffed into cake rolls, pastries, and cupcakes to enhance flavor. This confection can be used in preparing fudge, or chocolate based sauces, fondue, or dips. Here are a few recipes:

FDA regulations

The FDA defines chocolate as the solid food prepared by mixing and grinding chocolate liquor with other ingredients such as dairy, cacao fat, spices, etc. Sweet, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate refer to the proportion of chocolate in the product. There is no current standard of identity for chocolate ganache.

References

Baker Bettie, Chocolate Ganache 101: Technique, Ratios, Uses, Baker Bettie: Be a Better Baker, https://bakerbettie.com/how-to-make-ganache/

Katz, David L et al. “Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease.” Antioxidants & redox signaling vol. 15,10 (2011): 2779-811. doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696435/ 

Thorning, Tanja Kongerslev et al. “Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence.” Food & nutrition research vol. 60 32527. 22 Nov. 2016, doi:10.3402/fnr.v60.32527, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5122229/