If you have been baking a while, I hope you have a food scale and bake by weight. The type and brand of chocolate you use will determine the quality of you ganache. A lot of novice bakers don’t understand the differences between compound chocolate and couverture. Or the difference between whipping cream, heavy whipping cream.
Do not use candy melts or compound chocolate (chocolate chips)
NOTE: chocolate callets by Valrhona or Callebaut are couverture chocolate, not compound chocolate chips.
ganache - general guidelines
Glaze a cake
- Chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 50%
Fill a cake
- Chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 100%
Whipped ganache (truffles, fillings, etc)
- Chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 200%
To make a dripping chocolate ganache
- Dark chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 66%
- Milk chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 50%
- White chocolate 100%
- Heavy cream 33%
Proper way to make ganache is not in the microwave as you have zero control with the microwave. You must have control of the temperature when working with chocolate
Understanding temperatures:
Poaching is 160°F to 180°F at sea level
Simmer is 185°F to 200ºF at sea level
Boiling is 212°F at sea level
I state sea level because water boils at different temperatures depending on your elevation. The higher the elevation, the lower the boiling temperature due to a decrease in atmospheric pressure. For example, in Denver water will boil at 202°F. So if you live in high attitude, you have to decrease the temperatures accordingly.
Chop the chocolate
Heat milk to simmer not to exceed 200ºF at sea level.
Cool the cream to 190°F at sea level.
Pour cream over chocolate
Let sit until chocolate begins to melt, then whisk.
As I mentioned, depending on the brand and type, you will have to play around with the ratios. Different brands use different amounts of cocoa solids and cocoa butter in their chocolate; they also use emulsifiers. Those differences effect how the viscosity of the ganache. But so does the temperature of the cream when you make the ganache.
Make sure ganache is fluid and the cake is very cold when you apply the ganache drips. If the cake is room temperature, the chocolate will not stick.
