Ganache for Glazing Cakes

When I attended cooking school, it was impressed upon us to keep chocolate away from any water contamination or it would bloom and/or seize up. It was only a few years ago that I learned that chocolate and water can mix. It just has to be the right amount of liquid for the chocolate not to seize.

Sure, I have made ganache tons of times before, but just with cream. I thought that the "fat-in- water-emulsion" characteristic of heavy cream gives it a special affinity with chocolate. But alas, chocolate is not as selective as I had thought. Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and a water-containing ingredient (and not just cream). Pretty much any liquid would do: hot coffee, hot tea, even just hot water. What is important is the ratio.

The end products differ in flavor and consistency. This new and exciting insight (that in making ganache, I can go beyond heavy cream and butter) opened up all possibilities for experimentation for me.

But to start with, here is the ratio for a traditional cream-based ganache I use to glaze cakes.

Ganache for Glazing Cakes

8 oz dark chocolate
1 1/4 cups cream

Chop up the chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat cream over the stove top or microwave until simmering. Pour over the chocolate.


Let rest for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to absorb the heat and the mixture to cool a little before agitating. Whisk until smooth or stir with a spatula or wooden spoon if you don't want air bubbles (it's just a lot quicker with a whisk).




Tap the bowl a few times on the counter to get rid of some of the air bubbles.