Chocolate ganache is the most versatile frosting you can make; but, white chocolate can be trickier than regular chocolate. So, today, I share with you everything you need to know about making white chocolate ganache for a chocolate drip cake.
Table of Content
How many of you have experienced seized white chocolate? And, how many of you have experienced lumpy white chocolate? Well, my hand was up both times.
Many people say white chocolate is not real chocolate. However, 45% of the cocoa butter used in good white chocolate comes from the cocoa pod. And yet, while it has cocoa butter it does not have any cocoa solids. In fact, white chocolate is basically a combination of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Hence, it's so temperamental. For example, a little extra heat and cocoa butter can burn and render your white chocolate unusable.
So, why am I telling you this? Since, one of the biggest challenges to melting white chocolate, or making white chocolate ganache, is in the heating process. In particular, it can easily seize, get lumpy, or be grainy when heating. And it also scorches very easily.
White Chocolate Ganache Drip
Hot Cream Method
- Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl - and set aside. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer but do not boil.
- Next, pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Cover and let sit for a minute.
- Stir until smooth with a heatproof spatula then whisk.
Pro tip: the heat in the cream should be just enough to melt the chocolate, so keep stirring. But, If you still have undissolved chocolate use a blender to blend to a smooth consistency.
Microwave Method
- Break the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate.
- Place the bowl in the microwave for a minute on high.
- Stir with a silicone spatula well until you have a smooth ganache. If necessary - continue to heat in the microwave at 30-sec intervals until you have a smooth mix.
Pro tip - White chocolate melts easily. So, try to use the heat in the cream to melt the chocolate rather than heat it. Overheated white chocolate can separate easily.
Using Ganache
- Let the chocolate ganache cool to room temperature first.
- Glaze - You can use it in this liquid form as a glaze to pour over a cake such as a chocolate mousse cake.
- Drip - Fresh ganache that has just cooled to room temperature can be used to drizzle on cakes or as a drip.
- Frost - If you let it cool some more, it gets firm to peanut butter consistency. Once firm, you can use a spatula and frost a cake.
- Pipe - When cooled completely for a few hours, it will firm even more (or place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes). Now, you can place it in the piping bag and pipe some pretty swirls on cakes and cupcakes.
Storage
- Chocolate has a high content of fat and sugar, which is why ganache can actually stay at room temperature for hours and not get ruined.
- And yet, make sure to cover it well with a plastic wrap on the surface of the ganache.
Cake decorators chocolate ganache recipe
Did you know that we cake decorators don't use the same ratio as below for our cake decorating purposes? Well, it's the same recipe but the ratio of chocolate to cream is different. I've explained more in detail when I shared my Cake Decorators ganache recipe.
However, for regular cakes, cupcakes, and desserts that don't need to be covered with fondant, this is perfect. But, if you are looking to use ganache for a novelty cake, wedding cake, or under fondant, then you need to use my cake decorators ganache recipe. Do you see the consistency of the ganache below? That's what you need. Also, watch me frost a cake with white chocolate ganache.
How to use this white chocolate ganache?
- Ganache Drips – Fresh ganache in its liquid form works great when drizzled over cupcakes like the one below in the video.
- Ganache glaze – In addition, fresh ganache, while still in its liquid form, can be poured over your favorite dessert or cake for that chocolate glaze. And, if your ganache is a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two or corn syrup or vegetable oil – and, voila! It’s pouring consistency now.
- Ganache a cake – Let the fresh ganache set for a while and guess what happens? The chocolate in it sets, which makes it thicker and easy to spread – similar to peanut butter consistency. Now, you can spread it between layers of a cake and around the cake. Also, apply liberally to the cake, use a warm spatula to smooth it. And, if necessary, chill it to let it set between spreading.
Tip – If you need to wrap a cake with ganache – do not use this recipe. Use my cake decorators ganache recipes instead. Trust me on this one, I’ve been a cake decorator for years. - Piped ganache – Whip the cooled ganache a little to add volume to the cream in the ganache. This also adds stability to the ganache. As a result, you can put it in a piping bag and pipe amazing details to decorated cakes and cupcakes.
Tip/Trick: If you over whip your ganache, don’t worry too much – just add a tablespoon of milk and give it a good stir. It should be smooth and creamy again.
More cake decorating recipes
- Modeling Chocolate (2 ingredients)
- White modeling chocolate
- Best EVER Homemade Fondant
- Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant
- Homemade Edible Sugar Lace
- Bean Paste Recipe for Sugar Flowers - Korean Bean Paste
- See all Fondant recipes
- See all frosting recipes
Frequently asked questions
Ganache sets at room temperature after a few hours. However, depending on the weather, it can take from 4 to 8 hours. You can also set ganache in the fridge for a shorter time. When taken out of the fridge, there will be some condensation. But, that usually will disappear as the ganache sets again.
By whipping it! When whipped, the cream in the ganache becomes thicker making a thicker ganache. It also lightens the ganache both in color and texture. And a thicker ganache works best in between layers as it spread evenly and holds its shape.
Though ganache contains cream this cake decorator's ganache can stay at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature overnight or a few hours.
It is best to thaw ganache at room temperature for a few hours. And yet, if you must, it is possible to reheat it. My preferred method is the microwave at 10 seconds burst make sure to stir between each burst. When it comes to chocolate 10 seconds is more than enough.
You can also use a double boiler making sure to keep a constant eye on the ganache and stirring as needed.
Please see the chart above. I have given you the approximate amount you will need for your cakes.
Troubleshooting
- Why is my white chocolate ganache grainy? Often over-heated chocolate causes grainy chocolate ganache. Because, when you over-heat chocolate the fat in the chocolate separates or splits from the cocoa butter causing an oily, split, or grainy ganache.
- Can I fix grainy chocolate ganache? Sometimes, yes. Depending on how hot the cream is. If the temperature of the cream is right, it will help stabilize the fat in the chocolate and bring it all together. On the other hand, if it's too hot, it will make things worse. Whipping cream is fat too!
- How to fix ganache? There are a few method to fix ganache.
- First, I find using a blender to mix the ganache works best. The emulsification process combines the fat in the chocolate with the fat in the cream.
- Also, some suggest adding corn syrup to a small batch of the ganache first, mixing it well, then adding that to the rest. However, I have not had much luck with this one.
- Low-fat Milk - heat a little low-fat milk and add a tablespoon at a time. The whey in the milk helps stabilize the fat in the ganache.
- Does my white chocolate ganache have small piece of chocolate?
This happens when all the chocolate was not melted properly. All you have to do is melt the ganache in the microwave or double boiler. Stir constantly, but until the ganache has just melted. Then, use a blender to break those small pieces of chocolate. Lastly, cool again until set to the right consistency before using. - Why does my chocolate ganache have white streaks/lines when cooled?
- The white lines are possibly fat from the chocolate that was separated. What you have is probably a split ganache.
- It can still be used. Simply melt the ganache for 10 seconds, then mix throughly until you have a smooth ganache.
- How do you fix chocolate ganache that's too thick?
Again, use that 10-second burst in the microwave or few seconds on the double boiler. - How to fix white chocolate ganache that's too thin? Chill it for a few minutes in the fridge until the chocolate sets again. Make sure to stir so it sets evenly.
- How to fix over-whipped chocolate ganache? If you ever over-whip your ganache, just add 1 or 2 tablespoon of warm cream or milk and mix thoroughly with the back of your spoon. You may deflate some of the volumes, but that’s what you want. It will be smooth and creamy again. Trust me.
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Printable Recipe
White Chocolate Ganache
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Video
Ingredients
8-inch round or 7-inch square
Ganache Frosting
- 1.25 lbs (600 g) White chocolate
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whipping cream
Ganache for drip
- 1 cup (175 g) Chocolate
- 1 cups (238 g) Heavy cream
Instructions
Hot Cream Method
- Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl - and set aside. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer but do not boil.
- Next, pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Cover and let sit for a minute.
- Stir until smooth with a heatproof spatula then whisk.Pro tip: the heat in the cream should be just enough to melt the chocolate, so keep stirring. But, If you still have undissolved chocolate use a blender to blend to a smooth consistency.
Microwave Method
- Break the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate.
- Place the bowl in the microwave for a minute on high.
- Stir with a silicone spatula well until you have a smooth ganache. If necessary - continue to heat in the microwave at 30-sec intervals until you have a smooth mix.Pro tip - White chocolate melts easily. So, try to use the heat in the cream to melt the chocolate rather than heat it. Overheated white chocolate can separate easily.
Using Ganache
- Let the chocolate ganache cool to room temperature first.
- Glaze - You can use it in this liquid form as a glaze to pour over a cake such as a chocolate mousse cake.
- Drip - Fresh ganache that has just cooled to room temperature can be used to drizzle on cakes or as a drip.
- Frost - If you let it cool some more, it gets firm to peanut butter consistency. Once firm, you can use a spatula and frost a cake.
- Pipe - When cooled completely for a few hours, it will firm even more (or place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes). Now, you can place it in the piping bag and pipe some pretty swirls on cakes and cupcakes.
Storage
- Chocolate had a high content of fat and sugar. That is why ganache can actually stay at room temperature for hours and not get ruined.
- Make sure to cover it well with a plastic wrap on the surface of the ganache.
Recipe Notes
- Always chop chocolate finely or keep them to similar size pieces. That way the whole batch will melt evenly.
- Never let heavy whipping cream boil. You want the cream to be hot but not boiling. If necessary it's better to place the ganache in the microwave for 30 seconds to get the last bit of unmelted chocolate.
- If you have one or two stubborn pieces of chocolate left in the ganache that won't melt. It's best to remove them, then to take a chance of overheating the whole batch and risking a split.
- Microwave ganache - often a culprit of overheated ganache. Depending on how big the batch is, start with 30 seconds then heat at increments of 1o secs stirring between every interval to distribute the heat evenly.
- Ganache has split or separated - this happens when the cocoa solids and fat don't emulsify properly. Add a splash of milk and give it a good stir. Add another splash and stir again until you have a smooth ganache.
- If the chocolate looks lumpy, grainy means you have overheated the chocolate. Use a stick blender and give it a whiz. All should be well again.
- If you realize the ganache is split only after it has cooled. Add a little more chocolate to it. And reheat the melting process keeping a close watch, making sure to stir and encourage even distribution of heat. If necessary add more cream to maintain the ganache ratio you need.
- Never over mix chocolate ganache - this will incorporate too much air into the ganache but also can cause the ganache to split. Especially with white chocolate ganache keep stirring to a minimum once the chocolate is melted.
- Ganache is best made in a glass bowl when using a microwave and in stainless steel when using a stovetop. Never use plastic or aluminum for melting chocolate, the ganache will not have a shiny appearance.
- Place a plastic wrap/cling wrap directly over the ganache when letting it cool. This will prevent any crust from forming on top.
How to use chocolate ganache
- Ganache Drips – Fresh ganache in its liquid form works such a treat over drizzled cupcakes like the one below in the video.
- Ganache glaze – Again fresh ganache while still in its liquid form can be poured over your favorite dessert or cake for that chocolate glaze. If your ganache is a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two or corn syrup or vegetable oil – voila..it’s pouring consistency now.
- Ganache a cake – Let the fresh ganache set for a while and guess what happens the chocolate in it sets which makes it thicker and easy to spread – similar to peanut butter consistency. Now, you can spread it between layers of a cake and around the cake. Apply liberally to the cake, use a warm spatula to smooth it. If necessary chill it to let it set between spreading.
Tip – if you need to wrap a cake with ganache – do not use this recipe. Use my cake decorators ganache recipes instead. Trust me on this one, I’ve been a cake decorator for years. - Piped ganache – Whip the cooled ganache a little to add volume to the cream in the ganache. This also adds stability to the ganache which means you can put it in a piping bag and pipe amazing details to decorated cakes and cupcakes.
Tip/Trick: if you over whip your ganache? don’t worry too much – just add a tablespoon of milk and give it a good stir.. it should be smooth and creamy again.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Cindy Alger
Pastry Day 12 DONE
Emma
Hi, what do you mean by if you want "wrap" your cake with ganache don't use this recipe? I want to use the ganache to coat my cake and then apply an edible printed cake wrap. Is this recipe suitable?
Veena Azmanov
Emma. If you want a chocolate wrap then use melted chocolate for best results. Ganache has cream which makes the chocolate wrap weaker and easier to break. An edible printed cake is fine as it is already prepared for you? You can wrap that around this ganache
Helen
Hi veena.please help me.
A.to FILL and frost a cake can i use this recipe or the decorators ganache recipe?
B.can i add white ganache to swiss buttercream for a strawberry themed cake or just use white ganache and color it to frost it and put fondant decorations?wjat would be better?
C.for a cookie and cream cake filling can i use white chocolate buttercream or white chocolate whipped cream for fill and frost two tier cake?
Thanks and i love your recipes.i have made alot of them.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Helen, Happy you are enjoying my recipes. Thanks for the feedback.
A. You can certainly use this recipe to fill and frost a cake. I usually use the CDCG when I need to use it under fondant.
B. You can add white chocolate ganache to SMBC and you can even add strawberry puree to it for your strawberry theme cake.
Adding strawberry will, of course, give you a coarse texture with strawberries but taste delicious.
Alternatively, so if you want it smoother either sieve the strawberry puree or just add flavor and color.
C. For me cookies and cream is usually a whipped cream-based frosting. So I either use whipped cream or my whipped cream buttercream frosting. But sometimes the weather is hot so white ganache works just as well.
I hope this helps. Feel free to ask again.
XXX
Myia
You say to use the cake decorating ganache recipe, but it doesn't say it is for white chocolate. Do you mean that we should use the same recipe/ratios but with white chocolate?
Veena Azmanov
Myia. Not sure I understand your question. There are two ratios for ganache - one with more chocolate which is used for cake decorating purposes when you want to cover the cake with fondant. The other is this ganache which has less chocolate and can be used for everything else. I hope this helps clear the confusion. Please, free fee to ask any more questions. Thanks
Marisa Franca
My mind is filled with visions of ganache and macarons. I'm learning so much and I'm dying to apply it. I really haven't used a lot of melted white chocolate. What I do have two container of -- is cocoa butter. I will have to find some way to use it. But getting back to the ganache -- this is one challenge I have to master.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Marisa. Oh you will have no problem with ganache - just follow the basics and you will be a pro..