“How do I fix split ganache? How long can I store ganache..??” If you’ve got a burning Chocolate Ganache question, then you’ve stumbled across the right place my friend. So many bakers have a love hate relationship with the stuff. Love due to the sheer delight of its decadence and versatility; and utter disdain when the medium refuses to cooperate. So to help silence our ganache groanings, I’ve compiled a list of the 7 most asked questions about chocolate ganache. From the obvious to the ambiguous, I hope the following answers help improve our finicky relationship with this divine substance.
So what exactly IS chocolate ganache and when would I use it?
Chocolate ganache is basically an emulsion created when cocoa mass and cream are heated and mixed together. When it is warmer, it can be poured over cakes and pastries, create drips or used as a thick luscious dessert sauce. When it is at room temp, it tends to thicken and can be spread over cupcakes, used to fill and mask cakes, rolled into truffle balls, applied as macaron fillings or piped over cakes/cupcakes. Chocolate ganache is often used to fill or mask cakes that are then covered in fondant as it is rather “shelf stable” (depending on your climate) and at times seen as sturdier than buttercream. Decorators tend to commonly also use ganache to mask 3D or carved cakes as it sets firm and hard at room temperature.
How can I make perfect chocolate ganache every time?
There are many ways of making ganache (double boiler, microwave, Thermomix, heat-pour-stir to name a few..) and everyone has their own method of choosing. You can view my recipe & best methods explained here on the Ganache Calculator Tool page.
My chocolate gananche suddenly looks grainy and lumpy, and I can see oil floating on the top. What’s happened and how do I fix this?
When this happens, the mixture is described as being “split”. Basically, a combination of factors related to temperature, agitation or ratios has caused the fats to separate from the cocoa mass, breaking the emulsion. When this happens, the mix will not spread or set evenly.
Some people opt for throwing the whole mix down the chute when this happens, but I’ve found split ganache can be easily fixed with the following method:
- Heat up a small amount of cream (or milk) until scalding hot, add this to the split ganache and whisk briskly until the ganache reemulsifies. VOila!
How long can I store chocolate ganache after I’ve made it?
The general rules that I follow are….
- 3 days at room temperature (with room temperature under 25 deg Celcius)
- 2 weeks in the fridge (chill temperature 4 deg Celcius and under)
- 3 months in the freezer
Are the ratios for white, milk & chocolate ganache the same?
Nope, and this is because the cocoa mass in all three chocolates varies. The ratios in weight are generally as follows (slight discrepancies between compound & couverture chocolate):
- 2 (Dark Choc) : 1 (cream)
- 2.5 (Milk Choc) : 1 (cream)
- 3 (White Choc) : 1 (cream)
How much chocolate ganache should I make to cover my cakes?
This is a biggie…We’re constantly making different sized cakes and so following a standard ganache recipe can either result in too much leftover ganache or sometimes, not enough! (dontcha hate that?).. Which is why I developed the Chocolate Ganache Calculator – an all in one free guide helping you to know approximately how much ganache your cake(s) require (based on diameter) AND allowing you to calculate the exact ingredient measurements to make the ganache weight you need.! (yes, you can thank me later..)
I’ve kept my ganache in the fridge and now it’s rock hard. How do I soften it for ease of use?
Best thing to do would be to let the ganache stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours. After this, microwave the ganache for short 15 second blasts on high, stirring gently in between each increment. If you are short on time however, you can simply start with 15 second blasts on high in the microwave, but be aware that there may be some firmer lumps which require slightly more rigorous stirring to eliminate.
Do you have s ganache question or tip of your own that wasn’t included in this post? Comment below I’d love to hear it 🙂
How do I make WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE? With the best white chocolate
Hello Rodrigo,
The process is exactly the same method as dark/milk choc and it’s all detailed and explained step-by-step in this Ganache Tool
The ratio of choc to cream is different, and this is also outlined in the Ganache Calculator tool. You’ll find a place to have your ganache ratios calculated immediately for you using the calculator tool. I hope you utilise this free tool and it helps your cake decorating! 🙂
My white chocolate ganache was too soft. What went wrong?
Hello Monique, it could be the brand of chocolate, so perhaps ask your local cake area on what is a good brand of white to use when making white chocolate? Bear in mind that the recipe for White is different to Dark and Milk. White must have a 3:1 (3 part chocolate to 1 part cream) ratio which is much higher than milk & dark as the cocoa solid content is low. Hope this helps!
Am I right in believing that the shelf life of ganache can be extended by adding alcohol to the mix? If I am correct, is it simply a matter of adding a given amount of kirsch, for example, and deducting the same amount of cream? Thank you.
Hello Andrew,
You can add 5% glucose/corn syrup/glycerol and/or sorbitol to increase the shelf life slightly but I don’t personally do this, and I don’t know how much longer it improves the shelf life. I wouldn;t add too much as it would alter the flavour or mouth feel. Hope this helps! And if you find out how long it increases the shelf life with those additions, I’d love to know! Amanda 🙂
Amanda thank you for this very informative post!!! Will definitely put it to practice. I was wondering if you can list the differences between compound and couverture chocolates and the more mainstream types of chocolates used to make ganache like the ones we can find at the supermarket. And what’s YOUR preference based on your experience.
Thanks again!
Cheddy
Hello Cheddy,
There are lots of differences between Compound & couverture choc, that in itself could be a whole blog post! So much info. But in regards to ganache, couverture gives you a firmer set ganache (which some ppl like and some don’t) and usually has a richer cocoa flavour. It is usually more expensive. I hope this helps! 🙂
Hello Amanda
If the shelf life is 3 days what does this mean for fondant covered cakes at room temp that might take a couple of days to decorate?
Yes, that right Lucy. Decorating time is included in this 3 day shelf life. Any amount of time spent at room temperature is part of this 3 days. I would recommned chilling in the fridge whenever possible and only having it out to decorate when needed 🙂
Do you use the same white chocolate/ cream ratio to use make drip cakes?
yes, I sure do 🙂 it works a treat!
Hi Amanda,
I would like to ask you if I can use vegetal cream.
Thanks in advanced.
Hello Yenny, I haven’t used this myself yet so I don’t know for sure. Perhaps experiment with a small amount and see how you go? 🙂
Hey there I just wanted to know as, I apply the ganache to my cake it starts to go solid after a few minutes which makes it really hard to smoothen it out and get sharp edges. woul you know where i go wrong xx thank you
Heya 🙂 perhaps check one of these factors:
– cake could be too cold
– ganache consistency (should be like peanut butter, spreadable and not too firm)
– room temp (is it too cold?)
Hope this helps xx
Hi can you cover a cake with buttercream and then mask it with ganache?
Hello, I’ve personally never done it because ganache is heavier than BC. So normally I fill with BC then mask in ganache 🙂 you could experiment and see how you go
Hi Amanda
Thanks for the great tutorials. I am going to bite the bullet and try the Chip teacup cake for my daughter, I wondered though if you could please tell me how much white chocolate ganache is needed? I have always used buttercream but thought I would try this out. Also how do you work out ratio when chocolate is sold in grams and obviously cream ml?
hello Stephanie, grams & mls are actually interchangable. So in a lot of cases, 100ml can be measured as 100 gms. I would probably make enough for a 9 inch round cake equivalent just to be safe 🙂
Do we need to temper the chocolate for ganache?
Thankfully, there’s no need 🙂 Just follow the steps in the recipe, no tempering required
Can I add a small amount of glycerin to a dark chocolate ganache
Today I made ganache 2to1 ratio. After sitting most of the day it has solid pieces of butter/ oil on the surface which I have now scraped off.
I think this is because I slightly microwaved the chocolate bars before cutting. At 89 years old chopping hard chocolate is difficult. My question is has anyone found an easier way of chopping chocolate into small pieces. Thank you for your anticipated reply