Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

This whipped chocolate ganache frosting is decadent, smooth, and creamy. It just needs 2 ingredients and whips up in a few minutes. Perfect for cakes, cookies, layered desserts, and even to eat by itself. This is a great alternative for those who do not like their frosting too sickly sweet.

Pair this frosting with our Chocolate Whoopie Pies.

Why We Love Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

I have noticed more often than not, that most grown-ups and even children tend to leave out the frosting on birthday cakes. While butter and icing sugar makes for the most visually stunning ‘insta-worthy’ visuals, they just get too sweet to enjoy.

But this ganache frosting feels creamy, and smooth with just the right amount of sweetness. It comes together with just two ingredients – cream and chocolate, available easily in supermarkets. No dry icing sugar flying around, and no mess to clean. It is so much cheaper than buying readymade frostings, which are again just too sweet. The cream is lower in calories than butter, so that’s a plus as well.

Ganache frosting is versatile enough to pair with chocolate cakes, cupcakes, cookie sandwiches, whoopie pies, chocolate tarts, or even as a scooping dip for fruits and stick biscuits.

What Is Chocolate Ganache?

Chocolate Ganache is a mixture made by warming chocolate and heavy cream. Here are some ways to use ganache.

Ways to use warm unwhipped ganache

Filling for chocolate tarts

Pour over chocolate cake cakes as icing

Make a chocolate fondue platter with strawberries, banana pieces, pretzels, cake bites, assorted biscuits, cookies, wafer biscuits and so much more.

Pour some into tall glasses and roll the glasses to form a chocolate coating inside. Then pour a vanilla milkshake.

Top ice cream to make easy ice cream sundaes.

Use as a dipping sauce for churros.

Ways to use whipped ganache chocolate frosting

As a frosting for cupcakes

Frosting for layered chocolate cake. Drips for cake decoration.

Use it as a filling for cookie sandwiches or whoopie pies.

Cool ganache in the fridge, and roll into chocolate truffles. A box of truffles rolled into some cocoa powder, can be one of the most indulgent, and easiest handmade gifts for a special occasion.

NOTE: Ratios for cream and chocolate differ depending on the kind of chocolate, and intended use. I have used the ratio suitable for dark chocolate ganache frosting.

What ingredients are needed to make Whipped Ganache Frosting?

The best part about this frosting is a short list of just two ingredients – Cream and Chocolate

What cream is best suited for making whipped ganache frosting?

Following are the creams mostly commonly available

Fresh Cream – The fat content for this is between 25%-30% and is not suitable for whipping, Fresh cream is good for coffees, soups, creamy gravies, and also as a topping for fruit salads. Not suitable for this recipe.

Whipping Cream: The fat content for whipping cream is between 30%-35% and can be whipped into fluffy, airy, whipped cream which is perfect as a topping for waffles, pancakes, and dipping fruits like strawberries, etc. Another lovely pairing is with jam and scones for an English High Tea. As you have guessed by now, whipping cream is light and airy, and may not hold its shape for too long. Not suitable for this recipe.

Heavy Cream (Thickened Cream): The fat content of heavy cream is more than 36%- 38%. It s smooth and dense due to its fat content and can be whipped into a stable form. Heavy cream is perfect for making ganache.

Double Cream: With a fat content of about 48%, double cream is the richest in terms of flavor and mouthfeel. Due to its fat content, it is easily overwhipped and turned into butter. It is versatile enough to add to many recipes, including desserts like Trifle, etc. Not used for this recipe.

What chocolate can be used for making Ganache Chocolate Frosting?

Cooking chocolate is most suitable for the ganache. It can be purchased as bars or chocolate chips.

Chocolate Bars: The key fat ingredient in cooking chocolate bars is cocoa butter. This makes them easier to melt, and smoother in texture. The downside is having to chop them up into small enough pieces before melting.

Chocolate Chips: These tend to have cocoa butter with other fats, that have a higher melting point, as well as stabilizers. These fats and stabilizers help them retain their shape when baking. They are ready to be used, no chopping is required. However, it will take 30 seconds to a minute longer in the microwave to melt.

Coverture Chocolate: This is the best quality chocolate to cook with. However, it is expensive, not commonly available in supermarkets, and a bit tricky to work with.

Both bars and chips will give to decadent smooth ganache – I have used dark chocolate chips for this recipe to keep it simple.

Ratio of chocolate chips and heavy cream for making ganache

	Cream	Dark Chocolate
Ratio	1	1.2
By Weight	8 oz	10 oz
By Weight (g)	240 g	300 g

	Cream	Dark Chocolate
Ratio	1	1.2
By Volume	1 cup	1 3/4 cup

Please note: 8 oz cream is 1 cup, but 8 oz chocolate chips are 1 1/4 cup (not 1 cup)

How to make Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1. Microwave – Pour cream into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until hot (about 60-90 seconds). On stove top – Pour cream into a saucepan, and heat the cream till it almost simmers. Do not allow the cream to boil over. High temperatures can split the chocolate.

2. Add chocolate chips to this cream and push the chocolates around so they are all covered by the cream. Leave the cream chocolate mixture for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt into the cream. Do not cover the bowl. The condensation from the hot cream can drip back into the ganache and cause it t split.

3. Afer 5 minutes check if the chocolate has melted. If chocolate chips are still semi-solid, heat further for 30 seconds.

4. Completely melted chocolate cream mixture should look smooth, glossy, and dark brown, with no chocolate lumps. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature. If leaving in the fridge, start an alarm for 30 minutes. Do not leave mixture much longer in the fridge. The fats will start to harden and look grainy.

5. Start whisking with a hand mixer or stand mixer on low. The ganache should start turning lighter brown.

6. Whip for about 30 seconds till you get a fluffier frosting. Your frosting is now ready to be used.

What if the ganache looks too grainy?

Sugar and fats can crystallize at a lower temperature. If this happens, you can warm the ganache in two ways.

Heating ganache in a microwave: Microwave for 20 minutes at a time, stir, and check for a smooth texture. Cool and whip again.

Heating ganache in a metal bowl: The Bain Marie Method – This bowl will be kept over simmering water in a saucepan. Pour water into a saucepan till the level will reach the bottom of the ganache bowl. Keep the heat on medium. Stir and fold the ganache as the bowl gets warmer with the hot water underneath. Take off the heat when it looks smooth again. Cool and whip again.

How do I store Chocolate Ganache?

Ganache can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Does whipped chocolate ganache set hard?

Refrigerating ganache can crystallize fats and sugars in the ganache, making it a bit hard. Before using, being it back to room temperature, and whip it again if required.

For more sweet treats check out these decadent Kings Hawaiian Rolls Sticky Buns by Call Me PMC.

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For conversions, here is an easy online calculator

Disclaimer:

Information given here is for general purposes only. Please check with your doctor particular ingredient or way of eating is suitable for you. Our nutritional values are calculated by Spooncular API. While we try our best to ensure these values are correct, please confirm these independently.