Ganache (Cream to Chocolate — Multiple Ratios)

Varies by target use: 1 part for soft / 0.5 part for firm / 2 parts for glaze

Heavy cream (35–40% fat) — Higher-fat cream gives a smoother, more stable emulsion; UHT cream can produce a slightly thinner ganache

Varies by target use: 1 part for soft / 2 parts for firm / 0.5 part for glaze

Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) — Finely chopped or pistoles; higher cocoa-butter chocolate requires proportionally more cream to achieve the same softness

5–10% of chocolate weight

Unsalted butter (optional) — Added off heat after emulsification; adds gloss, smoothness, and lowers the set temperature slightly

5–10% of total weight

Glucose syrup or invert sugar (optional) — Prevents re-crystallisation, extends shelf life, adds shine in glazes; treacle de maïs (corn syrup) is a common substitute

Finely chop or weigh chocolate pistoles into a heat-proof bowl. Heat cream (and glucose, if using) in a small saucepan to just below boiling (about 90°C — small bubbles at the edges, no rolling boil). Pour cream over chocolate; wait 30 seconds for heat to penetrate. Stir from the centre outward in small, tight circles, expanding gradually — this builds the emulsion core before incorporating air. Once smooth and glossy, stir in any butter until fully incorporated. For glaze use immediately at 32–35°C. For soft ganache let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set. For piped truffle centres, pour into a frame or tray and refrigerate overnight before cutting or scooping.

• Emulsify from the centre: pour all the cream at once and stir in tight circles, enlarging the circle only as the ganache core thickens and clarifies — this prevents graininess and separation.
• If the ganache splits (looks greasy or grainy), warm it very gently to 40°C and re-stir, or add 1–2 tbsp warm cream and stir to re-emulsify.
• Chocolate percentage matters as much as the ratio: 70% dark has more cocoa butter (and less sugar) than 55% dark — swapping chocolates without adjusting cream quantity will alter firmness.
• For glaze applications, pour at 32–35°C — below this point the ganache will set before flowing smooth; above this it will be too fluid to coat evenly.
• Glucose or invert sugar (trimoline) at 5–10% of total weight prevents the ganache from re-crystallising in the refrigerator over time — essential for chocolate bonbons with a shelf life beyond 2 weeks.
• Resting ganache at room temperature for 24 hours before using (known as 'crystallisation maturation') allows cocoa-butter crystals to stabilise, improving texture and snap in moulded work.

• Milk chocolate ganache (adjust to 1:1.5 cream:chocolate)

  Milk chocolate has more sugar and milk solids, fewer cocoa solids — the extra binding agents require more chocolate weight to achieve the same firmness as dark

• White chocolate ganache (adjust to 1:2.5 cream:chocolate)

  White chocolate contains no cocoa solids, only cocoa butter, sugar, and milk; requires the highest chocolate proportion of any ganache to set firm

• Vegan ganache

  Replace dairy cream with full-fat coconut cream or oat cream at the same ratio; use dairy-free dark chocolate; coconut cream may add a slight tropical note

• Infused ganache

  Steep aromatics (Earl Grey tea, lavender, cardamom, lemongrass) in the cream for 15–30 minutes before straining and heating; does not alter the cream:chocolate ratio

• Gianduja ganache

  Replace up to 30% of the chocolate with hazelnut paste; reduce cream slightly (1:1.3 cream:combined solids) as nut paste is already soft

• Caramel ganache

  Dry-caramelise 25–30% of the sugar in the recipe, deglaze with the cream, then pour over chocolate; deeper, bitter-sweet profile with same structural ratio

• Chocolate Tempering Temperatures

  Ganache itself is not tempered, but when used as a coating or filling in moulded chocolates, the shell must be in temper — the two techniques are complementary

• Crème Anglaise (Cream to Egg Yolk)

  Another cream-based emulsion stabilised by protein rather than lecithin; often flavoured with chocolate to create a variant of thin ganache

• Meringue (Sugar to Egg White, 2:1 by Weight)

  Ganache is frequently paired with meringue components in entremets and tart constructions

1. 1.The Professional Pastry Chef — Bo Friberg
2. 2.The Art of the Chocolatier — Ewald Notter
3. 3.Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner — Peter Greweling
4. 4.Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking — Nathan Myhrvold et al.
5. 5.On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen — Harold McGee

Confidence: high