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Home » Recipes by Course » Desserts

Modified: Jan 25, 2021 Published: Jan 26, 2021· Cathy Brak · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Home » Recipes by Course » Desserts

Chocolate Ganache Icing Recipe

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Chocolate Ganache Icing is a rich, two-ingredient dark chocolate liquid that's perfect to pour over cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream. It's also great for dipping strawberries or other fruit. As ganache cools and thickens, it can be used as a filling between cake layers or even whipped into a beautiful frosting. Chilled, it becomes truffles!

dark brown chocolate ganache dripping over the top and down the sides of a small, round chocolate cake

I love this recipe because it's so easy to make! A simple combination semi-sweet baking chocolate and heavy whipping cream yields such decadence!

Most icings and frostings contain copious amounts of powdered sugar. I find this to be disappointing as we learn more and more about how damaging sugar is to our health.

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Now, I do realize that there is some sugar in semi sweet chocolate. However, with this recipe we can enjoy a little sweetness in a thin layer rather than the heaps of sweet frosting we so typically encounter on fancy pastries. I don't have any powdered icing sugar in my cupboard, and I'm always on the lookout for ways to reduce sugar while still enjoying delicious food.

Ingredients

finely chopped chocolate on wooden cutting board with pyrex measuring cup of cream sitting behind it
  • Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate - Use semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream - Cream is labeled differently in different countries. In Canada, I use 35% whipping cream. It might also be called heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Use something that has 30% fat content or greater.

Instructions

Heat cream until it's just steaming but not boiling. Pour it over chopped chocolate.

steaming milk is poured over a bowl of finely chopped chocolate

Cover the bowl of hot cream and chopped chocolate to keep the heat in, and let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes while the cream melts the chocolate.

chopped chocolate sits surrounded by cream in a white bowl

Stir the melted chocolate and cream together, and you have chocolate ganache icing!

spoon in smooth, liquid dark chocolate in white bowl

Pour ganache over cake while it's still warm if you want it to be thin and run down the sides. Also use warm ganache for any sort of drizzled effect you might like.

Chocolate ganache will thicken as it cools. Then it's more suitable for spreading as a filling between cake layers.

liquid dark chocolate flowing over top and down sides of a small round cake
Is chocolate ganache gluten free?

Chocolate ganache is gluten free as long as the ingredients used to make it are gluten free. Well, obviously, right?! Chocolate and cream should be gluten free. However, you need to check. Chocolate that has been processed in a facility that also processes wheat can cause a problem for people with celiac disease.

Can chocolate ganache be kept at room temperature?

Technically, chocolate ganache can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. However, I put it into the refrigerator if I'm keeping it overnight, just to be safe. Moisture in the cream could promote microbial growth.

Can chocolate ganache be frozen?

If I'm keeping chocolate ganache more than a week, I freeze it. It can be frozen for up to a month without deteriorating in quality. Thaw it in the fridge and then bring it up to room temperature before using.

Can chocolate ganache be reheated?

Yes, chocolate ganache can be successfully reheated. Ideally, allow it to come to room temperature first. Then reheat it very gently over low heat, stirring it frequently to keep an eye on it.

thick chocolate ganache coating a spoon held over a white bowl of the icing

More Gluten Free Chocolate Recipes

  • Chocolate Avocado Pudding
  • Chocolate Almond Bark
  • Sweet Potato Brownies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
  • Flourless Chocolate Cake

Recipe

spoon in smooth, liquid dark chocolate in white bowl

Chocolate Ganache Icing

Chocolate ganache is very easy to make and has a number of uses.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: drip icing, frosting, icing
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 28 tablespoons
Calories: 76kcal
Author: Cathy
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate finely chopped
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Chop up the chocolate finely.
  • Heat the cream in a saucepan over low-medium until it's steaming but NOT boiling (145℉/63℃). Turn off the heat.
  • Add the chocolate to the steamy cream. Cover the pan to keep the warmth in. Let it sit for a few minutes for the chocolate to melt. Then, stir it all together until it's smoothly blended.

Notes

  • Use a good-quality baking chocolate here, rather than chocolate chips.
  • Chop the chocolate as finely as possible, so it will melt completely and evenly.
  • Use heavy whipping cream, not half and half or anything lighter.
  • Chocolate ganache will thicken as it cools. If you want to drizzle it over a cake so that it runs down the sides, use it right away while it's still warm. If you want to spread it out thicker over a cake layer, allow it to cool more.
  • Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Gently reheat it, stirring frequently, to use it again.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments

  1. Amy Brown says

    December 22, 2021 at 7:53 pm

    Have you tried to make ganache with any milk substitutes like oat milk? Not only do I have celiac disease but I am lactose intolerant. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      December 23, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      I am so sorry, Amy. I have not tried to make ganache without dairy. I wish I could suggest a substitute, but that would be challenging. The high fat content in cream is key in this recipe. Do you like coconut?

      Reply
    • Shimay says

      March 23, 2023 at 7:46 am

      The reply is a bit late, but refined coconut oil works too. It will just need to be served cold to retain its texture, in hot weather it will go really runny.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        March 23, 2023 at 8:13 pm

        Thank you for the tip, Shimay! Refined coconut oil, at the right temperature, could work here. For those who might not be familiar with it, the nice feature of refined coconut oil is that it doesn't have the distinct flavour that unrefined coconut oil has.

        For coconut oil to work in this recipe, it would need to be kept at precisely the right temperature; too warm and it would be runny, too cold and it would turn solid. Have you tried it to see what amount works best?

        Reply
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