Ganache
/gah-NAHSH/
Ganache is an emulsion of chocolate and warm cream, stirred until it becomes a smooth, glossy mixture. It is one of the most versatile preparations in pastry: pourable as a glaze while warm, spreadable as a frosting once cooled, and firm enough to roll into truffle centres when the chocolate dominates.
Builds on
What it is
At heart, ganache is chocolate melted into cream and coaxed into a stable emulsion — the cocoa butter and the water in the cream are persuaded to hold together as one silky mass instead of splitting. Get the emulsion right and ganache is impossibly smooth; break it and you get a greasy, grainy mess.
Why it matters
The genius of ganache is that its firmness follows the balance of chocolate to cream. More chocolate than cream gives a ganache that sets firm — good for truffle centres and for frostings that hold sharp edges. More cream than chocolate keeps it soft and pourable — good for glazes and silky fillings. One idea, dozens of textures.
Common mistakes
Overheating is the usual culprit: cream that is too hot scorches the chocolate and can split the emulsion, leaving an oily sheen on the surface. Stirring too violently whips in air and dulls the gloss. A good ganache looks like liquid satin — if it looks grainy or greasy, the emulsion has broken and needs to be rescued before it cools.
At Love Made Edible
Our decadent chocolate cake is finished in a dark chocolate ganache, and the choco caramel cake pairs ganache with soft caramel. The exact balance we use is our own — but it is chosen so the ganache stays smooth in Bangalore's warmth without turning heavy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ganache made of?
Just chocolate and cream, emulsified together — sometimes with a knob of butter for extra shine. Its character comes entirely from the quality of the chocolate and the balance between the two: more chocolate gives a firmer set, more cream a softer, pourable one.
Ganache vs buttercream — which is better on a cake?
They do different jobs. Ganache tastes intensely of chocolate, sets firmer, and handles warm weather better, which matters in a city like Bangalore. Buttercream is lighter in flavour, easier to colour and pipe. Many cakes use both — ganache for structure, buttercream for decoration.
Why did my ganache split or turn grainy?
Almost always a broken emulsion — the cream was too hot, the chocolate too cold, or the stirring too aggressive. A split ganache looks oily or curdled instead of glossy. It can often be rescued by gently rewarming and stirring, or by working in a little more warm cream.
Tastethetechnique
Everything in our kitchen is baked fresh to order — eggless and vegan variants available.