Milk chocolate Ganache recipe

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Water ganache

To make a creamless ganache, one of the easiest routes to take is to make a water ganache. On the one hand, it might sound completely underwhelming — why water down chocolate, literally? But actually, using just water allows the flavor of the chocolate to shine, yet changes the consistency so that it can be used for a topping or filling. You can follow a cream ganache recipe to the letter, simply substituting water for cream. You can even begin to substitute flavored waters or juices in your ganache recipes.

Beer ganache

Fizzy liquids such as beer make for a fascinating ganache. Beer is ideal because its alcohol content isn’t so high that the ganache will taste boozy, but it will have a little kick. Plus, the malty undertones in beer, especially porter or stout beer, will work deliciously with the rich chocolate flavor. Try this ganache on a chocolate cake or paired with peanut butter, and you’re in for a crave-worthy treat.

Coffee ganache

Coffee and chocolate go together beautifully, both working in tandem to create a deep, dark, rich flavor. You can adjust the amount of coffee you use depending on your preference, using part coffee and part water; or, to make it extra creamy, add coffee mixed with milk.

Butter ganache

For a rich, silky texture, look no further than a butter ganache. To make butter ganache, you’ll use equal weights of butter and chocolate. To make it, first melt the butter in a saucepan until it begins bubbling. You can remove it from heat now, or follow our tutorial on to make browned butter. Pour the hot butter over your chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, mix and let set. Every cake in the world will want to be your best friend.

Sour cream ganache

Sour cream ganache is almost too good. It’s perfect for topping cakes, with a unique, old-fashioned flavor with a little pique from the tanginess of the sour cream. To make sour cream ganache, you’ll use a ratio of a ratio of 1.5 parts chocolate to 1 part sour cream. So, for instance, if you’re using 3 ounces of sour cream, you’d use 4.5 ounces of chocolate. To prepare the ganache, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and then combine it with the sour cream, mixing until smooth.

Fruit ganache

A “fruit butter” or fine, smooth purée of fruit can be used to make a ganache. The ratio can vary depending on how thick the fruit is once pureed, but for a fruit that remains fairly thick when pureed, such as bananas, a good starting point is to use a ratio of 1 part fruit to 1.5 parts chocolate. So, for instance, if you use 3 ounces of fruit, you’d use 4.5 ounces of chocolate. To make a fruit ganache, first purée the fruit. How smooth you get the fruit will determine the smoothness of the ganache–sometimes, it can be nice to have a few little chunks of fruit left in the mix. Then, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. In a large, heatproof bowl, combine and mix until smooth.

Olive oil ganache

Because of the consistency of olive oil, you’ll use less olive oil than chocolate to make a ganache. A ratio of 2 parts chocolate to 1 part olive oil is a good starting point. Heat the chocolate in a double boiler until mostly melted, then remove from heat and stir the rest of the chocolate until it melts in the residual heat. Then, stir in the olive oil until combined. Let the mixture cool until it becomes more solid, stirring every 5 minutes or so to discourage separation.

Soy ganache

Soy creamer can be substituted for cream in your ganache recipe. However, different brands and types of soy creamer can have a different consistency. Try simply swapping soy creamer for the amount of cream in your recipe. If it is too thin, use a little less liquid next time. If it’s too thick, use a little more liquid next time.

The Ultimate Chocolate Baking Guide

Satisfy your chocolate craving with 5 helpful tutorials for mousse, martinis, your best brownies ever and more!