Creamy White Chocolate Ganache Recipe Tutorial

Look at that creamy white chocolate goodness. That’s precious white chocolate ganache that’s been rested and ready to decorate my cake. Wanna know how I get it to this creamy chocolate goodness? So, stick around, and let’s talk ganache. First, white chocolate is temperamental. It’s got no cocoa solids just cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Therefore, that makes it really easy to seize, lump up, or break down. Hence, the secret to working with white chocolate is patience. Never try to rush the process. Give it the time it needs. And, when necessary, step away. Also, white chocolate is cocoa butter, which is, of course, fat. So, if you make it too hot it will break. On the other hand, if you leave it too long, it cools down and becomes hard again. The first time I made white chocolate ganache, it was so liquid I thought I had screwed it up. But, that’s how it is supposed to be. Since it’s melted fat in a liquid state and becomes creamy again as it cools down.

Step-by-step: White chocolate ganache for cake decorating

Hot cream method

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl – and set aside. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Next, pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Cover and let sit for a minute. Stir until smooth with a heatproof spatula then with a whisk. Add vanilla or flavoring if desired. Pro tip: the heat in the cream should be just enough to melt the chocolate, so keep stirring. But, if you still have undissolved chocolate use a blender to blend to a smooth consistency.

Microwave method

Break the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Next, pour heavy cream over the chocolate Then, place the bowl in the microwave for a minute on high. Stir with a silicone spatula well until you have a smooth ganache. If necessary – continue to heat in the microwave at 30-sec intervals until you have a smooth mix. Pro tip – White chocolate melts easily. So, try to use the heat in the cream to melt the chocolate rather than heat it. Since overheated white chocolate can separate easily.

Consistency for covering a cake

First, ganache rest may not necessarily be ideal to just start using. Moreover, depending on your climate, it may be too firm or too soft. So, you still need to bring it to the right consistency. The ideal consistency is peanut butter consistency. You want to be able to hold the ganache on the spatula and spread it around the cake. The best way to bring it to the right consistency is: In cold weather – stick it in the microwave for 10 secs.Pro tip – when it comes to chocolate, 10 secs is a lot. Hence, don’t overheat it. Chilled ganache – And, if the ganache was in the fridge, keeping it out for an hour helps to bring it to the right consistency. Hot and humid climate – just a vigorous stir with a spatula is all you need because chocolate melts at room temperature.

Tips for making white chocolate ganache

Always chop chocolate finely or keep them to similar size pieces. That way the whole batch will melt evenly. Never let heavy whipping cream boil. You want the cream to be hot but not boiling. If necessary it’s better to place the ganache in the microwave for 30 seconds to get the last bit of unmelted chocolate. If you have one or two stubborn pieces of chocolate left in the ganache that won’t melt. It’s best to remove them, then to take a chance of overheating the whole batch and risking a split. Microwave ganache – often a culprit of overheated ganache. Depending on how big the batch is, start with 30 seconds then heat at increments of 1o secs stirring between every interval to distribute the heat evenly. Ganache has split or separated – this happens when the cocoa solids and fat don’t emulsify properly. Add a splash of milk and give it a good stir. Add another splash and stir again until you have a smooth ganache. If the chocolate looks lumpy, grainy means you have overheated the chocolate. Use a stick blender and give it a whiz. All should be well again. If you realize the ganache is split only after it has cooled. Add a little more chocolate to it. And reheat the melting process keeping a close watch, making sure to stir and encourage even distribution of heat. If necessary add more cream to maintain the ganache ratio you need. Never over mix chocolate ganache – this will incorporate too much air into the ganache but also can cause the ganache to split. Especially with white chocolate ganache keep stirring to a minimum once the chocolate is melted. Ganache is best made in a glass bowl when using a microwave and in stainless steel when using a stove-top. Never use plastic or aluminum for melting chocolate, the ganache will not have a shiny appearance. Place a plastic wrap/cling wrap directly over the ganache when letting it cool. This will prevent any crust from forming on top.

Frequently asked questions

Did you LIKE this recipe? Save it for later. You can find my recipes on Pinterest. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Subscribe, and I’ll send you new recipes right to your inbox. Regular white chocolate ganache is softer consistency because it is made with one part cream and two parts white chocolate. As a result, this tends to be too soft for decorating a cake and especially for covering it with fondant. Hence, when we need to cover a cake with fondant, we use a ganache made with a ratio of 1:3 parts cream: chocolate. For instance, look at the two ganache pictures below. You see the one on the right is thicker. That works best for covering a cake with fondant. On the other hand, the one on the left is great for frosting everyday cakes, dessert cakes, glaze, and drips.

Use it in between two macaron shells with a delicious filling. You can frost cookies and cupcakes Whip the chilled ganache in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed to make whipped ganache frosting.

How to cover a cake with ganache and how to get sharp edges on ganache cakes.