Ganache

Ganache

Peanut butter fudge covered in ganache
Type	Chocolate
Place of origin	France
Main ingredients	Dark semi-sweet chocolate, cream

Ganache (/ɡəˈnɑːʃ/; from the French word for "jowl") is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream. Ganache is normally made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped chocolate of any kind. The mixture is stirred or blended until smooth, with liqueurs or extracts added if desired. Butter is traditionally added to give the ganache a shiny appearance and smooth texture.

According to Larousse Gastronomique, it was invented in a pâtisserie in Paris in the 1850s.

Depending on the kind of chocolate used, for what purpose the ganache is intended, and the temperature at which it will be served, the ratio of chocolate to cream is varied to obtain the desired consistency. Typically, two parts chocolate to one part cream are used for filling cakes or as a base for making chocolate truffles, while one to one is commonly used as a glaze. Cooled ganache can be whipped to increase volume and spread to cover a cake. However, if left to cool too much it can become too thick and unspreadable. Another common use of ganache is to be poured into a mold or terrine while warm and allowed to set or cool. Once it has cooled it can be removed from the mold and sliced similarly to pâté.

A chocolate cake with ganache frosting

A video of making ganache