Milk Chocolate Whipped Ganache is tasty and easy to make, a great alternative to chocolate buttercream. Not quite whipped cream, not quite standard ganache - Almost a mousse.
Originally Posted January 27, 2011. Updated 3/19/2022
No wonder it doesn’t get much love, LOL! Time to do it up as a complete guide to making it!
Anyway, whipped ganache is variety of whipped cream frosting that is perfect for chocolate lovers.
Rather than being whipped cream with a bit of chocolate or cocoa powder for flavour, this is a matter of a classic ganache ratio being tweaked to having a bit more cream than you would for some other uses.
(See my Truffles Recipes section for some easy recipes and tasty examples!)
Anyway, this makes a perfect ganache for whipping up to a fluffy texture, a perfect consistency for all kinds of different applications:
Uses for Whipped Ganache
This recipe makes a fantastic milk chocolate ganache icing, perfect for swirling on top of cupcakes, frosting your favourite layer cake - and using as a cake filling.
IMHO, chocolate ganache frosting is the absolute best way to finish a chocolate cake or top chocolate cupcakes.
Whipped chocolate ganache frosting just has a luxurious rich chocolate flavor that basic chocolate frosting doesn’t even come close to rivaling.
For reference, one batch makes enough whipped ganache to frost a 2 layer 8" round cake, 12 cupcakes, or a 9 x 13 pan.
Use it as a piped filling for cookie sandwiches, as an alternative to ice cream.
This also makes a decadent filling for pastries like profiteroles, cream puffs, and eclairs.
Whipped Ganache Ingredients
This recipe requires very few, simple ingredients, and all should be easy to find!
Chocolate
This recipe was initially developed as an easy home recipe, showing how to make ganache with chocolate chips. To this day, I frequently make it with good quality chocolate chips.
That said, you can definitely use a different type of chocolate if you prefer - couverture chocolate, callets, bars, etc - just be sure to keep the amount of chocolate used - by weight - the same.
Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips, Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips, and Callebaut Milk Chocolate Callets are all great options, and you can usually find at least some of them in the baking aisle of almost any grocery store.
Heavy Whipping Cream
This is the one ingredient that isn’t optional, and shouldn’t be substituted in any way - wholly or partially.
A thinner milk-type liquid can cause the chocolate to seize, and it won’t whip up in the same way.
Butter
I’ve always made ganache with a small amount of unsalted butter, though I’ve noticed that this isn’t common.
You can leave it out if you like, I enjoy the little bit of extra richness it adds.
Extract
While flavouring / extract is optional, it does bring a nice complexity to the milk chocolate ganache.
Vanilla is a great default - pure vanilla extract, ideally - but take a look at what your intended use will be, and choose an extract that will compliment it.
Rum, almond, even banana extract all go really well in this.
Variations
Want a whipped dark chocolate ganache? Use your favourite dark chocolate bars, bittersweet chocolate, or even semi-sweet chocolate chips or squares.
White chocolate chips can be swapped in to convert this to a whipped white chocolate ganache recipe.
Just be sure you’re using something actually identifiable as “chocolate”, and not candy melts.
Feeling a little chaotic? Lob some smooth peanut butter into it after you’ve got it whipped to stiff peaks. SO good!
Equipment
Beyond bowls, knives, and measuring implements, you’ll need two basic pieces of equipment: Something to cook it in, and something to whip it with.
Cooking
While some recommend cooking ganache in a double boiler, I’ve always made this by heating the heavy cream separately from the chocolate, then using it to gently melt the chocolate.
So, I recommend just using a small saucepan for the cooking portion.
Whipping
While I love my stand mixer - and you can absolutely use one, set with a whisk attachment - I actually prefer using an electric mixer for this.
I use a Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer , and I love it.
I feel like using an electric beater gives me a bit more control over, and does the job a bit quicker, as a result.
Also - if you use a big enough bowl - you can just use the hand blender to whip it right in the same bowl that you make the ganache in. Fewer dishes to wash = good thing!
I don’t recommend using a mixer bowl to make the ganache in. The shape tends to not allow the chocolate to spread out much, so it doesn’t melt as easily.
Also, if you don’t get it all melted, you’ll have to transfer it to something microwaveable to finish the job.
How to Make Whipped Ganache
The full recipe follows in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is a pictorial walk through with extra information and tips.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
Place chocolate chips - or small pieces of chopped chocolate - into a glass bowl, and put aside.
While you can use a small heatproof bowl for this, I prefer to use a medium bowl. This allows enough space for expansion when you’re whipping it, and prevents the need for using a separate bowl to do so.
In a small saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream, butter, and flavor extract (if using). Heat cream mixture to a boil over medium high heat.
As soon as it comes to a boil, remove from heat.
Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the mixture of chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.
If you didn’t leave it long enough for the melting process, you may find yourself with a little bit of unmelted chocolate pieces.
You can microwave on low heat for 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until it’s fully melted. Be sure to use low heat, and short bursts, to avoid scorching your chocolate
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, preferably resting right on the surface of the ganache – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools.
Allow to cool to room temperature, chill ganache until cold.
Whip the Ganache
Once the ganache has fully chilled, remove it from the fridge, discard the plastic wrap.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (The paddle attachment isn’t great for this) - or using an electric hand mixer - whip the ganache on a relatively low speed - scraping down the sides of the bowl, until soft peaks start to form.
Turn the mixer up to a medium-high speed, continue whipping until the ganache is fluffy, and stiff peaks are forming.
Storage
If you’re not using your whipped ganache right away, store in an airtight container in the fridge, and re-whip to the desired consistency before piping.
For best results, I prefer to whip the ganache right before piping it.
Troubleshooting
If you weigh the chocolate and use the proper amount of chocolate and heavy cream called for in this recipe, you shouldn’t have any of the issues that can come from issues related to the ratio of chocolate to cream.
That said, if your ratio of cream to chocolate is off, it’ll potentially affect you in the following eats:
Too much cream : The chocolate taste won’t be as intense.
Too much chocolate: The mixture may not whip up to the right whipped chocolate ganache consistency, it may be too thick. It can end up more like a regular chocolate ganache, better for spreading or rolling.
- Low quality chocolate. Low-quality chocolates sometimes have fillers that don’t melt smoothly.
- The chocolate did not fully melt. If you see any solids at all in the ganache after it’s fully stirred, you need to carefully melt it.
- The chocolate scorched or seized. Scorching comes from overheating / burning the chocolate, seizing is when water gets into melted chocolate - it doesn’t like that.
Neither scorched or seized chocolate can be saved, you’ll need to start over if either happens. Prevention is best - be gentle with heating it, and keep ALL water away from it.
(This is why I do not use a double boiler for chocolate - steam = water.)
More Cake Recipes!
Looking for more ridiculously delicious cake recipes? As the "Evil Cake Overlord", I've got you covered! (Ps: Check out my instructions for making Marshmallow Fondant, as well!)
Tortes:
B-52 Torte
Bahama Mama Torte
Blood Orange Truffle Torte
Citrus Splendor Torte
Cookies N Cream Cake
Raspberry Tiramisu Torte
Schmoo Torte
Spumoni Cake
Tiger Tail Cake
Bundt, Sheet, & Upside Down Cakes
Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake
Brandied Apple Upside Down Cake
Deep N Delicious Cake
French Martini Bundt Cake
French Martini Upside Down Cake
Mango Mojito Upside Down Cake
Pina Colada Bundt Cake
Strawberry Mango Marble Cake
Cupcakes:
3D Monarch Butterfly Cupcakes
Black Velvet Cupcakes
Chai Cupcakes
Easy Butterfly Cupcakes
Fat Elvis Cupcakes
Lunchburg Lemonade Cupcakes
Pink Grapefruit Daiquiri Cupcakes
Fillings, Frostings, & Etc
American Buttercream
Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
Stabilized Whipped Cream
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Also: I have Cake Decorating Tutorials, and posts about previous Decorated Cakes that I've made.
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Milk Chocolate Whipped Ganache
Equipment
- Stand Mixer Or an electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 10-11 oz Good quality milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Flavouring extract optional
Instructions
- Place chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream, butter, and flavor extract (if using). Heat to a boil, remove from heat.
- Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap, preferably resting right on top of the surface – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, chill until cold, then whip with a stand or electric hand mixer for a minute or so, until fluffy.
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