I love using chocolate ganache, but in the past I’ve mostly used it to make drip cakes! When I decided I wanted to cover a cake in ganache, I knew I’d need to tweak the recipe a bit.

After adding a few more ingredients and altering the ratio of chocolate to cream, the result is a silky smooth, decadent ganache that is perfectly thick and spreadable at room temperature.

How to Make This Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

This ganache needs about an hour to thicken, so I recommend making it before you make whatever dessert you plan to fill or frost! I usually make it the night before.

After heating the cream and pouring it over the dark chocolate, let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.

Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate are combined and the mixture is smooth. If any bits of chocolate aren’t fully melted, heat the mixture again for 10 seconds and stir until smooth.

Then mix in the unsalted butter, corn syrup, and fine salt until combined.

The ingredients usually melt down quite well, but if they don’t or you want it to be ultra-smooth, you can use an immersion blender to make a perfectly smooth ganache.

Then cover the mixture with plastic wrap to prevent the ganache from forming a skin and set aside to cool to room temperature. You can pour the mixture into a shallow, wide tray to help it cool faster if you’re in a rush.

Once it has thickened and reached room temperature, it should be perfectly spreadable and scoopable!

You can use it to fill, frost, or pipe onto cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cheesecake, cookies, and even macarons. If you need to make this in advance, it can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to a month.

Dark Chocolate Ganache – Substitutions and Swaps

This recipe uses just five ingredients, but I know you might not have all of them on hand. Below are some ingredient substitutions that can be made along with my recommendations.

• Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high-fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.
• To make dairy-free dark chocolate ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.
• Dark Chocolate – Use any type of good quality dark chocolate (I recommend about 60% cocoa). This includes dark chocolate bars, couverture, or chunks. You can also use dark chocolate chips but be sure to use a good brand like 365, Ghirardelli, or Guittard. If you want to use milk chocolate to make this ganache, use 1/2 cup (120g) of heavy cream, and 2 cups milk chocolate (350g).
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt the recipe calls for.
• Light Corn Syrup – Corn syrup gives this ganache a silky smooth texture and a shiny gloss! However, it can be omitted if needed.
• Fine Salt – A bit of salt helps round out the richness of this ganache. I use this type of salt, which is also called table salt. If you want to use Kosher salt in place of the table salt, you will need to add another 1/8 teaspoon to the measurement.

Making This Ganache in Advance

This ganache can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a month. Store the ganache in an airtight container or cover the bowl flush with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

You can also freeze this ganache for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to use the ganache, place it in the fridge overnight, then set it out at room temperature for a few hours to let it gradually come to room temperature.

Doubling this Recipe

If you want to double this recipe, go for it! Simply double the ingredients and follow the directions in the recipe card above.

How to Make the Best Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• Make this ganache before you make the dessert you want to fill it with. This will give it time to cool to room temperature and thicken.
• Measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale. It helps to be precise with this recipe!
• Use good quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa). It will make the ganache taste better and give it the best possible consistency.
• Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high-fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.
• If you notice bits of unmelted chocolate in the ganache once it’s combined, heat it in the microwave for another 10 seconds, let it rest for 30 seconds, then give it another stir. Repeat this process as needed until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.
• To make the dairy-free ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this dark chocolate ganache frosting, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

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