This super simple recipe for chocolate ganache frosting is a decadent, luscious frosting with the perfect balance of creamy and sweet.
Use to top Easy Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes for an easy day of baking!
A Simple Chocolate Frosting
Chocolate Ganache Frosting is the perfect topping for your favorite cake or cupcakes! Once you see how simple something this decadent can be (using only THREE ingredients) this will be your go-to frosting!
Why This Recipe Works
- Using heavy or whipping cream you have makes this a recipe that can be made with easy to find ingredients.
- Using semisweet or dark chocolate chips keeps this a simple pantry friendly recipe.
- Adding a pinch of salt keeps this chocolatey frosting from being too sweet.
- Whipping the Ganache makes it light, fluffy, and easy to spread or pipe.
Chocolate Ganache
What is a chocolate ganache? Chocolate Ganache is an easy and versatile dish made from chocolate and cream that can be used as a dessert topping, glaze, filling, or even served on its own.
I’ve used ganache to make my Dark Chocolate Tarts, to top my Devils Food Cake, as a base for my Easy Chocolate Dessert and so much more!
Keeping it Simple
I’ve kept this recipe super simple using just 3 ingredients that you most likely already have on hand.
Some recipes make ganache with corn syrup other complicated ingredients, but to keep it simple, I chose to use just cream, chocolate, and a pinch of salt.
Which Chocolate Is Best
I recommend Dark Chocolate which is around 55% cocoa solids as it tastes great without being too sweet, melts easily and sets well in the cream.
If the chocolate you plan to use, has no percentage listed on the package, I recommend waiting until you can get some that does to avoid any problems.
You can get the chocolate I use on Amazon by clicking here. (#paidlink).
How To Make Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Start with heating the cream just until hot and starting to bubble.
Place chocolate in a medium mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool and slightly firm (about an hour).
Using a mixer whip mixture at medium speed until fluffy and forms medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
Use to spread or pipe on top of cooled cupcakes or to ice a cake.
Quantity & Uses
This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of frosting which is enough for:
- 12-16 cupcakes
- 9×13 inch cake
- 8? layer cake
- 9? layer cake (a thin layer of frosting including filling).
Tips For Best Results
- Use good quality chocolate that is around 55% Cacao solids to avoid problems with the ganache setting.
- For piping the frosting, I recommend doubling the recipe as piping uses more frosting.
- Boiling can cause a skin to form on cream so I recommend not boiling. Heating until just before boiling point will do.
- Make the ganache before baking and while it cools, bake your cake or cupcakes so the ganache will be ready to use when needed.
- You can skip the whipping if you prefer. Just stir every fifteen minutes with a whisk as it chills. The frosting will be denser and yield a slightly smaller amount.
- If your ganache gets too hard in the fridge, just leave at room temperature until soft enough to whip.
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Let’s Make Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream heavy cream, double cream, and whipping cream are all good options
- 12 ounces dark chocolate (around 54-55% Cocoa solids) chopped
- 1 pinch kosher salt optional
Instructions
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just below boiling — around 190°F to 200°F/88°C to 93°C (Do not allow the cream to come to a boil. If it does, allow it to cool to the correct temperature before moving on to the next step).
- Place chocolate and salt in a medium bowl and pour over the hot cream. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 3 hours at room temperature (see notes for more information). Refrigerating will expedite things, but the frosting may not set evenly. Stir often as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.
For Whipped Frosting
- Once the chocolate ganache cools completely, whip it on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 4 minutes.
Tips + Notes
- Use good quality chocolate that’s around 54-55% Cocoa solids
- This recipe makes about 2 cups of frosting, which is enough for 12-16 cupcakes, a 9×13 inch cake, an 8″ layer cake, or a 9″ layer cake (a thin layer of frosting including filling).
- The salt is to cut sweetness, but totally optional.
- Boiling can cause a skin to form on cream so I recommend not boiling. Heating until just before boiling point will do.
- Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap. Covering it too early can cause condensation, which may drip into the frosting.
- You can skip the whipping if you don’t have a mixer. Just stir every fifteen minutes with a whisk as it chills. The frosting will be denser and yield a slightly smaller amount.
- If you use the fridge to set your ganache and it gets too hard, just leave it at room temperature until soft enough to whip.
Gail Miller says
Love this recipe! It was super simple to make and oh soooo yummy!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Gail 🙂
Carboncopy says
I had a wonderful afternoon of baking; topped off by a nice creamy decadent ganache for my 4 layer butter cake. My birthday; my choice of cake. Delish
Erren's Kitchen says
Oh wow! Happy birthday, I’m glad you enjoyed your ganache, great choice 🙂
Andrea says
What piping tip did you use in the sample photo of the cupcake?
Erren Hart says
I used a large Wilton 2D Tip which you can get here, on Amazon.com
PDG says
Delicious, but I’m getting about 3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups out of this when I make it and not sure why you would only get two given that there’s three cups of liquid (1 1/2 cups of cream plus the 1 1/2 cups that 12 oz of chocolate melts down to) in the recipe even before whipping. Am I missing something?
Erren's Kitchen says
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll look into it 🙂
Les says
Are you talking about 12 oz. of chocolate by weight, or are you measuring by volume? By weight, 12 oz. of chocolate is about 2 cups. If you think of a dry measuring cup as containing 8 liquid oz, that may be how you are getting your 1 1/2 cups.
Erren Hart says
Hi les, it’s 12oz in weight. I usually end up with 2 cups of frosting after the mixture sets.
Vanessa says
First time I tried this and let me tell you this is GREAT. I poured it over chocolate cake and whipped some for the middle of the cake and everyone loved it. Will use this for all my future chocolate frosting needs.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it Vanessa, thank you 🙂
Audra says
This is perfect frosting! Love that it’s not sickingly sweet like a lot of frosting! Thanks!
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🥰
Lourdes Boulware says
Can I make the recipe 1 day before using it? Will it keep it’s shape in the fridge overnight?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Lourdes, you can make this overnight and keep in the fridge, you might have to warm it up slightly when you go to use it because it will become quite hard. I hope this helps 🙂
James Weaver says
It is easy to make and love the sweetness of the cupcake and the bitterness of the ganache frosting. Such a relief to tone down the sugar.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you James 🙂
Rachel Borello says
VERY YUMMY!!!!!! If you whip it in your mixer for 5 minutes (or until it changes from a dark brown to a light brown), it makes the most wonderful frosting!
Erren Hart says
I’m delighted to hear you liked it so much! 🙂
Catherine says
Could I use milk chocolate instead of dark ?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Catherine, you can use milk chocolate, just be aware it will be a lot sweeter 🙂
Stephanie Arke says
Do you let it cool before you whip it?
Erren Hart says
Yes, once the chocolate is mixed into the cream, it needs to cool before it’s whipped.
Sophia M says
I am so happy I came across this recipe- I have used it several times in the past few weeks! I was looking for a substitute for buttercream and this was perfect- still creamy but without the heaviness of butter and with a rich chocolate flavor. I have also used it in tiramisù- between the layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone I add a layer of this whipped chocolate ganache and it is so, so good. Thank you for this awesome recipe, Erren!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Sophia, I’m so pleased you liked it 🙂