If you follow me on Instagram (@EmmaMTStylist) then you would have already seen this picture of the chocolate ganache I made for a birthday cake a few weeks ago. I totally love ganache. I mean what’s not to love – it’s chocolate and cream!
I thought I’d share my recipe with you as it’s really handy to have – especially at this time of year when you’re thinking about making chocolate truffles asChristmas gifts. Usually I use double cream but I had some dairy free soya cream alternative left over so I used that and it was absolutely delish. Soya milk and cream are so much more creamy tasting that regular ones. I think I’ll be using them every time in the future- what’s more it’s great to have a dairy free ganache in your repertoire- don’t you think?
Print off the Chocolate Ganache Recipe here
Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients (this recipe is enough to sandwich and cover an 8″ cake
• 200ml double cream
• 250g dark chocolate- broken into small pieces
To make the ganache
- Place the cream in a bain- marie over a low heat making sure that the bowl doesn’t touch the water below.
- Heat the cream till very hot but not boiling – it will burn very quickly and you don’t need it that hot.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and add the chocolate pieces.
- Stir until all the chocolate and cream is melted and combined.
- Set aside to cool then pipe or spread over your cake with a palette knife.
Tips with Ganache
- You can add half as much chocolate again to your mix (ie another 125g) to make your ganache a thicker consistency. Much more chocolate than that and it will be very firm and won’t be easy to spread on a cake.
- For a dairy free ganache use dark chocolate (Bourneville is buttermilk free – most others aren’t) and a soya dairy free cream. Even if it is single cream the ganache will still taste fab – just add a few more squares of chocolate to thicken it up.
- Milk and white chocolate both work well with this recipe too.
- This recipe is great for making truffles. Simply add a tablespoon of flavour – alcohol always works well, once the cream and chocolate are combined. Set aside to cool then roll into balls. Cover in cocoa powder, icing sugar or anything your heart desire.
EmmaMT x
I never even thought to check whether Bournville was dairy free!! That’s excellent – I made some hot chocolate sticks as presents for friends last year, but didn’t think I could do a dairy free version as it was a mix of milk chocolate and 50% cocoa solids dark chocolate. Usually the dairy free chocolate is 70% cocoa solids and I thought it’d be too bitter. Bournville might just do the trick 🙂 I always have it in my cupboard too.
Btw, did you find it v annoying when they reduced the pack size to 180g? Naturally, my brownie recipe requires 200g! It’s like when they reduced the Philadelphia pack size. And made it far too runny for cream cheese icing. Just increase the price please and leave the pack a sensible recipe size?
To be honest I usually use the really cheap chocolate from the supermarket when I’m baking – you know the 35p for a 100g bar ones. I think it tastes just as good in a brownie or a ganache. It’s only when I had to make some dairy free brownies that I double checked the ingredients that I saw how many bars of dark chocolate have buttermilk in them. It’s just way too expensive to buy Bournville every time – especially when you usually need 2-300g per recipe.
And yes I agree- just raise the price. We’re not stupid. We know what they’re doing!
Happy baking
EmmaMT
I could dive into that! Cx
I know what you mean. I have to make a bit extra every time!