What Is Ganache? Ratios, Types and How It's Used
What is ganache? Ganache is a smooth, glossy mixture of chocolate and hot cream. You pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, leave it to melt, then stir until silky. Depending on how much chocolate you use, it can be a pourable glaze, a spreadable icing, a whipped frosting or a firm filling for chocolate truffles.
At a glance
- Made fromchocolate and cream
- 1:1dark chocolate to cream for a firm icing (Wikipedia)
- 2:1dark chocolate to cream for truffles (Wikipedia)
- 1850sfirst made in Paris, according to Wikipedia
On this page
It's the glossy layer on top of a chocolate fudge cake, the soft centre of a truffle and the drip running down the side of a celebration cake. So what is ganache, and why does the same two-ingredient mixture turn up in so many forms? This guide explains what ganache is, how it's made, the chocolate-to-cream ratios for each job, the main types, how to set, store and rescue it, where the name comes from, and how many carbs it has.
What is ganache?
Wikipedia describes ganache as a glaze, icing, sauce or filling for pastries and sweets, made from chocolate and cream. More broadly, it's an emulsion: the fat from the melted chocolate (cocoa butter) is mixed evenly with a water-based liquid, which is usually cream but can be milk or fruit purée. The result is smooth and shiny.
The clever part is that one method gives very different textures. Wikipedia explains that, depending on the balance of cocoa butter and liquid, ganache can be semi-solid or liquid at room temperature. That's why it can be poured over a cake one day and rolled into truffles the next.
In British English it's usually "guh-NASH", rhyming with "cash". Wikipedia gives the UK pronunciation as /ɡəˈnæʃ/, and the American one ends more like "gah-NAHSH".
Is ganache just icing?
It can be, but it's more than that. Used warm and runny, it's a glaze or sauce. Cooled until thick, it's a spreadable icing. Whisked once cold, it becomes a light, fluffy frosting. Made with extra chocolate and chilled, it's firm enough to roll into truffles. BBC Good Food's chocolate ganache recipe suggests all three cake options: use it straight away, leave it to cool until thick enough to spread, or cool it completely and beat it with an electric whisk.
How ganache is made
Most ganache follows the same simple method. Wikipedia sets it out like this:
- Chop the chocolate. Put it in a heatproof bowl. Smaller pieces melt faster and more evenly.
- Heat the cream. Warm the cream, and sometimes butter, until hot but not boiling. Flavourings such as tea or herbs can be steeped in the hot cream for a few minutes.
- Pour and wait. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave it for a few minutes so the heat melts the chocolate.
- Stir until smooth. Stir gently to combine. Liqueurs or flavoured pastes go in at the end.
BBC Good Food's white chocolate ganache recipe recommends a hand blender for the silkiest result. You blend from the centre of the bowl outwards and keep the blender under the surface so you don't whip in air. Whisking from the centre works too.
Liqueur adds liquid, so the chocolate needs to go up to match. Wikipedia's example: if you're working to a 1:1 ratio, add an extra 100g of chocolate for every 100g of liqueur. Otherwise the ganache will be softer than you planned.
Ganache ratios
The ratio of chocolate to cream decides the texture. Wikipedia says equal weights of dark chocolate and cream give a fairly firm ganache for icing or filling, more chocolate gives a "heavy" ganache for truffles, and more cream gives a thinner, pourable ganache that's easier to whip.
| Chocolate : cream | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dark, less than 1:1 | Thin, pourable | Glazes, drips, whipping |
| Dark, 1:1 | Fairly firm when set | Icing and filling cakes |
| Dark, 2:1 | Heavy, firm | Truffles |
| Milk or white, 2.5:1 | Heavy, firm | Truffles |
Ratios by weight, from Wikipedia (citing Ewald Notter's The Art of the Chocolatier and the Culinary Institute of America). Checked 9 November 2026.
Milk and white chocolate need a higher proportion of chocolate to set as firmly as dark. You can see this in BBC Good Food's recipes. Its dark chocolate ganache uses 200g of dark chocolate with 300ml of double cream for a spreadable cake icing, while its white chocolate ganache uses 450g of white chocolate with 275ml of double cream.
Types of ganache
Cream ganache is the one most of us make at home, but there are a few others:
- Cream ganache. Chocolate and hot cream, the common approach described above.
- Butter ganache. Wikipedia says this is more common in Europe and is made with warm, tempered chocolate and softened butter instead of cream. Similar ratios apply, using unsalted butter.
- Fruit ganache. Fruit purée replaces the cream, often with equal parts butter. Wikipedia notes it was traditionally stabilised with egg yolks.
- Whipped ganache. A cooled cream ganache beaten until light and fluffy, as in BBC Good Food's recipe.
- White and milk chocolate ganache. Made the same way, with more chocolate to the cream.
Wikipedia also mentions namelaka, a similar chocolate cream set with milk and gelatine.
What ganache is used for
| Use | How it's used |
|---|---|
| Cake glaze | Poured warm over a cooled cake |
| Icing | Cooled until thick, then spread |
| Frosting | Cooled and whisked until fluffy |
| Filling | Spread between cake layers or in tarts |
| Truffles | Firm ganache rolled into balls |
| Sauce | Served warm over desserts |
Based on Wikipedia and BBC Good Food. Checked 9 November 2026.
Ganache in chocolate truffles
Truffles are ganache in its firmest form. Wikipedia describes the chocolate truffle as a French sweet with a ganache centre, rolled into a ball by hand and coated in cocoa powder, coconut or chopped nuts. The name comes from its likeness to the truffle fungus. Wikipedia notes that French and Swiss truffles made with fresh cream have a very short shelf life and should be eaten within a few days.
Our keto chocolate truffles recipe uses 200g of chocolate buttons to 150ml of double cream, chilled for at least 3 hours before rolling.
Ganache on cakes
On a cake, ganache is usually poured or spread once the sponge is completely cool, so it doesn't melt. BBC Good Food's recipe suggests a pinch of sea salt or a splash of espresso to deepen the chocolate flavour. Our keto chocolate fudge cake with ganache pours a dark chocolate ganache over the top and lets it run down the sides.
Setting, storing and fixing ganache
Will ganache set hard?
It depends on the ratio. A 1:1 dark chocolate ganache sets fairly firm, and a 2:1 ganache firm enough to roll, while one made with more cream stays soft. Ganache sets as it cools. For truffles, our recipe chills the ganache for at least 3 hours, and longer if it's still too soft to roll.
How long does ganache keep?
BBC Good Food says its white chocolate ganache will keep chilled for three days, or in the freezer for up to a month. If it has set too hard, it suggests warming it gently in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
Why ganache splits
Ganache is an emulsion, so it can split or turn grainy. Cream that's too hot is a common cause, which is why Wikipedia says to heat it until hot but not boiling. Our truffle recipe takes the cream off the heat as soon as it steams and bubbles at the edge, leaves it for three minutes, then stirs slowly from the centre outwards. If lumps of chocolate are left, BBC Good Food suggests warming the ganache in the microwave in 5-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth.
For more on handling chocolate gently, see our guide to how to melt chocolate in the microwave or on the hob.
Where ganache comes from
Wikipedia tells the popular story: ganache was created by accident in the 1850s at Paul Siraudin's confectionery shop in Paris, when an apprentice spilled cream onto chocolate. His master called him "ganache", a French word for a fool. Siraudin is said to have named the sweet after Les Ganaches ("The Chumps"), a comedy by Victorien Sardou that opened the same year. Ganache was first sold as a kind of chocolate truffle.
Similar recipes are older. Wikipedia notes that in his 1693 cookbook, François Massialot described a "crême de chocolat" of milk, egg yolk, cream and chocolate. The chocolate truffle has its own festive story: Wikipedia says it was created by the pastry chef Louis Dufour in Chambéry, France, on Christmas Day 1895.
Carbs in ganache
Almost all the carbohydrate in ganache comes from the chocolate. Cream has very little: CoFID, the UK's food composition tables, lists double cream at 1.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, against 63.5g for plain (dark) chocolate. Classic recipes can also add sugar, such as the 2 tablespoons of golden caster sugar in BBC Good Food's dark chocolate ganache.
| Per 100g | Carbs | Sugars | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain chocolate | 63.5g | 62.6g | 28.0g |
| Milk chocolate | 56.0g | 56.0g | 31.1g |
| White chocolate | 58.3g | 58.3g | 30.9g |
| Double cream | 1.7g | 1.7g | 53.7g |
| Ganache, 1:1 plain chocolate and double cream | 32.6g | 32.2g | 40.9g |
| Ganache, 2:1 plain chocolate and double cream | 42.9g | 42.3g | 36.6g |
CoFID 2021: Chocolate, plain (17-491, 36-50% cocoa solids); Chocolate, milk (17-648); Chocolate, white (17-091); Cream, fresh, double (12-334). Ganache rows are our own calculation by weight, without extra sugar. UK carbohydrate figures don't include fibre. Checked 9 November 2026.
Chocolates vary, and CoFID's plain chocolate figure is for bars with 36% to 50% cocoa solids, so check the label of the bar you're using.
Making ganache with keto chocolate
Because the cream adds so little, the easiest way to cut the carbs in ganache is to change the chocolate. The method and ratios stay the same.
- Use keto chocolate buttons. Our Keto Dark Chocolate Buttons are 64% cocoa minimum and sweetened with erythritol and stevia, as stated on the product page, so there's no extra sweetener to add. Our truffle recipe lists 0.6g net carbs per truffle.
- Or use keto chocolate chips. Our keto dark chocolate chips are also 64% cocoa minimum and come in a 210g pouch. Smaller pieces melt quickly into hot cream.
- Bake something to cover. Our Keto Chocolate Cake Mix makes a 12-slice cake with 3 eggs, 100g of melted butter and a tablespoon of water, as shown on the product page. It's the base of our keto chocolate fudge cake with ganache.
Chopping the buttons before you add the cream helps them melt evenly. Truffles also make a good homemade Christmas gift; the last order date for Christmas delivery is 18 December 2026.
Product details are as shown on each product page. Free delivery on orders over £30.
Ganache made with cream contains milk, so check the chocolate's label for milk and other allergens too. Our Keto Chocolate Cake Mix contains nuts (almonds). Our Keto Dark Chocolate Buttons product page says they contain sweeteners and that excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect. Our keto dark chocolate chips are also sweetened with erythritol, a polyol, and excessive consumption of polyols may produce laxative effects. Always check the pack for full allergen information.
Key takeaways
- Ganache is chocolate and hot cream. Pour the cream over chopped chocolate, wait, then stir until glossy.
- The ratio sets the texture. More cream makes it pourable; 1:1 suits icing; 2:1 makes truffles.
- White and milk chocolate need more chocolate. Around 2.5:1 for a firm ganache.
- Don't boil the cream. Overheating is a common reason ganache splits.
- The carbs come from the chocolate. Swap to keto chocolate and the method stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
What is ganache made of?
Classic ganache is made of just two ingredients: chocolate and cream. Hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate, left for a few minutes, then stirred until smooth and glossy. Wikipedia notes that butter, milk or fruit purée can replace the cream, and flavourings such as liqueur, coffee or a pinch of salt are often added.
What is the ratio for ganache?
It depends on the job. Wikipedia says equal weights of dark chocolate and cream give a fairly firm ganache for icing or filling cakes. Twice as much dark chocolate as cream makes a firm ganache for truffles, or about 2.5 times as much for milk or white chocolate. More cream gives a pourable glaze.
Is ganache the same as icing?
Not exactly. Ganache can be used as icing, but Wikipedia describes it as a glaze, icing, sauce or filling made from chocolate and cream. Used warm, it's pourable; cooled, it spreads; whisked once cold, it turns light and fluffy. Firm ganache is also the soft centre of chocolate truffles.
Will ganache set hard?
Ganache firms up as it cools, but how hard depends on the ratio. A 1:1 dark chocolate ganache sets fairly firm, a 2:1 ganache sets firm enough to roll into truffles, and one with more cream stays soft. Our truffle ganache needs at least 3 hours in the fridge before it's ready to roll.
Why has my ganache split?
Ganache is an emulsion of chocolate fat and cream, so it can split or turn grainy, often because the cream was too hot. Heat the cream until it steams rather than boils, leave it on the chocolate briefly, then stir gently from the centre. BBC Good Food suggests warming lumpy ganache in short 5-second bursts, stirring between each.
Sources
- BBC Good Food. Chocolate ganache by Esther Clark (ingredients, method, spreading and whipping, flavour tips) and White chocolate ganache by Helena Busiakiewicz (quantities, hand-blender method, fixing lumps, storage). Checked 9 November 2026.
- Wikipedia. Ganache (definition, pronunciation, preparation, ratios, types, history) and Chocolate truffle (definition, varieties, shelf life, history). Checked 9 November 2026.
- Public Health England / Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID) 2021 (codes 17-491, 17-648, 17-091 and 12-334). Checked 9 November 2026.
- Groovy Keto product pages: Keto Dark Chocolate Buttons, Keto Sugar Free Chocolate Chips and Keto Chocolate Cake Mix (sizes, ingredients, usage and label lines as shown). Checked 9 November 2026.
