My Easier Butter Ganache Recipe

This ultra-rich and creamy ganache is not often used to decorate cakes you’d find in a bakery, but is a staple amongst high-fashion cake decorators and sculptors. To be honest, It probably isn’t found at bakeries because it’s also a bit expensive, compared to buttercream, but it’s a really great medium to create ultra smooth finishes on a cake.

I first learned how to make butter ganache while attempting to cover a cake in gelatin, and given how finicky it was to make I’ve decided to share my version that is much simpler.

Every time I’ve tried to make traditional butter ganache, it always separates. With all of the fat separating from the cocoa solids, it was nasty. To solve this, I use a small percentage of cream, which adds a bit of protein to the ganache. The protein allows the ganache to emulsify better, which prevents separation and makes it easier to work with.

Butter ganache can be a bit tricky because if either the chocolate or the butter gets too hot, the ganache can separate. I recommend heating the chocolate and melting the butter separately in order to control the temperature better.

If the ganache starts to split, there are a few solutions to improve the texture

• Let the ganache cool a little bit and stir vigorously to combine. As the ganache cools, it will allow the fats to emulsify.

• Blend with an immersion blender. If you’re making large quantities, this is by far the easier method.

• Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Even though this recipe already includes some cream, increasing the protein content continues to emulsify the ganache.

This recipe makes 750 grams of ganache, which is enough, ganache to frost a three-layer, six-inch cake. Since I wrote the recipe in grams, feel free to scale the recipe up or down to fit your needs.