Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Made with a combination of dark chocolate, heavy cream, and gelatin, whipped chocolate ganache frosting is a light and creamy way to decorate or fill your favorite cakes and pastries. Just follow this easy, step-by-step whipped ganache frosting recipe, and you'll have a flawless and decadent chocolate cream in no time!

Jump to:

• 💡 What is whipped chocolate ganache?
• 💡 What is the difference between chocolate ganache and whipped chocolate ganache?
• 💡 What is the difference between whipped chocolate ganache and chocolate frosting?
• 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• ✨ Flavor variations
• 🎓 Expert tips
• ❓ Whipped Chocolate Ganache Recipe FAQs
• 🍰 How to use chocolate whipped ganache frosting
• 🧁 More frosting and filling recipes
• Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

💡 What is whipped chocolate ganache?

Simply put, whipped chocolate ganache is the lighter and fluffier version of traditional chocolate ganache. It is made by cooling your traditional chocolate ganache and then using a hand or stand mixer to whip it. Whipped chocolate ganache is lighter than buttercream with a wonderful chocolate flavor and an excellent alternative to the usual chocolate frostings and fillings.

💡 What is the difference between chocolate ganache and whipped chocolate ganache?

A traditional chocolate ganache is made from a simple equal mixture of melted chocolate and heavy cream gently stirred or hand-mixed together. On the other hand, whipped chocolate ganache frosting uses a higher ratio of cream to chocolate. It then uses a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the mixture together. The result closely resembles chocolate whipped cream, except it is more stable and more chocolatey.

💡 What is the difference between whipped chocolate ganache and chocolate frosting?

Whipped chocolate ganache is made with a mix of chocolate, heavy cream, and sometimes gelatin. Chocolate frosting on the other hand often made with butter, cocoa powder, or chocolate and a lot of sugar.

If a naturally sweet chocolate flavor is what you're going for that is stable to pipe or frost a cake with, whipped chocolate ganache is the best option in terms of taste and texture.

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

1. It is easy to make - This recipe is straightforward to follow and does not require fancy ingredients or equipment.
2. It uses the best technique - Most whipped ganache recipes on the Internet use an inaccurate process involving mixing the wrong chocolate and cream ratios. This is a professional recipe that uses a different technique for the best result.
3. It is the most delicious - I only use the highest-quality ingredients and portions designed to give you the best chocolate-tasting results. This hocolate frosting with chocolate chips and heavy cream taste as good as it sounds!
4. It is versatile - You can make this super stable whipped ganache with gelatin or without gelatin to fit your needs. You can also use it in a variety of ways!
5. It is a step-by-step foolproof baking guide - Baking is a science, and there's so much more behind it than just the recipe! This recipe shares how to make the whipped ganache frosting as well as the best expert tips and tricks to give you the best result.

📝 Ingredient notes

1. Dark Chocolate - Always use high-quality semi-sweet couverture chocolate used primarily for cooking when making whipped chocolate ganache icing. In this recipe, I use Callebaut 811 Dark Chocolate (Callets) with 54.5% cocoa butter content, a much higher percentage than the average grocery store chocolate chips.
2. Heavy whipping cream - In this recipe, a cream containing at least 36% fat is required for the richest, creamiest, and silkiest results. To substitute, check out my heavy cream substitute article.
3. Gelatin - The gelatin is an optional thickening agent that will help the whipped chocolate ganache frosting stability. While powdered gelatin is available, I prefer to use gelatin sheets (1.7 grams per sheet) as I find them much easier to handle. However, if you choose powdered gelatin, you would substitute it at a 1:1 ratio (1 gelatin sheet = 1.7g powder). Check my gelatin article for more about gelatin and possible substitutes! If you prefer to use agar agar, check my agar agar article for further details.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Step-by-step process

I have made several tests and the best whipped chocolate ganache ratio is mixing 300g chocolate with 300 g cream (with gelatin) and then adding 450g cold cream. This ratio provides the most delicious taste and perfect texture with wonderful chocolate flavor without being too sweet.

Follow these easy steps:

1. Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate (or use callets) and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, microwave the chocolate until semi-melted (do not let them melt completely).
2. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. While the gelatin soaks, heat cream (the 300g) over medium heat in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer.
3. Once you heat the heavy cream, gently squeeze the excess water from your gelatin sheets and stir them into the hot cream.
4. After you sufficiently blend the gelatin into the hot cream, pour the warm mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for about a minute. Then, stir or blend the two.
5. Next, pour the second half (450g) of the cold heavy cream into the mixture and stir until properly mixed.
6. Place the chocolate ganache in a shallow bowl or container. Cover it with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming on the top. Then, place it in the refrigerator overnight for eight hours.
7. The following day or after at least eight hours have passed, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment and gently whip the ganache for 1-2 minutes. Take care not to overwhip, or it can curdle and become greasy.
8. Use your whipped chocolate ganache frosting according to your recipe. Or, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

💡 Top Tip: To avoid burning the chocolate or having under-melted chocolate, heat the cream until just simmering. You don't want to boil it, and you don't want to underheat it neither!

2. How to make whipped ganache without gelatin

While gelatin is a common thickening agent for whipped chocolate ganache frosting, it isn't required! If you omit the gelatin, you'll need to increase the chocolate ratio to compensate for the gelatin loss. The chocolate will then serve as the thickening agent, resulting in a sweeter and less light frosting.

Use the following steps to make your whipped chocolate ganache frosting without gelatin correctly:

1. Semi-melt 300g (1¾ cups) dark chocolate in the microwave.
2. Next, heat 200g (¾ cup) of heavy cream and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for roughly a minute, then stir the two together.
3. Once mixed, stir in another 200g (¾ cup) of cold heavy cream.
4. Cover it with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator for eight hours.
5. Once the eight hours have passed, whip the cream as directed in the recipe.

So, to compensate for the lack of gelatin we have to reduce the 750 heavy cream to 400g creating a higher chocolate vs cream ratio for stability.

💡 Top Tip: To avoid overwhipping the ganache, always use your stand or hand mixer at the lowest speed. One minute of whipping should be sufficient for a stand mixer or 1-2 minutes for a low-power hand mixer.

✨ Flavor variations

You can also make whipped milk chocolate ganache frosting or white chocolate whipped ganache frosting. However, since dark chocolate contains more cocoa butter, you will need to increase the milk/white chocolate ratio to the heavy cream to achieve the same texture.

Depending on the percentage of cocoa butter in your chocolate callets, I recommend increasing the amount of milk/white chocolate to 400-500g (versus 300g of dark chocolate).

You can kick your whipped ganache icing up a notch by infusing other flavors and spices! For example, if using the original whipped dark chocolate ganache recipe, you can stir in grounded coffee beans, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, or even black pepper to upgrade the flavor profile.

If making whipped white chocolate ganache frosting, you can experiment with cinnamon, coffee beans, citrus zest, lavender, or ginger. You can also try star anise, vanilla bean, rose petals, or earl grey tea leaf.

However, no matter what type of chocolate you decide to use in your whipped chocolate frosting, a high quality chocolate with a high cocoa-butter percentage is an absolute must!

For a more pudding-like texture, why not check out this dark chocolate pudding from Nora?

🎓 Expert tips

1. Use a digital scale when measuring the ingredients for the best accuracy. A rubber spatula is also helpful for folding ingredients together without overmixing.
2. To create the recipe without gelatin, it is essential to increase the amount of chocolate. The chocolate will be the replacement thickening agent for the omitted gelatin.
3. Before adding the heated heavy cream, pre-melt the chocolate (in the microwave or using a double boiler over the stove). Don't depend on the warm cream to melt the chocolate, as it may not do so properly.
4. Before incorporating the cold heavy cream, cool the warm cream and chocolate mixture to around room temperature.
5. Do not attempt to use the whipped chocolate ganache frosting prior to the end of the eight hours. The chocolate and gelatin need enough time to chill and set before you use them - you absolutely cannot skip this step!

❓ Whipped Chocolate Ganache Recipe FAQs

🍰 How to use chocolate whipped ganache frosting

Because of its super stable texture, you can use whipped chocolate ganache in various ways. For example, you can use it to fill macarons, chocolate tart shells, or choux pastry puffs. Frost chocolate cakes and cupcakes, or add it to a piping bag to decorate any other desserts. You can also use it as a dipping cream, on top of ice cream, or eat it on its own! 

🧁 More frosting and filling recipes