How to reheat the ganache?

The first thing you learn when making the perfect ganache is that the two most important factors you must have on point are temperature and proportions. If you don’t plan on using your ganache right away, storing it in the fridge or even freezing it for future use is a handy way to keep it fresh.

How do you reheat the ganache?

The first step in reheating the ganache is to thaw it in the fridge or on the counter. Afterward, the best way to reheat it is to use a double boiler that allows the ganache to melt slowly.

However, there are other methods of reheating ganache that may work better for your particular dessert, so understanding how delicate ganache is and why will help ensure your dessert comes out perfect every time.

3 Ways to Reheat Frozen or Cold Chocolate Ganache - wikiHow

Technically speaking, ganache is an emulsion, which means that one liquid (heated cream) is mixed with another (liquid chocolate) until smooth, even though those liquids are not necessarily soluble. This is much like mixing water and oil.

As the 2 ingredients tend to separate when cooled, it is not uncommon for a sugar crust to form or for the ganache to crack. That’s why the most important part of reheating your ganache actually starts before you chill it: make sure you carefully cover it with plastic wrap that completely covers the surface so air can’t get into the mixture.

If you’ve frozen your ganache, there are 3 easy ways to bring it back to life as the center of everyone’s attention.

1. Let it thaw

For a thicker, dulce de leche-like consistency to use for thick fillings, chilled ganache works best. If you’re working from a frozen product, just thaw the ganache in the fridge and it’s ready.

If you want to whip up your ganache, you have two options.

1. First, you can either freeze or chill the ganache just the way you made it, in its original state of liquid chocolate gold. When you’re ready to blend it, simply thaw it in the fridge and blend as you normally would.
2. You can also whip the ganache before freezing, thaw it in the fridge, and quickly whip it again to smooth out the texture. Don’t over-beat, as the ganache can become grainy.

If you’ve made a ganache designed to be a frosting, you’ll need to reheat it to room temperature, so it’s runny but not so runny that it doesn’t stick. I have left this variety for last, since it is somewhat more complicated than the others.

2. Use a double boiler or heat proof bowl placed inside a pot of simmering water

The double boiler is your best bet as it is slow and steady and you have the most control over the results. As if you were melting chocolate, put an inch or two of water in the pot and allow your ganache to slowly melt.

3. Try the microwave

If you’re very tight on time and you need the ganache for yesterday, you can put it in the microwave. Patience is crucial if you don’t want your ganache to turn into a crunchy dulce de leche, so use it every 10 to 30 seconds and fold your ganache with a spatula between each burst to evenly distribute the heat. Stop when there are still a few lumps because the residual heat will melt the rest.

Use the cold ganache

You also have the option of using your cold ganache. Instead of reheating it for filling or frosting, you can think about making truffles. This works very well with the flavored ganache, but plain chocolate and cream have been known to hit the spot perfectly as well.

To try it, simply grab an ice cream or cookie scoop, or even a spoon, and scoop out a dollop of cold ganache. Roll it between your hands to form a nice bite-sized ball, then dip it in melted chocolate or drizzle cocoa powder, coconut flakes, icing sugar, or even crushed nuts or caramels over the balls.

You can also eat it simply as a soft, melt-in-your-mouth candy. If you like this idea and think ahead, you can mix chopped nuts or fruit into the ganache before chilling it, and then simply dice it to eat as is.

Variations of the ganache and how it is heated

A basic ganache is simply pouring hot cream over the chopped chocolate and mixing until smooth. The consistency can vary, depending on whether you want to use your ganache for icing or filling.

The type of chocolate you use will make all the difference in your ganache, whether fresh or reheated. Dark, milk and white chocolate have different melting points, with dark chocolate being the one that can withstand slightly higher temperatures. This applies to both the original recipe and chilled or frozen leftovers.

Dark chocolate is the easiest to work with and is generally considered the highest quality. It is perfect for fillings.

White chocolate , which isn’t actually chocolate, but does make a great ganache, has more oil than its darker varieties and requires a higher ratio of chocolate to cream when making the ganache.

Milk chocolate is the most common in most markets and is readily available and relatively cheap, making it probably the most popular chocolate to use. Since it already contains milk, the amount of cream you add when making the ganache for the first time will be less.

The type of cream you use will also influence how it cools and reheats. Most ganaches are made with heavy cream, which is high in fat and makes a rich, creamy, stable ganache.

However, if you have dietary restrictions, you may want to make your ganache with coconut cream or other non-dairy alternatives. If you search, you can find recipes that use everything from coffee to applesauce.

Each small variation you make will result in a different ganache consistency and may reheat thicker or looser than the original recipe intended. It’s impossible to predict how each individual recipe will reheat, but once you understand the best practices for reheating your ganache, you should have no problem figuring out the best option for your recipe.

Freezing the deluxe ganache

If you have chosen the deluxe recipe and have added liqueurs, fruit, nuts or other delicacies to your ganache, that will influence how it freezes and how it reheats.

Liquor requires a much lower temperature to freeze than chocolate or cream and will reheat much faster. Keep this in mind if you’re trying to microwave from frozen, as it will heat up much faster than a regular ganache would.

Fresh fruit has a high water content and can alter the consistency of your ganache by dissolving, as the frozen water will melt into the mixture. If you plan to make more fruit ganache to freeze, it’s safer to use dried fruit.

If you plan to salt the ganache, do so in the last step. If you salt and then freeze or chill the chocolate, it will blend and enrich the flavor, but it won’t stand out in the same way that a burst of solid salt would.

Related questions

Can the ganache be frozen?

Yes, if you make more ganache than you will use, you can freeze it for 3-9 months max. If you have made the ganache quite firm, you can simply wrap it in plastic wrap. If you’ve made a softer consistency, put it in a freezer-safe container.

You want to make sure the ganache doesn’t come in contact with air or moisture to protect it from freezer burn and discoloration, so even if you put it in a container, it’s a good idea to cover it with plastic wrap as well.

How do you loosen the ganache?

If you’ve made a ganache that’s too thick for your purposes, you can loosen it up by adding more cream, very slowly, until it’s the right consistency for your recipe.

How do you thicken the ganache?

If you want a thick, runny ganache, you can add more chocolate to the cream while it’s hot. The ganache thickens naturally when it cools. Depending on the use you are going to give it, you can put the ganache in the fridge to cool, and it will become more similar to dulce de leche. You can also whisk it once it has cooled to create a thick, stable texture.

Can split ganache be fixed?

Yes. Split ganache is when the fat starts to separate from the cream and your beautiful chocolate frosting becomes grainy. This can happen whether the ganache is fresh or reheated. To avoid this, work with the cream over low heat and not boiling.

If it’s too hot, the fat in the chocolate will overheat and this is what causes the separation. If/when that happens, if your ganache is still warm, try adding a small amount of extra chocolate to balance out the fat. If it has already cooled, reheat and mix again and it should come together nicely again.