Chocolate Ganache Frosting Recipe
Craving a rich, chocolate dessert? Look no further than this Chocolate Ganache Frosting recipe. Made with a traditional French chocolate ganache and upgraded with butter and powdered sugar, this just might be the ultimate chocolate frosting.
Whether you’re making cupcakes, a layered cake, or just want to eat it straight out of the bowl (no judgment here!), this simple chocolate ganache frosting recipe is sure to become a favorite.
Keep reading to learn how to make chocolate frosting that tastes like it came straight from a Parisian patisserie!
What’s the Difference Between Chocolate Frosting and Ganache?
Traditional French ganache is deliciously simple: just chocolate and cream melted together until silky smooth. Depending on the ratio of ingredients, ganache can be used as a pourable glaze, a whipped filling, or a base for truffles. It’s rich, glossy, and luxurious, but it stays fairly soft at room temperature.
Chocolate ganache frosting, like the version I’m sharing today, starts with the same chocolate-and-cream base but adds butter and powdered sugar. These extra ingredients give the frosting more structure and stability, making it perfect for spreading, piping, and decorating cakes and cupcakes. You get all the deep, fudgy flavor of ganache plus the fluffy, creamy texture of a classic buttercream.
It’s really the best of both worlds!
Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ingredients
At its heart, ganache is simple. You only need a few basic ingredients, but each one plays a big role in creating that perfectly smooth, rich texture and balanced flavor.
Bittersweet Chocolate
I always use a good quality bittersweet chocolate for ganache – ideally around 60% cocoa.
What is the best chocolate to use for chocolate ganache?
Ghirardelli is one of my go-tos in the US because it melts beautifully and has a deep, elegant chocolate flavor without being too sweet. The cocoa percentage matters: too low and it’s overly sugary, too high and you lose that creamy smoothness. In France, I use Valrhona or Cocoa Barry (Callebaut).
Heavy Cream
Heavy cream is the magic that transforms chopped chocolate into silky ganache. It adds body, shine, and that dreamy texture we all love. Use full-fat cream (nothing labeled “light”) so the mixture emulsifies properly and makes your frosting dreamy and spreadable.
Unsalted Butter
Butter adds richness and helps the ganache set with a soft, luscious finish. This is one of the key differences between traditional French chocolate ganache and this whipped ganache frosting.
Always go for unsalted butter — this lets you control the flavor balance yourself. Salted butter can overpower the delicate notes of the chocolate and throw off the sweetness.
Powdered Sugar
While traditional ganache doesn’t typically call for it, a touch of powdered sugar can sweeten things up just a bit and thicken the frosting so it’s easier to pipe or spread.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Making this chocolate ganache frosting is so simple, you may never go back to store-bought frosting again!
Here’s what to do, step by step:
Step One: Melt the chocolate and cream together in the microwave or over a double-boiler, then let the mixture cool completely, which will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
Step Two: Once the ganache is cool, beat the butter and powdered sugar in a mixer until smooth. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the ganache.
Step Three: Scrape down the bowl often (trust me, it matters!) and keep mixing until everything is smooth, fluffy, and beautifully combined.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting for Cupcakes
For cupcakes, make sure your ganache frosting is at room temperature so it pipes smoothly. Scoop it into a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip (a large star or round tip works beautifully). Hold the bag straight above the center of each cupcake and pipe a generous swirl, working from the inside out.
If you prefer a more rustic look, you can also spread the frosting on with a small offset spatula. Just pile on a big dollop and swirl it into soft peaks.
For an extra-pretty finish, top with sprinkles, a chocolate curl, a little dusting of cocoa powder, or any other topping you dream up!
Chocolate Ganache Frosting for Cake
To use this chocolate ganache frosting recipe to frost a cake, start by stacking the cake layers with a generous amount of ganache between them (I usually do about ½ inch to 1 inch thick).
If the cake feels soft or wobbly after stacking the layers, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Keep the rest of your frosting at room temperature while you work so it stays nice and spreadable.
Next, do a quick crumb coat: a super-thin layer of frosting over the top and sides to lock in all those little crumbs. Chill the cake again until the frosting isn’t tacky. This process will make it much simpler to achieve a gorgeous, smooth final layer of frosting.
Now for the final coat! Add a big scoop of frosting on top, smooth it out, and let the excess fall down the sides. Add more frosting as needed to fully cover the cake.
Finish by smoothing everything with a cake scraper, or make pretty swirls and ridges with an offset spatula. You can even pipe extra frosting on top or around the base for a decorative touch.
P.S. If you need to get some of these cake decorating supplies, I have a full list of my favorite products on my Amazon storefront.
Chocolate Ganache Tips for Success
- For the smoothest ganache, chop your chocolate finely so it melts evenly in the warm cream.
- Heat the cream just enough so it simmers — not a rolling boil. This will allow for the best melting of the chocolate.
- Allow the warm cream and chocolate to sit for at least a minute before stirring. This allows the chocolate to begin melting and helps prevent over-stirring.
Common Ganache Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Making chocolate ganache frosting is simple, but it doesn’t mean you won’t run into any challenges along the way. Here are some of the most likely mistakes you’ll experience and how to fix them:
Your chocolate seized.
If your chocolate suddenly turns thick, stiff, or clumpy when making the ganache, it’s usually because a bit of water snuck in. Even a few drops can cause chocolate to seize. To fix it, gently warm the mixture and whisk in a splash of warm cream (a teaspoon at a time) until it smooths out again. Keeping all tools completely dry helps prevent this from happening in the first place — so no pulling a bowl or whisk straight out of the dishwasher for this recipe!
The ganache is grainy or greasy.
A grainy ganache often means the chocolate didn’t melt completely or the mixture got overheated. To fix it, warm it gently over a double-boiler and whisk until smooth, or use an immersion blender to emulsify everything back together. For frosting, always sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the mixer — it makes a huge difference in keeping things silky and smooth.
Your ganache is separating.
If your ganache looks broken, oily, or curdled, this means that the fat and liquid have separated. Don’t panic! Warm it slightly and whisk (or blend) until it comes back together. If it still looks off, try adding a tablespoon of warm cream to help re-emulsify the mixture. Be patient and use gentle heat, and you can most likely fix it!
Make Your Own French Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ready to make your own incredible chocolate desserts at home? Whip up your own batch of this chocolate ganache frosting and be sure to tag me in your finished desserts on TikTok and Instagram!
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
A rich, whipped chocolate frosting for cakes, cupcakes and more
Ingredients
(generous swirl for 12 cupcakes)- 1 cup (180 g) bittersweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 sticks (228 g) unsalted butter, room temp, cubed
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups (270 g) bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli 60% etc.)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
- 3 sticks (342 g) unsalted butter, room temp, cubed
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (360 g) bittersweet chocolate (e.g. Ghirardelli 60% chips)
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 4 sticks (456 g) unsalted butter, room temp, cubed
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and heavy cream together in the microwave or over a bain marie. Set aside to cool completely (about 20-30 minutes).
- When the ganache is cool, mix the butter and powdered sugar in a mixer bowl with the whisk or paddle attachment until smooth, slowly add in the chocolate ganache.
- Scrape down the bowl often (this is key!). Beat until well mixed.
- For icing a cake, stack the layers with a nice amount in between (1/2-1 inch in thickness).
- Chill the cake if needed (aka it’s soft and it would be difficult to ice the sides).
- Always keep the icing at room temperature while working with it so it is spreadable.
- Do a “crumb coat” – aka a very thin layer of icing around the sides and top to hold the crumbs in and keep them from getting in the final icing layer.
- Chill until it’s not tacky to the touch.
- Ice the outside. The easiest is to add a lot on top, even this out so it’s flat and allow the excess to go down the sides. Add more to the sides as needed to cover completely.
- Smooth with a cake smoother or make swirls or lines in the icing for a decorative touch with an offset metal spatula. Pipe extra icing on top or around the bottom edge.
- Freeze any remaining icing for a future project.
Bienvenue, I’m Molly!
I am a Pastry graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris offering pastry classes in Versailles and around France. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she moved to Paris in 2013 to follow her passion for baking & ended up staying!
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