Types of Ganache and Their Main Ingredients
Types of Ganache and Their Main Ingredients
There are two main types of ganache: pastry ganache and confectionery ganache. How a chef combines ganache ingredients and in what ratios depends on how they intend to use it. Will it fill a molded bonbon? Will it be layered with pate de fruit and enrobed? Are they filling or icing a cake?
Pastry ganache, used in cakes, ice creams, and plated desserts, can be as simple as one part cream to one part chocolate with small adjustments to alter the ganache's firmness. It does not need a long shelf life; generally, a chef will need a silky smooth texture and great flavor—nothing more complicated.
Confectionery ganaches have a much heavier burden placed upon them! The ganache's purpose is one factor chefs consider when determining their recipe. A ganache created to fill a molded bonbon can be quite soft, even liquid, while a framed filling meant to be cut and enrobed must have a more solid texture. In addition, many confectioners (though not all) are concerned with shelf life issues. This, too, will affect what ingredients they use and the ratios in which they use them.
Pastry Ganache vs Confectionery Ganache
Pastry Ganache | Confectionery Ganache |
Used for glazing pastries | Framed and cut with a guitar slicer |
Used as a pastry filling | Piped into chocolate shells |
Piped for decoration | Used in chocolate spreads |
more... | more... |
The ratios required for each application are different, and therefore, we cannot have a single ganache recipe that works for all applications.
Pastry Ganache Example
Piped Pastry Ganache Example | |
20% | 200g Milk |
20% | 200g Heavy cream |
20% | 200g Glucose syrup |
40% | 400g 66% Dark Chocolate |
100% | 1000g Total |
Confectionery Ganache Example
Framed Confectionery Ganache Example: | |
26.9% | 269g Heavy Cream (36% fat) |
8.8% | 88g Glucose syrup DE40 |
8.8% | 88g Invert sugar |
0.2% | 2.3g Salt |
3.8% | 38g Clarified butter |
49.9% | 499g 66% Dark Chocolate |
1.5% | 15g Cocoa Butter |
100% | 1000g Total |
The different ingredients used in ganache play different roles. Some have multiple purposes. Each will affect flavor, texture, and shelf life to some degree. In the next article, we'll examine how the main ingredients available to create ganaches impact the final product.
Chocolate Composition
Our product pages include the information you need to balance your recipes. For each couverture, the product page lists the percentage of dry cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk fat (when applicable), and fat-free milk solids (when applicable). Some simple math will allow you to find the amount of sugar. See for yourself!
Balanced Recipes from Trusted Sources
If you're not ready to balance your recipes (or don't think you ever will), be sure to use recipes from trusted sources. Chocolate Academy™ Chefs are constantly creating new, tested recipes to guide and inspire you.