Makes 330 grams/2 cups ganache; double the recipe for a 9 inch two-layer cake or 13 by 9 inch sheet cake
This light whipped ganache could easily stand alone as a chocolate mousse dessert. Proportionally, it uses twice as much cream as the classic ganache, and can be whipped to a much lighter consistency.
| dark chocolate, 53% to 62% cacao | 113 grams | 4 ounces |
| heavy cream | 232 grams | 1 cup (237 ml) |
| pure vanilla extract | . | 1 teaspoon (5 ml) |
Mise en Place
▪ Into a food processor, break the chocolate into pieces.
▪ Into a 2 cup glass measure with a spout or into a small saucepan, weigh or measure the cream.
Make the Ganache
1. Process the chocolate until very fine.
2. In the glass measure, in the microwave, scald the cream: Heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery. (Alternatively, scald it in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.)
3. With the motor running, pour the cream through the feed tube in a steady stream and continue processing for a few seconds until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate until cold, 40 minutes to an hour, stirring after the first 30 minutes. (You can speed chilling by setting the bowl in an ice water bath and stirring frequently.) Do not allow the mixture to get too cold or it will be too stiff to incorporate air. The ideal temperature is 65º to 68ºF/20ºC.
5. Add the vanilla, and with the whisk beater, beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or just until the mixture forms very soft floppy peaks when the beater is raised. It will continue to thicken after a few minutes at room temperature. The safest way to prevent overbeating is to use the stand mixer until the ganache starts to thicken and then continue with a whisk.
Store Airtight: cool room temperature, 1 day; refrigerated, 1 week; frozen, 3 months.
Baking Pearl
If the mixture becomes over-beaten and grainy, you can restore it by melting, chilling, and rebeating it.