Yesterday I made a chocolate ganche following this recipe: 12oz. chocolate, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1 tbsp butter. After bringing the cream and butter to a boil, I poured it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit 5 mins before stirring, then refridgerated for 1 hour.
I was using the ganache as a filling, and after about 2 minutes from being out of the fridge, it started to get a bit solid, so I microwaved it a bit to softened it up, then filled my cupcakes. Later on however, I noticed that the filling had returned to a sort of solid state, much like a truffle consistency. Not rock-hard, but solid enough to form a sort of ball in the cupcakes. It's my first time making ganache-is it supposed to be like that?

A softer ganache would be 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream. You're using 1.5 parts chocolate to 1 part cream, so yes, that will make it very firm.

There's nothing wrong with it. It will just be very firm, not soft and creamy.

Maybe I'm slow...but wouldn't two parts chocolate to one part cream make it even firmer? Shouldn't it be equal parts chocolate and cream for a soft, creamy ganache?

Nope - Leah is correct - 2 parts chocolate to 1 part heavy cream. White chocolate is 3 to 1 ratio. I like to whip mine when using it as a filling.

http://www.artandappetite.com/2009/11/ganache-instead-of-buttercream/

or for pouring

http://daisylanecakes.blogspot.com/search/label/ganache

That confuses me. Using more cream makes it more firm? It seems like it would be the other way around considering the cream is liquid. I don't know because I don't make ganache.

4realLaLa,

You are right, I think perhaps leah_s just made a typo. More cream DOES make it softer.

Another thing to note is that a higher cacao percentage chocolate will make a firmer ganache. So using the 2 parts chocolate to one part cream ratio for example, would make very hard ganache, particularly in winter.

Yah, I'm backwards. Sheesh . . .need to go eat some chocolate.

It should be the consistency of peanut butter for crumb coating. If I'm in a hurry, I stick it in the freezer instead of the fridge.

Leah may have miss spoken and said softer and not firmer, but the ratios are correct. For chocolate it is 2 parts Chocolate to 1 part heavy cream and for White it is 3 parts White to 1 part heavy cream. And sticking it in the freezer with a paper towel over it works great!!

I have a short cut ganache I use to drizzle on cakes, I've used it for other stuff too. Its good if you are in a hurry, has a shiny finish and it's pretty fool proof.
1 can chocolate frosting (store bought--DH or Pillsbury)
1/4 cup of chocolate candy melts, chopped

Heat icing over low heat add candy melts, stir until melted. If using for a drizzle drip a little from spoon onto side of bowl and make sure it runs but stops. Pour into a pan allow to set up and can be used for truffles.

I use the ratios you used, refrigerate it for awhile, and then whip it until it's nice and fluffy. There is nothing better than whipped ganache. yum.

karen. is that ratio also for mild chocolate the 2-1??

milk chocolate is 3:1 ratio.

thanks, mom2twogrlz

If you google ganache you will find several different recipes, the consensus seems to be: Bittersweet and semi-sweet is 2 to 1: Milk and white is 3 to 1

I use 2 to 1 for my Milk Chocolate, but I usually add some semi-sweet in with it before I measure it out. Ganache is one of those things that isn't easy to mess up. If you think it is to thin, add more chocolate. If you think it is to thick add more heavy cream. It is very forgiving! Yummy too!