Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Chocolate Ganache is so easy to make I can explain it to you in three steps:  Chop 9 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, boil 1 cup cream, whisk together cream and chocolate until smooth.  From this point, there are many things you can do with it.

 This cake is frosted with my very favorite Cream Cheesy Frosting, then topped with just-made, warm Ganache.

 This little butter cake is topped with heated Ganache that has been thinned with a couple splashes of cream.  I could see jazzing this type of dessert up with something like toasted coconut and raspberries.  Or, you could frost the cake with a smooth under layer of Bittersweet Frosting, then pour the thin Ganache over the cake for a cleaner look.

I made this Bittersweet Frosting by whipping lukewarm Ganache for several minutes until fluffy.  When cooled, this frosting is kind of dense, much like a chilled buttercream.

And this frosting is made by whipping Ganache into the Cream Cheesy Frosting.  This one has the best texture in any frosting I've had.  It's super smooth and creamy with a denseness that is not really similar to whipped cream, it's thicker than mousse, maybe a little like a marshmallow fluff ...I guess it's indescribable!  Anyhow, it's fantastic!  I'm thinking it would make a nice kind of dense mousse layer in a frozen dessert...another day...

Cream Cheesy Frosting
Makes enough frosting to generously cover a two tier cake.

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar (not powdered)
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
6 ounces cream cheese (room temp)

Whisk milk and flour together in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once it warms, whisk vigorously until it is so thick you struggle to get your whisk through it. Put the pan of paste in a bowl of ice water to cool it completely. Once cool, whisk in the vanilla.

Using an electric mixer on high, mix together the butter and sugar for one minute. Add cream cheese and mix for one minute. Add the cooled milk paste and mix for 3 minutes.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache 

Makes about 2 cups.

Chop 9 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.  Heat 1 cup heavy cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth.  You may also whisk in up to a tablespoon of a flavored extract, liquor or liqueur of your choice.

Pour some Ganache onto the top of your cake and spread it out using the back of a spoon in a circular motion from the center moving out. Add more ganache and continue to spread out in this manner until it spills over the edge a bit. It will drip and quickly cool in that shape. When chilled, the ganache is creamy and soft, not crunchy.

For Thin and Drippy Ganache, heat Ganache over medium low and whisk in splashes of cream until the Ganache reaches the consistency you desire.  Test the consistency by watching the Ganache pour off a spoon into the pan.  Pour over your cake while warm so the Ganache will flow freely.

For Bittersweet Frosting, whip lukewarm Ganache for 4 and a half minutes or until the frosting holds almost stiff peaks.

For Chocolate Cream Cheesy Frosting, whip 1 cup of room temperature Ganache into chilled Cream Cheesy Frosting just until combined.  This makes frosting with a dark-milk chocolate flavor.  You may want to start by adding 1/2 cup Ganache, then add more to the desired darkness of chocolate.

Enjoy and have fun!