Chocolate cream made with the Thermomix® is one base preparation we use all year round. Sometimes as a firm piping cream for decorating cakes, sometimes as a soft spread for truffles, sometimes as a liquid glaze over ice cream. It is always the same recipe: only the ratio of chocolate to cream changes.
Here is how the base works in the Thermomix®: chop 120 g of dark chocolate for 10 seconds / speed 8, then add 100 g of double cream and melt for 2 minutes / 50°C / speed 3. The result is a classic ganache that pours when warm and sets firm enough to spread when cold. For a piping cream, increase the ratio (two parts chocolate to one part cream). For a liquid glaze, reverse it (one part chocolate to two parts cream). The method stays the same, the result changes completely.
Chocolate Ganache (or Piping Cream) with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 2 ✓
- 120 g dark chocolate
- 100 g double cream
Instructions 0 / 2
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1
Chop the chocolate.
Break the chocolate into pieces, place in the mixing bowl and chop for 10 seconds / speed 8. Scrape down with the spatula.
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2
Blend the ganache.
Add the double cream and melt for 2 minutes / 50°C / speed 3. Leave the cream to cool as needed until it firms up enough to work with.
Tips: Serve the chocolate cream warm as a sauce over Thermomix® vanilla ice cream.
Spread over cakes and sponges with the ganache and leave to set before serving.
Nutrition per serving
One recipe, three textures instead of three Cookidoo recipes
The official Cookidoo recipe uses a fixed ratio of 100 g chocolate to 80 g cream and melts at 50°C on speed 2. That gives exactly one texture, sitting somewhere between a ganache and a piping cream. We go a step further and get three textures from one recipe: 2:1 for pipeable cream, 1:1 as a classic ganache, 1:2 as a liquid glaze. We chop the chocolate dry first (10 seconds, speed 8) and melt at 50°C on speed 3 rather than speed 2, so the warm cream dissolves the cocoa butter evenly without beating in air. That covers cake filling, piping cream and ice cream sauce from a single base.
The one point where the Thermomix® really makes a difference here: it melts at a controlled 50°C and stirs at the same time. The chocolate never gets too hot and never seizes. Over a bain-marie or in a saucepan, that happens quickly. Cream that is too hot and stirring that is too vigorous are the two most common reasons for a split ganache, and the Thermomix® takes both problems away.
Why 50°C and speed 3 keep the chocolate from splitting
Chocolate is a delicate emulsion of cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar. If it gets too hot (above 55°C for dark chocolate, above 45°C for white chocolate), the fat separates and the mixture turns grainy or oily. At exactly 50°C and speed 3, the cocoa butter stays stable while the cream blends in gently. We only use speed 8 for the dry chopping beforehand, so the pieces are fine enough to melt completely within the 2 minutes.
The cream must have at least 30 per cent fat (standard whipping cream or double cream). Low-fat cream, coffee cream or milk will not work because the water content is too high and the emulsion will not hold. The result would be a thin, runny mixture that never sets properly. For an even richer result, add 5 g of butter before blending. This makes the cold ganache smoother and glossier, a trick from professional pastry chefs.
Ratio table: dark, milk and white chocolate
Each type of chocolate needs a different ratio because the cocoa butter content varies. The less cocoa there is, the more chocolate you need for the same amount of cream so the mixture sets properly. This is the point most recipes skip over, and it explains why a ganache made with white chocolate at a 1:1 ratio stays a soft mess.
- Dark chocolate, for spreading and coating: 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream (e.g. 200 g to 100 g). A firm, sliceable ganache, ideal as a base under fondant.
- Dark chocolate, for filling and whipping: 1 part to 1 part (120 g to 100 g, our basic recipe). Whipped cold, it becomes light and pipeable.
- Milk chocolate, for spreading: 2.5 parts chocolate to 1 part cream (250 g to 100 g). Milk chocolate has less cocoa butter, so it needs more mass.
- White chocolate, for spreading: 3 parts chocolate to 1 part cream (300 g to 100 g). White chocolate is the softest and needs the highest proportion.
- Liquid glaze over ice cream and desserts: 1 part chocolate to 2 parts cream (60 g to 120 g). Stays pourable even when cold.
Common mistakes that ruin the chocolate cream
The ganache turns grainy or oily
This happens when the mixture gets too hot or the chocolate is poor quality (too little cocoa butter, lots of vegetable fat). Our fix: Stay at 50°C, no higher. If it has already split, add 1 tablespoon of cold cream and stir for 20 seconds / speed 4. This often brings the emulsion back together. Use couverture or good-quality chocolate with at least 50 per cent cocoa, not cheap chocolate-flavoured coating.
The cream stays too soft and will not set
Usually this comes down to too little chocolate for the intended use, or cream with under 30 per cent fat. Our fix: Check the ratio (see the table above) and always use full-fat whipping cream. If the mixture is already made and too soft, melt in an extra 30 g of chocolate and stir through. Then leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Ganache needs time to set.
The piping cream splits when whipped
Whipping the cold ganache for too long or too fast pushes the fat out of the emulsion and the cream becomes grainy. Our fix: Whip the chilled mixture briefly on speed 3 to 4 and watch it closely. As soon as it looks pale and creamy, stop immediately. Better to under-whip and go again than to over-whip once.
Piping cream, drip cake and white chocolate variation
- Piping cream: Melt 240 g dark chocolate with 100 g cream, chill for at least 3 hours, then whip briefly on speed 3 to 4. This makes it firm enough for piping nozzles.
- Drip cake glaze: Mix ganache 1:1, leave to cool to around 30°C (warm to the touch), then spoon over the edge of the cake. Too warm and it runs too far; too cold and the drip breaks off.
- White ganache: 300 g white chocolate to 100 g cream, but heat only to 45°C. White chocolate burns more easily. Tastes great with a little tonka bean or vanilla.
- Vegan version: Full-fat coconut milk (from a tin, solid part only) instead of cream and vegan dark chocolate. Same ratio as the original, with a slight coconut flavour.
- With liqueur or orange: Stir in 1 tablespoon of rum, amaretto or a little orange zest after melting. Add the flavouring after heating so the alcohol does not evaporate.
Other ways we use the chocolate cream
We love pouring the warm glaze version over a scoop of Thermomix® vanilla ice cream, where it sets instantly into a crisp chocolate shell. The whipped piping cream works as a filling between the layers of Thermomix® marble cake. For an intense chocolate hit, we combine it with our Thermomix® chocolate mousse as a double chocolate layer in a glass.
It also works beautifully at breakfast: spread over warm Thermomix® pancakes or stirred into Thermomix® rice pudding as a chocolate version. One base, many uses, and only one mixing bowl to wash up.
How long the chocolate cream keeps in the fridge
Stored in a sealed jar, the ganache keeps for 1 week in the fridge. Take it out in good time before using, as it sets very firm when cold. If you are in a hurry, warm it briefly for 10 seconds / speed 2 in the Thermomix® or a few seconds in the microwave until it is spreadable again.
Freezing works well: portion into small amounts (ice cube trays, for example) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring back to temperature. We do not freeze ganache that has already been whipped into a piping cream, as it loses its airy texture on thawing. We whip that fresh instead.
Goes well with: Waffles.
More chocolate recipes from our kitchen:
- Thermomix® vanilla ice cream
- Thermomix® rice pudding
- Thermomix® pancakes
