Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Yum

I have long searched for a divinely fudgy, chocolate frosting.  I have tried many many recipes, but I either found them too grainy, too “gritty” from added cocoa powder, or just plain yeeeeck from shortening.  I had just about despaired on ever finding a decent, pipe-able chocolate frosting for cakes and cupcakes until one day when I tried this simple frosting, when I had whipping cream to use up.  They say that lucky mistakes make the best recipes, and this simple, divine beauty is proof that this saying is true! 🙂  The best part is– it takes only 2 ingredients and will be ready in a flash!  Your frosting woes are over.  Come over to the dark side.  You’ll be ohhhhh so glad you did.

What are we waiting for?  Let’s do this.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup dark or semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Heat the cream and chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, just until the mixture is warm enough to melt the chocolate.  Stir mixture together and allow ganache to chill in the refrigerator until it is the consistency of soft set pudding.  Using the whisk attachment of your mixer whip the ganache for roughly 1-2 minutes, or until it becomes light and fluffy (similar to whipped cream).  Pipe finished frosting onto cupcakes, or use it to frost a cake.

Now, in pictures! 😀

This recipe couldn’t be easier.  Seriously.  You basically want to melt together equal parts heavy cream and chocolate.  I am using dark chocolate chips, but you can use semi sweet, regular milk chocolate, or even white chocolate chips, if you want to.  Heat the mixture in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well after each 30 seconds.

It doesn’t take long for the chocolate to melt, so make sure you don’t overcook the mixture.  This is my chocolate after 1 minute (I stirred at the 30 second mark).  See how the chocolate is starting to melt?  Sometimes there will still be a lump of unmelted chocolate in the middle, but when you stir for a little while, it will gradually melt away.  Always try to stir the chocolate away as much as possible before adding more heat.  The goal here is to melt your chocolate with as little heat as possible.  If only politicians could do so much with so little!  You’re amazing! 😀

With slow bursts of heat and lots of stirring (again, it takes me 60-90 seconds of total heating, stirring every 30 seconds), you will eventually get a luscious, dark chocolate ganache like this.  YUM.  If you’ve ever seen those really cool cakes with the chocolate “dripping” over the sides, this is what they used.  File that little nugget of info away for later, when you want to make a chocolate dream dessert.  😉  Put your ganache in the fridge for 10 minutes or so, until it becomes about the consistency of soft set pudding.

Sometimes when you check your chocolate after 10 minutes, the center is still pretty liquidy.  But no problemo . . . just stir and let it in the fridge for another 5 minutes or so, until the whole batch is a pudding consistency.  You may HAVE to taste some, just to make sure.  *cough, cough*

When your ganache is the consistency of soft set pudding, go ahead and put it into the bowl of your stand mixer. In my opinion, no kitchen should be without a Kitchenaid mixer (the one I have is here).  If I could keep only 1 thing in my kitchen, it would be this mixer.  Use the whisk attachment to whip your ganache for 1-2 minutes, until it lightens in color and becomes the consistency of whipped cream.   Ahhhh . . . that is lovelier than a first kiss on a summer evening.  And every bit as sweet! 😀

When you get that whipped chocolate loveliness ready, go ahead and pipe chocolate LOOOOVE onto some cupcakes.  And don’t use the snipped off ziploc bag, please.  I beg of you.  Your cupcakes deserve better.  You can get a cupcake decorating set for about 6 bucks here, and use it again and again.  You survive on the crusts of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sheer willpower.  You deserve this.

I am using this chocolate loveliness to top some green St. Patrick’s day cupcakes and sticking an adorable little chocolate gold coin (like these here) into the frosting for good luck.

But to be honest, maybe you really don’t need good luck. Because with cupcakes like these, I think you’ll be pulling in plenty of little Irish smiles, with or without it.  😉

You did it.  And I’m just so proud of you.

 

 

 

---

---

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which just means that we get a few pennies if you purchase through our link. I never recommend products that I don't personally use and love. Thanks!