Ganache is one of the most versatile preparations in confectionery — a simple emulsion of chocolate and hot cream that transforms into a silky pour, a glossy drip, a hand-rollable truffle centre, or a fluffy piped frosting, all depending on one variable: the ratio of chocolate to cream by weight. This calculator takes the guesswork out of scaling by letting you start from whatever you know — total batch weight, the chocolate you have in hand, or the cream you measured — and instantly returning the exact quantities for every ingredient in your recipe.
How it works
Ganache is a water-in-fat emulsion. Heavy cream (or double cream) is roughly 36–40% fat and about 55% water. When heated cream meets finely chopped chocolate, the water molecules surround and stabilise the cocoa-butter globules, forming a smooth, homogeneous mixture. The ratio of chocolate to cream controls how many water molecules are available relative to the fat matrix, which is why it determines final texture:
- 1 : 1 — equal parts chocolate and cream by weight. Warm, this pours like thick custard (perfect for a dessert sauce or chocolate fondue). Cooled to room temperature it sets to a soft, spoonable consistency. Refrigerated it becomes a spreadable fudge.
- 2 : 1 — double the chocolate. This is the professional standard for truffle centres, drip glazes and tart fillings that must hold at ambient temperature for service. It sets firm but yields when bitten.
- 3 : 1 — triple the chocolate. Very firm ganache used for moulded pralines, thick tart bases, or any preparation that must slice cleanly without refrigeration.
For milk chocolate, the added milk solids and higher sugar content mean the chocolate already has less pure cocoa fat, so the ratios shift upward (2.5:1 to 3.5:1) to achieve the same texture a 2:1 dark chocolate ganache would give. White and ruby chocolate contain no cocoa liquor at all; ratios of 3:1 to 4:1 are standard.
The calculator also accounts for two common add-ins:
- Butter (about 12% of the chocolate weight) emulsified in at the end adds shine, reduces graininess, and gives a silkier mouthfeel — popular for bonbon shells and mirror glazes.
- Liqueur (about 7% of total weight — brandy, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, rum) contributes flavour and the alcohol helps keep truffle centres shelf-stable. Add it last, after the ganache has cooled slightly, or it may break the emulsion.
Worked example
You have 400 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa) and want to make hand-rolled truffles using the standard 2:1 ratio.
- Chocolate is 2 parts, cream is 1 part — so the cream weight is 400 ÷ 2 = 200 g.
- Total ganache = 400 + 200 = 600 g.
- At 10–12 g per truffle: expect roughly 50–60 truffles.
- Optional: 400 g × 12% = 48 g of unsalted butter for extra gloss.
Set “I know the… Chocolate weight”, enter 400 g, and the calculator returns these figures immediately.
| Chocolate type | Use case | Ratio (choc : cream) |
|---|---|---|
| Dark (70%) | Pouring sauce | 1 : 1 |
| Dark (70%) | Truffle / glaze | 2 : 1 |
| Dark (70%) | Tart filling | 3 : 1 |
| Milk (35%) | Truffle / glaze | 3 : 1 |
| White | Pouring | 3 : 1 |
| White | Firm tart | 4 : 1 |
Formula note
The maths is simple proportional scaling. Let C be the chocolate weight and R be the cream weight, and let the target ratio be c : r (e.g. 2 : 1 for truffles).
- Given total T: C = T × c / (c + r), R = T × r / (c + r)
- Given chocolate C: R = C × r / c, T = C + R
- Given cream R: C = R × c / r, T = C + R
All weights are in grams internally; ounces are converted using 1 oz = 28.3495 g.