Whipped Chocolate Caramel Ganache – Hooray, I’m A Food52 Finalist!!
Whipped Chocolate Caramel Ganache
I actually discovered that if you whisk or whip ganache it turns into a fluffy spreadable concoction. I like using this because it’s not too sweet, easy to spread and decorate with. The chocolate caramel gives this ganache a buttery deeply delicious flavor. This icing is light, much lighter than a standard American buttercream, closer to the consistency of a swiss meringue buttercream but without the eggs. I like to use both dark and milk chocolate but you can can use all dark or even all milk. If you use all dark it will be less sweet.
I had this recipe for over a week as a draft, but entered it in a Food52 contest for best frostings. Well, I just found out today that I am a finalist, I am so thrilled and happy that my recipe was chosen. So now I will shamelessly plug my recipe and ask you all if you don’t mind to vote for me, here is the link to food52 to vote If you are not a member of food52 (you should be) it’s simple and totally painless to join and you will love the site, you will not be barraged with emails and the like. If you do vote for me I thank you so much!! I used Divine Fair Trade Chocolate in this recipe, the bittersweet for the caramel, dark and milk for the ganache.
Makes enough frosting to fill and frost a 9-inch cakeChocolate Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter cut into tablepoon-size pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces dark chocolate (I used bittersweet)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Put the heavy cream in a glass measuring cup and microwave on high for 45 seconds, add chocolate and microwave another 30 seconds Stir until its smooth, add the vanilla extract and stir to combine, set aside so that it will cool before adding to the caramel.
- In large saucepan add the sugar, turn heat to med/high and let sit until it starts to liquefy. Start stirring with a heat proof spatula. The sugar will crystalize but that’s alright — keep stirring until its all liquid. Stop stirring and let it cook until it turns amber in color, then add the butter and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and add the chocolate cream. Stir until its incorporated. Store in a container at room temperature until ready to use. Note: If you make this ahead of time, simply place the bottle or jar in hot water to warm the caramel so it’s pourable.
Ganache :
- 4 ounces dark chocolate broken into small pieces
- 4 ounces milk chocolate broken into small pieces
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon liquor (I like cointreau or kahlua) or vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate caramel sauce
- Heat cream to scalding (not boiling). Pour over the pieces of chocolate that are in a mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes then stir until there are no pieces of chocolate and it’s smooth and shiny, then add the chocolate caramel sauce and stir to combine.
- Place bowl in an ice bath and stir or whisk until it’s cool but not cold — it will stiffen fairly quickly if it gets too cold. Remove from the ice bath and beat with a mixer or whisk until the ganache is fluffy and spreadable. Frost the cake immediately. Best served at room temperature.
Photo by James Ransom for Food52
apuginthekitchen 
congrats!!!! that’s amazing and i could see why this recipe made it
Thanks so much Jen!
You have my vote. Sounds yummy!!!
Maria
Thanks so much Maria!!
Congrats Suzanne!! Best of Luck to you!! 🙂
Thanks so much Chef Amy!!
Congrats! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. It does look amazing.
Many thanks!!
woo hoo and congratulations, Suzanne! You totally have my vote 🙂 nothing better than whipped ganache. hoo boy.
Totally agree, chocolate number 1 and whipped chocolate ganache, delicious. Thank you so much!
YAY! How exciting! Congrats, heading over there after this to vote! And p.s. I think I just drooled a little bit on my keyboard it looks so good!
Kenley
Thanks Kenley!!
Voted! It sounds really scrumptious. Congratulations – you definitely deserve to win. Bonne chance!
Thank you so much!!
Good golly, my pants just got tighter. That stuff looks amazing.
You’re right, it was painless to sign up, and more over, it was our privilege to vote for you. Good luck, and congrats on being awesome!
Thank you so very much!!!
Of COURSE, I’ll vote for you!! Ahh man, I wish I had seen that contest, lol! I love the addition of the chocolate caramel…..omg….mmmmm. The picture looks so beautiful and fluffy! Going to vote now 🙂 Congrats my friend!
Thanks so much Brandi! It’s quite delicious and could easily be vegan I’m sure.
Congrats and lots of good luck, looks delicious! i could eat it with a spoon. 🙂
Thanks Pamela, I did eat it with a spoon!!
Congratulations!! That is so awesome, and I’m totally voting for you!! I absolutely love the pictures…that pic with the yellow cake with the chocolate ganache….it should be framed. It’s my most favorite combination… 🙂 So, so happy for you!
I love the combination also, James Ransom is quite a talented photographer, I love that yellow cake and chocolate its wonderful!!
Yay Suzanne!! This is a winner if I ever saw one! Congratulations!
Thanks so much Pat!
Congratulations on reaching the final. And, oh my, my your whipped chocolate cream ganache sounds wickedly good. Good luck!
Thank you so much, it is pretty wicked for sure. The caramel and chocolate are so good together.
Oh how delicious! This looks incredible!
Thank you!!
Congratulations!! That is so wonderful. I’m happy for you! And this frosting definitely sounds like it will earn the title of Best Frosting. It sounds incredible. YUM!!
Thanks so much! It’s a very good frosting. Not so sweet and I like that about it,
Mazel tov. Looks super succulent!
Thank you so much Shanna.
🙂 Thank you for sharing with all of us.
Right, I’m off to make a chocolate cake to frost with your ganache! It will be the perfect treat for the weekend! Looks delicious Suzanne!
Oh yes it will be wonderful!! Thank you so much.
In all my enthusiasm to get into the kitchen to try your gorgeous frosting, I forgot to congratulate you on making it through to the finals! All the very best Suzanne! The frosting worked out beautifully and will be very much enjoyed over the next day or two!
Thanks so much! I hope you like.
Well, I’ve tried five time to try and get that site to load so I could vote. No chance. I’ll try another time. Good luck with it!
Thanks so much Johnny, it may be because you need to register. It could be anything but I do appreciate and thank you for trying. Means a lot to me.
Hooray! I voted for you. I can’t wait to get my chocolate so I can try this recipe too.
Thanks so much Georgie. I used the rest of my divine to make it, it is wonderful.
I got my Devine chocolate today – Thank you! I’m making this frosting for sure to go with vanilla cake. Sending you the sweetest wishes on #winning 😉
Oh thats wonderful, you will love the chocolate, It’s so good and I hope you like my frosting. Thanks so much Georgie.
I’d love to vote for you! This looks super–I’m saving it to make soon. (and I love, love the photo with the cake stand– beautiful)
Thanks Rhonda, that photo is gorgeous right??? James Ransom takes beautiful photo’s.
Congratulations, Suzanne! The Frosting looks divine! I voted for you, but I am not sure if it went through. After I voted (did it 3 times) the page goes foggy. ???
I wish you win! 😀
Thank you so much Fae, if you get the blurred page it means the vote didn’t work. You have to login if you are registered if you are not you have to register. Creating a username and password. It’s painless, I promise. Thanks so much!
Successfully voted! Good Luck! *\(^o^)/*
Thank you so much Fae!
Congrats my friend, this looks incredible 😀
Cheers
CCU
Thanks so much Uru!
Yippee!! Congratulations, Suzanne!! That’s fantastic, and I’ve already voted for you (and I do like your recipe way more, so I would have chosen yours anyway)! I happen to have some leftover ganache from the chocolate cake I made last week! Will have to try out your recipe! It sounds fab!! I hope you win! xx
Thanks so much Christina, If you try I hope you like it. I love ganache!
Oh Suzanne!!! Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!!! 🙂 I just voted for you. Break a leg! 🙂
Thanks so much Francesca, I so appreciate it.
I never though of using ganache as a frosting. LOVE IT! Just voted. This recipe is a shoe-in. Good luck!
Thanks Melissa, appreciate it. I happened up whipping completely by accident, it makes the creamiest frosting without all the powdered sugar.
Congrats! Off to vote now! Good luck!
Thank you so much.
It looks sooooooo fantastic!! Voted for you earlier this morning! Many, many congrats for being a finalist this week 🙂
Thanks so much Susan.
Ganache is amazing… You can endlessly use it to spread on, to fill in, to “spoon”, I love it, you are absolutely right !
It really is, of course anything chocolate is delicious. Thank you so much.
Congratulations on being a finalist, Suzanne! Just signed up at Food52 and voted for you! I hope you win 🙂
Thanks so much Julian, I really appreciate it.
So exciting! Congrats! I am definitely going to try this! And going to sign up for food52 and vote 🙂
I appreciate it thank you so much.
Congrats! And I love that last photo & cake stand – pretty!
Thanks so much, that photo is beautiful!
Done Suzanne, I voted for your recipe. What a great honour that must be! And no kidding you’re a finalist, it looks utterly decadent!
Thank you Lidia, I really do appreciate the vote and kind words.
Ah! I’m in the mood for chocolate now. 🙂 Yummy ganache!
Thank you so much!
Congrats! We will vote for you! Looks delicious!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
WOW – how absolutely fabulous does this look?? SO good!! I will head straight over and vote for you – I hope I’m not too late.
No you aren’t too late I think voting goes until Wednesday. Thanks so much.
Congratulations, the frosting looks wonderful! I hope you win! I attempted to vote…but not sure if it went through.
Thank you very much, you have to register on the site in order to vote. If you didn’t do that the vote will not register. I do appreciate your trying, Thank you again,
Ok, I’ll have to try again. I did enter my email and thought I was registering…but maybe it was something different!
It can be confusing, you have to actually register and create a username and password. Thank you for trying I really do appreciate it.
Just finished voting – I think I would have voted for this recipe even if you hadn’t asked – it looks scrumptious!
Oh thank you so so much!
Oh good! I wasn’t too late! Whew! I’m a little behind these days, certainly love your recipe.
Thanks so much, yea unlike whole foods, food52 has a really long window to cast votes.
Congratulations!!!! Drool!! Am making this tomorrow!
Oh I hope you like it!! Thank you so much.
This is wonderful news, Suzanne! Big time congrats! Plus, your fluffy spread looks deliciously yummy!!! 🙂
Thanks Stefano, the frosting really is pretty yummy!
Congratulations Suzanne!!! I voted! Your recipe sounds divine. Besides, who wants to eat a pink peppercorn frosting??
Thank you so much, I am a real chocolate lover so I’m partial.
I am just so excited for you, Suzanne! Every time I look at this frosting recipe, my anticipation about making it grows! It looks absolutely DIVINE!!!
Thanks so much Em, I hope you like it if you make it. It’s really so simple but really delicious.
Of course I voted for this, did it the moment I saw it on Food 52 – Chocolate caramel ganache – how could I not?!!
Thanks so much Anna, so thrilled to have been a finalist and doubly thrilled that my recipe won!
YOU WON!!! I knew you would. Hooray! This recipe deserves it, for sure!
Thanks so much Lori, I am so happy!
Whipping ganache is an absolute revelation. Adding caramel to it just turns it into sublime.
Thank you so much!
Congratulations!! How exciting!?
Definitely well deserved – this looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!! Can’t wait to give this ganache a go – I’d imagine it would go down a treat on almost any cake or cupcake!
New follower here!
We’d love it if you checked out our blog which we’ve just got back up and running
http://www.honeyandlulu.blogspot.com.au/
Have a lovely day!
Chloe & Sarah
Thank you so much Chloe and Sarah! I did check our your lovely blog and followed, can’t wait to get more posts from you and thank you so much for visiting mine!
That recipe is going to be my next try!! Looks delicious… I have never had any luck with frostings… this one looks good.
It’s a really nice frosting, you just need to be careful to follow directions for the chocolate caramel, as long as you do the rest is really super easy and it is a very nice not overly sweet frosting. Than you so much Amber.