I’m not trying to sell it to you, but let me just lay it out there: 1) This white chocolate ganache only needs two ingredients, that’s it. 2) It comes together in under 10 minutes; even less if you simply pull the ingredients out of the fridge beforehand. 3) You can adjust it and apply it three different ways to specifically suit whatever you’re pairing it with. 4) Do I need to say more?

I’ve been making this white chocolate ganache recipe forever whenever I need a smooth, glossy topping, but somehow I never shared it on the site! Naturally, I had to change that. It’s such a simple recipe, but if you’ve ever tried making it without guidance, you know it can be trickier than it looks the first few times.

Since you are here and love ganache recipes and sweet treats like it, check out this 7 Secrets to Make Store-Bought Frosting Better, this Heart Valentine’s Day Cookie Cake, this Chocolate Cheesecake Mini Recipe, these Small Batch baked Chocolate Donuts, or these 5-minute Air Fryer Donuts.

What are the three different ways to use white ganache frosting?

The first way is drip-style. It’s used slightly warm so that it has a thin and pourable consistency that’s fluid enough to create perfect drips down the side of the cake. I used this method when making my red white and blue bundt cake. It creates a beautiful thick layer of ganache on every slide.

The second way is to use it as a filling or a spread. It’s basically just ganache that has thickened while being cooled to room temperature. This one goes so well on cakes, cupcakes, blondies, or even brownies. It’s perfectly sweet and has tons of white chocolate flavor.

The third method is whipped white chocolate ganache. This one has a soft and airy texture because it incorporates air bubbles. In this version, you chill the ganache just until slightly firm but not hard, then whip with a hand mixer or stand mixer until fluffy. This one is my personal favorite especially for decorating cakes and cupcakes 🙂 It creates beautiful swirls when using a piping tip.

How to decide which one to use?

• Use white chocolate drip ganache when you want a thin, glossy glaze. This can be used for icing cookies, donuts, scones, and bundt cakes.
• Use a spreadable white chocolate ganache when you need a creamy layer of filling. It’s perfect as a middle filling between layers of chocolate cake, a perfect crumbl coat for layered cakes, or as a topping for brownies.
• Use a whipped ganache as you would a regular buttercream. Frosting your cakes and cupcakes with this whipped topping will add an extra boost of flavor that you wouldn’t usually get.

Ingredients for this white chocolate ganache recipe

Here are the ingredients you will need to make the best white chocolate ganache recipe for drip cake. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements. 

• Pure White Chocolate Bar: is the main ingredient that provides the sweet base and rich flavor of the ganache.
• Heavy Cream: gently melts the chocolate and stabilizes the ganache.

Recipe Note: Traditional chocolate ganache has a 3:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. Knowing this, you can increase or decrease the amount of ganache you need depending on what you’re using it for. You can also change the spreadable consistency by playing around with different ratios. Such as increasing or decreasing the heavy cream to 1.5 or 0.5 per three parts chocolate. Just keep in mind that white chocolate had a lower melting point and lower cocoa solids so it can become runny easily.

How to make a easy white chocolate ganache recipe for cake

This is how to make white chocolate ganache with heavy cream. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the total time and complete step-by-step instructions! 

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat cream in a small saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave until it’s hot and steamy, but not boiling.
3. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate, make sure it is fully covered, and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring to allow the chocolate to soften.
4. Using a spatula or whisk, slowly mix the melted white chocolate until the ganache is smooth and shiny.
5. If there are still small pieces of unmelted chocolate, heat the mixture in the microwave in short 10-second bursts, stir after each, until you have a smooth emulsion.

Tips and Tricks for the best results

• Use a good quality chocolate with a high cocoa butter content for the best ganache flavor.
• Be careful not to overheat the heavy whipping cream as it can ruin the smooth texture. It should steam but not boil. Using the microwave requires more attention because it can easily get too hot too quickly. You want to aim for a cream temperature of 180F.
• Chop the chocolate into small pieces before mixing so that they melt more evenly and you don’t end up overheating the entire mixture just to melt one or two large chunks.
• Let the un-stirred mixture of chocolate and hot cream sit for a couple of minutes. This helps the chocolate melt evenly and helps to avoid a grainy ganache.

Why do you need to make this recipe?

• This white chocolate ganache recipe for cupcakes or cakes only requires two ingredients that you either already have or can find at any grocery store.
• it’s a great thing to use in place of chocolate fudge drizzle or buttercream frosting, and it would add so much extra flavor.
• You can customize it by adding flavors or colors to make it the perfect ganache for you. Make sure that you use oil based colors for this recipe so that you don’t affect the final texture.
• The best part is that it comes together effortlessly and instantly impresses all of your guests.

Frequently asked questions – FAQ

Can I use chips instead of bar form?

White chocolate bars might yield a creamier result, while white chocolate chips usually contain emulsifiers that could make the ganache more firm. Overall though, the type of chocolate form used shouldn’t matter as much as the quality of the white chocolate and it having real cocoa butter and milk solids.

What brand of white chocolate should I use?

For me personally, I like Guittard, Ghirardelli, Valrhona, Toney’s or Lindt when I’m looking for the best quality white chocolate.

Can I use white candy melts instead?

No, I wouldn’t because you won’t have the great flavor and you would have a waxy texture instead of the correct consistency. Plus at the end of they day those aren’t made with real chocolate. You can use white chocolate callets which are used at high end bakeries for this though!

How do I store the leftover white chocolate ganache recipe?

Place your leftover ganache in an airtight container and store that in the fridge or freezer. It should last for at least 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it for up to a month or two. If you do freeze it, lay a piece of plastic wrap flush over the surface of the ganache and up the sides of the container before closing the lid to keep out the air.

How do I fix a broken ganache?

If your ganache looks greasy or is grainy, it’s not the end of the world and can be fixed easily. Try whisking in a little bit of warm cream or a cube of softened butter, and it should correct the issue. Another thing that helped me immensely is re-emulsifying the mixture using an immersion blender.

How do I make this ganache thicker or thinner?

For a thicker ganache, use less cream or add more chocolate in the mixture.

For a thinner ganache, use more cream or less chocolate in the mixture. Be careful not to add too much cream or else the ganache will be too runny.

What can I add to this smooth and glossy white chocolate ganache recipe?

• Add food coloring gel for a fun and festive visual pop. You can do red, white, and blue for the 4th of July or red and green for Christmas.
• Add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter for a nutty flavor.
• Make a dark chocolate ganache or regular chocolate ganache by substituting the white chocolate bar with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate. Make sure the chocolate has real cocoa solids.

The Best White Chocolate Ganache Recipe