Cranberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe
This Cranberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe is the perfect icing or frosting for those who don’t enjoy a sweet typical buttercream. It’s light and airy like whipped cream but has the smoothness of a buttercream with an added depth of sour cranberry. This whipped ganache can be used in multiple ways. Use it to ice a cake, to pipe onto cupcakes, to top a cheesecake, use it as a filling for macarons, eat it by the spoonful or use to top a latte. This recipe makes enough to generously ice 9-10 cupcakes or enough to fill and top an 8 inch cake.
For more whipped ganache creations, check out my Blueberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, my White Chocolate Baileys Whipped Ganache Recipe, Rhubarb White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, my Peanut Butter White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, my Mango White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, my Blackberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, my Caramel White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe, Rose White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe and my Coffee Dark Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe.
So how do I make this Cranberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Recipe?
It’s actually super easy to make this cranberry white chocolate whipped ganache recipe!
Begin by making the cranberry puree. To do this, add your fresh or frozen cranberries to a small saucepan with some water. Heat this on medium heat until the cranberries start to soften and go mushy. Using a hand blender or a small food processor, puree up the cranberries till they release as much juice as possible. Press through a sieve and leave the puree to one side.
To make the ganache, begin by adding 150 grams of the cream, all the honey and white chocolate to a small saucepan. Heat on a low heat until the chocolate had fully melted. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream and cranberry puree. If you want, you can add a few drops of red food colouring now. Whisk briefly with a whisk and then using a hand blender, blend for 1-2 minutes until everything has fully emulsified. You will have small bubbles on the top of the ganache, this is normal.
Pour into an airtight container and pop into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
Once the ganache has totally cooled, pour it into a large mixing bowl. Whisk on medium with an electric whisk or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment added for 3-4 minutes until thick and pipe able. When whipped fully, chill it again for 5-10 minutes for easier piping.
The liquid ganache before whipping can be kept for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The whipped ganache is best used on the day it’s whipped but can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The Cranberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache can be whipped up again if it starts to deflate however it won’t be as stiff as the first day.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT WHIPPED GANACHE?
As I pointed out in my last whipped ganache recipes, there are a few things we can do to create a stable ganache that can be whipped.
One of these things is the addition of a high quality honey. My favourite to use is Healy’s Honey. It’s an Irish owned business and produces great quality honey. If you don’t want to use honey, I would substitute in golden syrup. The honey is important in this recipe because we need the inverted sugars to prevent crystallisation in the final product. Simply put, white chocolate tends to become grainy and the honey helps keep the whipped ganache smooth.
Similarly, we want to use a high quality white chocolate if possible. Cheap white chocolate tends to melt strangely and can leave an oily mouthfeel. It can also not provide the setting that we need to create a stiff, pipeable whipped ganache and may result in a whipped ganache that doesn’t fully hold it’s shape.
We also use a hand blender to combine all the ingredients once the white chocolate has melted. Using a hand blender really helps all the ingredients incorporate (emulsify) and prevents it from splitting. This ensures that when the ganache is whipped it stays smooth and stable.
We also want to allow the ganache to totally cool down before whipping it. Similar to whipped cream, the colder the fats are, the easier they can whip up and the smoother they will be. If you try to whip warmer cream it tends to take longer and become grainy. (Cooks Illustrated- With Whipped Cream, Temperature Matters)
If you happen to over whip your ganache, it may become grainy and look like it has curdled and split. It’s possible you either whipped it for too long or you didn’t wait for it to cool long enough before whisking. To fix an over whipped ganache, transfer it to a heat proof bowl. Place this bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of water in it. This is also called a bain marie. Heat up the water and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix the ganache. Allow it to melt fully before transferring to an airtight container. Chill the ganache well before attempting to whisk again.
When you first make the ganache and allow it to cool before whipping, the ganache will not set hard. This is because the ganache needs to be liquid enough to whip. A hard set ganache will not whip and aerate in the same way a more liquid ganache will.
No. Whipped ganache will not set hard or crust like a buttercream does. It is closer to whipped cream in texture and stability.
If your ganache isn’t starting to thicken while you whip it, it’s possible it’s still a little too warm. Ganache must be completely cold, similar to cream to get it to whip correctly.
Absolutely, you can! This recipe will and lightly frost an 8 inch sandwich cake. For a thick coating, consider doubling the recipe.
Yes. Whipped ganache has a stability similar to whipped cream. It is best kept in the fridge or a chilled temperature as much as possible.
As whipped ganache is similar to whipped cream, I would recommend not letting the whipped ganache sit at room temperature for over an hour. If you need to transport desserts with whipped ganache, I would advise you to leave the windows down or turn on your air conditioning to keep the whipped ganache cool. If you have a dessert with whipped ganache at a party, I would recommend keeping it in the fridge or a cool place until it is time to serve it.
For more Chocolate Recipes, check out my Chocolate Category, here.
If you’re interested in Cake Recipes to use this recipe with, why not take a peek at my Cake Category, here?
To see all my Whipped Ganache Frosting Recipes, have a look at my Whipped Ganache Frosting Category, here.
Cranberry White Chocolate Whipped Ganache
Equipment
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Hand blender
- 1 Airtight container
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Cranberry Puree
- 150 grams cranberries
- 100 grams water
Whipped Ganache
- 150 grams cream
- 100 grams white chocolate
- 50 grams honey
- 200 grams cream
- 60 grams cranberry puree
- 1-2 drops red food colouring optional
Instructions
Cranberry Puree
- Begin by adding the cranberries and water to a small saucepan.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat until the cranberries start to pop and soften.
- Using a hand blender or food processor, blend together until smooth.
- Press through a sieve to remove any lumps and leave to one side.
Whipped Ganache
- In a small saucepan, add the first amount of cream along with the honey and white chocolate.
- Heat on a low heat until the chocolate has melted.
- Remove from the heat and whisk together. Add in the second amount of cream along with the cranberry puree. You may also add 1-2 drops of red food colouring to get a strong pink colour, if desired.
- Using a hand blender, blend the ganache together until combined. A few bubbles may form, this is normal.
- Pour the ganache into an airtight container and chill in the fridge until chilled, at least 2 hours.
- Once the ganache has chilled, pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk until the ganache thickens and holds it's shape.
- To pipe, transfer to a large piping bag and place the piping bag back in the fridge for at least 10 minutes for help firm up.
- Leftover whipped ganache can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
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