Substitutions for heavy cream in ganache?
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kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
My thought is - it's for the holidays so use the heavy cream. BUT, I for one don't know if you can sub anything else because I don't bake, really. Someone will come along to answer your question before too long though.
True chocolate ganache is chocolate and cream, or chocolate and milk+butter. If you want it to be a ganache - no lightening it up I'm afraid. You could use milk - but it will not be the same. Of course, there are other chocolate cake icing options that are not as rich.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
How many servings does the recipe make? Seems like it would be less than 1/4 cup per serving - not so bad when you look at it that way
BarbieDawl
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2007
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- 13
When I bake, I use canned milk instead of heavy cream. I really can't tell the difference.
Jeekinz
Washing Up
Right next to the heavy cream is light cream.
It substitutes very well.
It substitutes very well.
Rock LaRue
Cook
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
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- 58
It's for the holidays as kitchenelf said. Not only should you use heavy cream, but you should also add a 1/2lb. of butter to the recipe.
ChefJune
Master Chef
heeheehee!It's for the holidays as kitchenelf said. Not only should you use heavy cream, but you should also add a 1/2lb. of butter to the recipe.
Is your real name Paula Deen?
Rock LaRue
Cook
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- 58
Nah, I just know what's good.heeheehee!
middie
Chef Extraordinaire
It's for the holidays as kitchenelf said. Not only should you use heavy cream, but you should also add a 1/2lb. of butter to the recipe.
ONLY 1/2 ????????????? Sheesh I was thinking a whole pound or 2
Rock LaRue
Cook
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ONLY 1/2 ????????????? Sheesh I was thinking a whole pound or 2
The other half pound is in the cake.Will it whip up?
Love this forum and thanks to all you guys trying to lighten up my ganache. I know I should just go for it but since I am a personal trainer I always have to explore the other lighter possiblitites. Question for those of you that suggested light cream or canned milk will they whip up like heavy cream??
Love this forum and thanks to all you guys trying to lighten up my ganache. I know I should just go for it but since I am a personal trainer I always have to explore the other lighter possiblitites. Question for those of you that suggested light cream or canned milk will they whip up like heavy cream??
Jeekinz
Washing Up
I can't bake if my life depended on it, but I did swap heavy for light in a weird mac & cheese recipe once. Came out great. Nice and creamy but not as heavy.
college_cook
Head Chef
Light cream MIGHT be ok for the icing. A big part of what holds the ganache together is all the fat in the cream. If you just need a substitute icing you might want to just look into something else altogether. A powdered sugar-based chocolate icing might be less in fat, but will still have tons of sugar, obviously.
You could try a ganache with 1/2 and 1/2 or whole milk or something, but the problem you might run into is the chocolate seizing up because of all the water instead of fat. You'd have to use a good deal less liquid to chocolate if you tried to substitute one of these, I think, and that's where you might run into your seizing problems.
Of course another option might just be to serve hot melted chocolate on top of the cake when you serve it. No cream at all that way.
You could try a ganache with 1/2 and 1/2 or whole milk or something, but the problem you might run into is the chocolate seizing up because of all the water instead of fat. You'd have to use a good deal less liquid to chocolate if you tried to substitute one of these, I think, and that's where you might run into your seizing problems.
Of course another option might just be to serve hot melted chocolate on top of the cake when you serve it. No cream at all that way.
jpmcgrew
Executive Chef
I also was thinking seizing pouring straight chocolate on a cake will make the chocolate really hard or it will bloom unless it is tempered.Ganach is what it is decadent no doubt.If trying to lighten it up a cocoa based icing that you can pour might be an option but will never ever be like a sinfully delicious ganash.jpmcgrew
Executive Chef
Actually what kind of cake are you tying to make?
Three different recipes, courtesy of Cooking Light magazine, none of which require heavy cream:
Ganache:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ganache:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ganache:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ganache:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, chopped
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ChefJune
Master Chef
I've never subbed evaporated skim milk for heavy cream in ganache, but I often do in chowder, and it works fine. It's worth a try, I'd say.
Let us know how it comes out!
Let us know how it comes out!
