This ruby chocolate ganache is a creamy indulgence and takes classic ganache to a new level! Ruby ganache has a naturally pink color, sweet, fruity taste, and decadently rich texture. It’s perfect to glaze, frost, and fill cakes, cupcakes, and other treats.
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Homemade ruby chocolate ganache
After sharing these delicious ruby chocolate chip cookies, I still had some left and thought to try my hand at another ruby chocolate recipe. And so, this pink ganache came to be.
Ruby ganache has a creamy texture and rich chocolate flavor that are indulgent and decadent in the best way. And though pink chocolate might be a splurge, the recipe requires only 2 ingredients and comes together in mere minutes.
I love ganache to dress up cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. However, ruby chocolate ganache is so good you might not care so much about any baked goods, but instead just grab a spoon and dive in.
When I researched for this post, I found that no dedicated recipe for ruby chocolate ganache exists on the internet. Time to change that! I hope you’ll love ruby chocolate ganache as much as I do and find my tips and instructions helpful.
What is ganache?
Ganache is a simple cream made from heavy cream and chocolate. Chocolate ganache can be used as a cake filling, frosting, and glaze. It’s also a great starting point to make desserts and truffles.
Classic ganache is usually prepared with white, milk, or dark chocolate, but my easy recipe uses ruby chocolate for a delicious pink chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
You’ll only need 2 ingredients for my ruby chocolate ganache recipe, cream and ruby chocolate. You could intensify the color with a few drops of pink food color, but that is entirely optional.
- Ruby chocolate is the star in this easy ganache recipe. The chocolate has a natural pink color and a fruity, slightly sour taste (a little like raspberries.) I recommend ruby chocolate chips because they melt smoothly and are easier to chop. Of course, you can also use a ruby chocolate bar to prepare this recipe. You can find more info on ruby chocolate below.
- Heavy cream: Be sure to use a cream with a fat content of 30% or greater – otherwise, the ganache won’t set once cooled. Heavy cream, whipping cream, and heavy whipping cream work great. Low fat cream (e.g., evaporated milk or half-and-half) is not suitable for ganache.
- Pink food coloring (optional): Ruby chocolate gives the ganache a soft pink color. If desired, you can accentuate the pink color with a few drops of pink gel food coloring.
What is ruby chocolate?
- What it is: Next to white, milk, and dark chocolate, ruby chocolate is 4th type of chocolate made from ruby cocoa beans and invented by Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut. It has a striking pink color and is sold in the form of bars and wafers.
- Taste: The aroma is similar to white chocolate but has a pronounced fruity note that tastes a little tangy and reminds me of berries. The texture and consistency are comparable to milk chocolate.
- Where to buy: Whole Foods is offering ruby chocolate bars, and Trader Joe’s is selling ruby cacao wafers, but availability might vary from market to market. The most convenient and accessible option is to order ruby chocolate online. You can find both ruby chocolate bars and ruby chocolate chips on places like Amazon. I highly recommend the ones from Callebaut.
How much cream to use in ruby chocolate ganache
If you have made ganache before, you probably already know that the amount of cream varies depending on the type of chocolate you’re using. For example, dark chocolate is firmer than white chocolate and requires more cream than a white chocolate ganache.
I experimented quite a bit with this recipe and found that a ratio of 3:1 ruby chocolate to cream works best overall. In case you want to make a ruby chocolate ganache glaze, you might get away with a 2:1 ratio.
How to make ruby chocolate ganache
The method to make ganache involves a few easy steps: chop the chocolate, heat the cream, combine and mix. Let’s look at each one and how they work to make ruby ganache!
Step 1: Chop ruby chocolate
- Chop the ruby chocolate into small pieces. The smaller the pieces are, the smoother the ganache will turn out. I recommend this step even for ruby chocolate chips.
- Put the hot chocolate into a medium-size mixing bowl.
Step 2: Heat heavy cream
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stovetop until warm and steamy but not boiling. Boiling cream can be too hot and split the chocolate, so you want to avoid that.
Step 3: Pour hot cream
- Pour the warm cream over the ruby chocolate in the mixing bowl.
- Use a spoon to push the chocolate under the cream.
Step 4: Let melt
- Let the bowl sit for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered to give the warm cream time to melt the chocolate.
Step 5: Mix
- Using a spatula or spoon, stir until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth and glossy. It may take a few minutes. Simply keep mixing until the melted chocolate and cream are thoroughly combined. Your ruby chocolate ganache is ready!
Tips for the best ruby chocolate ganache
If you’d like to know more about making ganache keep reading! I’m sharing my favorite tips to make this ganache recipe a guaranteed success.
- Heat the cream gently. You want the cream steaming and slightly simmering. Chocolate is fickle and can split or seize if you add boiling hot cream.
- Don’t use a whisk when mixing the chocolate ganache. Whisking will aerate the mixture and can lead to bubbles.
- Leave the ruby ganache uncovered as you let it sit. Otherwise, condensation will drip into the bowl and could cause the ruby chocolate to split.
- Fix lumpy or grainy ganache. If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, you’ll end up with a grainy or lumpy ganache. No worries though, there’s an easy fix: Warm the ganache in the microwave set to medium for 20 seconds, and then give everything a good stir.
- Adjust the consistency according to your needs. Ganache thickens as it cools. Warm, runny ganache is perfect as a dipping sauce or sauce for ice cream. Cooler, slightly thicker ganache is ideal as a glaze for cakes or cupcakes. Cooled ganache has a thick consistency similar to peanut butter, perfect to frost a cake. Chilling the ganache in the fridge overnight will result in a firm texture that you can roll into ruby chocolate truffles.
- Avoid making chocolate ganache on hot days. The ganache will not set and start to melt at temperatures above 85°F / 30°C.
Variations
- Whipped ruby chocolate ganache: Whipped ganache is fluffier and great for piping. To make it, beat the ganache with a mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until lighter and increased in volume.
- Flavor extracts: Feel free to aromatize your ruby chocolate ganache with baking extracts like vanilla extracts, strawberry extract, raspberry extract, or cherry extract. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
What do to with ruby chocolate ganache
Pink chocolate ganache is very versatile and goes well with all kinds of treats, from cakes to cupcakes to truffles and desserts. I’ve put together a few ideas you can try:
- Sauce for ice cream and desserts.
- Dip for fruits or churros.
- Glaze to pour over pound cake or dip cupcakes in.
- Frosting for cakes and treats.
- Filling for cookies, macarons, tarts, and other pastries.
- Rolling into truffles.
Storage instructions
- Room temperature: Ruby chocolate ganache can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, but only if the ambient temperature is below 70°F / 21°C.
- Fridge: The recipe will last in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezer: To freeze, transfer the ganache into an airtight container and put plastic wrap/cling film directly onto the surface. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow thawing in the fridge overnight.
Ruby Chocolate Ganache Recipe
This ruby chocolate ganache is a creamy indulgence and takes classic ganache to a new level! Ruby ganache has a naturally pink color, sweet, fruity taste, and decadently rich texture. It’s perfect to glaze, frost, and fill cakes, cupcakes, and other treats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 180 g / 6.3 oz ruby chocolate chips or ruby chocolate bar
- 1/4 cup / 60 g / 2 oz heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- pink food color (optional)
Instructions
- Chop ruby chocolate. Chop the ruby chocolate into small pieces. The smaller the pieces are, the smoother the ganache will turn out. I recommend this step even for ruby chocolate chips. Put the hot chocolate into a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Heat heavy cream. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stovetop until warm and steamy but not boiling. Boiling cream can be too hot and split the chocolate, so you want to avoid that.
- Pour hot cream. Pour the warm cream over the ruby chocolate in the mixing bowl. Use a spoon to push the chocolate under the cream.
- Let melt. Let the bowl sit for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered to give the warm cream time to melt the chocolate.
- Mix. Using a spatula or spoon, stir until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth and glossy. It may take a few minutes. Simply keep mixing until the melted chocolate and cream are thoroughly combined. Your ruby chocolate ganache is ready!
Notes
Tips for the best ruby chocolate ganache
If you’d like to know more about making ganache keep reading! I’m sharing my favorite tips to make this ganache recipe a guaranteed success.
- Heat the cream gently. You want the cream steaming and slightly simmering. Chocolate is fickle and can split or seize if you add boiling hot cream.
- Don’t use a whisk when mixing the chocolate ganache. Whisking will aerate the mixture and can lead to bubbles.
- Leave the ruby ganache uncovered as you let it sit. Otherwise, condensation will drip into the bowl and could cause the ruby chocolate to split.
- Fix lumpy or grainy ganache. If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, you’ll end up with a grainy or lumpy ganache. No worries though, there’s an easy fix: Warm the ganache in the microwave set to medium for 20 seconds, and then give everything a good stir.
- Adjust the consistency according to your needs. Ganache thickens as it cools. Warm, runny ganache is perfect as a dipping sauce or sauce for ice cream. Cooler, slightly thicker ganache is ideal as a glaze for cakes or cupcakes. Cooled ganache has a thick consistency similar to peanut butter, perfect to frost a cake. Chilling the ganache in the fridge overnight will result in a firm texture that you can roll into ruby chocolate truffles.
- Avoid making chocolate ganache on hot days. The ganache will not set and start to melt at temperatures above 85°F / 30°C.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
Can i use ruby ganache to form frost a cake thank you
Hi Rosie! Yes, you can use ruby chocolate ganache to frost cakes. Happy making!
Thank you for this! I just got ahold of some ruby chocolate, and want to make a ruby whipped cream filling for some choux au craquelin. Do you think it would hold up well inside the choux? I don’t want the filling to get too hard in the fridge.
Hi Dylan! Choux au craquelin with ruby chocolate sounds absolutely delightful! Ruby chocolate ganache does hold up well as filling. Still, ganache is on the firmer side of things and not as soft as pastry cream or other cream fillings. It also tends to firm up in the fridge.
If you like a velvety ruby chocolate pastry cream that stays soft and light, try the following recipe. It’s perfect to fill puff pastry.
INGREDIENTS
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
4 oz ruby chocolate, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until the milk starts to boil.
3. While whisking continuously, pour half of the milk over the egg mixture from step 1. Stir until combined, then pour everything back into the pot with the rest of the milk.
4. Place the saucepan back on the stove and warm over low heat and keep whisking until the mixture thickens. Once the mixture begins to boil (you will see bubbles) whisk for another 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
5. Using a spoon or spatula, stir in the finely chopped ruby chocolate until the chocolate has fully melted.
6. Cover the cream with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin form forming.
7. Cool in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
8. Once cool and set, the pastry cream will have a pipeable consistency, and you can fill it into your pastries.
Ruby chocolate tends to look pale in pastry cream. For a more vibrant color, add a few drops pink food coloring.
I hope this helps you out and please let me know how it goes. Happy baking!