ganache

American  

[guh-nahsh] / gəˈnɑʃ /

noun

1. a whipped frosting or filling made with semisweet chocolate and cream, used for cakes, pastries, and candies.

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ganache British  

/ ɡəˈnæʃ /

noun

1. a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, used in cakes, truffles, and chocolates

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Etymology

Origin of ganache

First recorded in 1810–15; from French “jaw; fool, unintelligent person,” from Italian ganascia “jaw,” from Greek gnáthos (compare gnathic ( def. ) )

Explanation

Ganache is a specific type of chocolate frosting or filling for pastries. To make ganache, pour heated cream over chopped chocolate and stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Warm ganache can be spread, dripped, or poured over cakes, into pie crusts, or even over ice cream. Cooled ganache can be rolled into balls to make chocolate truffles, a type of candy. The creamy mixture is said to have been created in France around 1850. According to the story, a chef's apprentice accidentally poured hot cream over chocolate and stirred it to hide his mistake. The chef called the apprentice — and the chocolate mixture — ganache, a French word meaning "imbecile."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ganache

The dishes themselves are constantly changing—past offerings have included a reimagined s’more made from an aerated dark-chocolate rock with graham-cracker ganache and burnt meringue, which was paired with strawberry amaro milk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

A giant vanilla cake with chocolate ganache was cut in dramatic fashion for the gala’s finale while guests mingled around the space hunting down a slice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

The cake contains a double chocolate ganache, dark chocolate sponge and a layer of dulce de leche - a caramel made of butter, milk and sugar with extra cream which is popular in Latin America.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2025

Indulge yourself with handcrafted, artisanal, small-batch chocolates, including yuzu pâte de fruit, sesame crunch, honey ganache and cinnamon zephyr ganache flavors.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

His smile made me feel like a puddle of ganache.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence