ganache
Americannoun
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Pumpkin cake layered with a tart cream-cheese ganache, dipped in white chocolate and painted in orange sugar, from a celebrated confectioner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2025
Prix-fixe dishes change every three months, but feature magazine-worthy creations like The Bees’ Nest, made with toasted honey, Franco-Suisse meringue, vanilla pear, apple compote and whipped honey ganache — each paired with a beverage.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2025
They are then covered in chocolate ganache and modelling chocolate, before an airbrush pen is used to sculpt the characters.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2024
His smile made me feel like a puddle of ganache.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
