Chef Sébastien Curtalin is a head pastry chef at Valrhona in Tain-L’Hermitage, France, where the company is headquartered. Here, I’ve translated from French and adapted his Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache recipe from one of the demos he presented in French. Chocolate ganaches can be formulated in a way that allows them to be whipped into a light, creamy texture (opposite of their usual dense texture), similar to what you might describe as either delicate chocolate buttercream or rich chantilly cream (note: not all chocolate ganaches can be whipped; some will break down if you attempt to whip them). Making a whipped ganache requires planning ahead, as they have to be chilled for several hours to whip properly. I love this recipe!

Makes 1 3/4 cups

3 oz (85 g) Premium dark chocolate, such as Valrhona Guanaja 70% cacao or other dark chocolate near the same percentage cacao

1 1/3 cups (315 g) Heavy whipping cream, divided

1 1/2 tsp (10 g) Honey, preferably mild flavored, such as acacia

In a small bowl or a glass measuring cup, gently melt the chocolate (do not let it get too hot).

Heat 1/2 cup minus 2 teaspoons (105 g) of the cream with the honey (ensure the remaining cream stays cold). Add the hot cream mixture to the melted chocolate in three additions, stirring with a silicone spatula until blended after each addition. Ensure the mixture is fully blended, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no streaks of chocolate remain.

Add the remaining cold cream and stir until fully blended (a whisk works great).

Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, until thickened; it will have the consistency of a melted milkshake. Scrape the cold ganache into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy and holds peaks. Pipe or spread as needed. Keep chilled.

Chef Zach’s Notes:

In the photo, this ganache is used as the piped topping.
The ganache is delicate and therefore susceptible to warm room temperatures if it sits out too long.
In Chef Sébastien’s demo, he used Valrhona Millot 74%, but here I’ve changed it to the more commonly found Valrhona Gaunaja 70%.