Chocolate Orange Ganache

Chocolate Orange Ganache is sweet, smooth and super easy to make. It’s the perfect topping for a simple chocolate orange cake, a great way to make homemade truffles and a brilliant filling for a chocolate orange tart.

I love ganache. It’s so easy to make but tastes incredible. I went through a phase of covering all my cakes in ganache, and this chocolate orange version was a big favourite. 

What is Chocolate and Orange Ganache

Put simply, ganache is a sauce or glaze made from a combination of chocolate and cream. 

It’s sweet, sticky and delicious. Warm ganache is pourable, making it perfect for drizzling onto cakes and puddings. 

When cooled, ganache sets to a firmer consistency, ideal for spreading or even piping for a rich, smooth cake topping. 

Why I Love Chocolate Orange Ganache

I love all the ganache, but orange is extra special!

• Orange chocolate ganache is super versatile, and you can use it for tons of things. 
• It’s one of the easiest things to do with chocolate. 
• Ganache is perfect for a chocolate orange drip. 
• Adding a chocolate orange ganache is an easy way to elevate a chocolate cake or pudding. Add it to store-bought cakes for something unique. 

Ingredients For Chocolate Orange Ganache

To make an easy orange chocolate ganache, you need:

Chocolate Orange 

Dark Chocolate 

Double Cream – or heavy cream. 

You can also add some orange zest for a stronger orange flavour. 

You’ll Also Need

I use a small saucepan to heat my cream and then a heatproof bowl to melt it all together. 

You’ll also need a chopping board and a sharp knife to chop your chocolate. 

How to Make Chocolate Orange Ganache – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Chop the chocolate into small pieces or fine shards. 

Step Two

Place in a heatproof bowl. 

Step Three

Pour the cream into a small saucepan and gently heat over medium heat on the hob. Stir constantly, and don’t let the cream catch to the bottom of the pan. 

Step Four

Bring the cream to a simmer, but don’t let it boil. 

Step Five

Once it’s reached a simmer, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and leave to sit for 2 minutes.

People often stir it in, but I find that over mixing alters the texture. Leaving it to sit for 2 minutes means the finely chopped chocolate has almost melted before you stir, so you only need to mix a little. 

Step Six

Stir until it’s smooth and there are no lumps of chocolate. 

Top Tips

• Chop your chocolate into small shards if you can. They don’t have to be neat or even, but the smaller they are, the less mixing you have to do. 
• Don’t let the cream boil. Take your time. 
• Try not to over-mix. 
• What you do with your ganache next depends on how you want to use it and the consistency you need. You can pour warm ganache straight away, but for a spreadable consistency, leave it to cool. See below for more tips. 

What to do with Chocolate Orange Ganache

What you do next will depend on how you want to use your ganache. 

Toppings

You could pour on to the top of pancakes, fruit or a chocolate orange cake that you are ready to serve. In which case, you want it warm and pourable, so you should pour it straight over. 

Add some orange zest or thin curls of orange peel for extra decoration. 

Decoration

If you are using your ganache to top a chocolate orange ganache cake, you might want to put it into the fridge to cool until it’s a spreadable or pipeable consistency. It thickens as it cools, giving you more options. 

If you want a mousey ganache, cool completely, whip and use it as a cream for with cake or to top other puddings. 

Chocolate Orange Tart

For a ganache tart, pour it into the pastry case when it’s cooled slightly, and then leave to set overnight in the fridge. 

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Truffles are effectively made from ganache. 

You melt the chocolate and cream together before leaving them to set in the fridge (or even the freezer). 

Then, you scoop out balls and roll them until they are even before setting them again in the fridge. You can roll them in melted chocolate or cocoa powder to finish. 

When I make chocolate orange truffles, I use Terry’s Chocolate Orange for the balls. I then dip my ganache balls in dark chocolate and leave them to harden in the fridge. Then, I melt some white chocolate with orange food colouring before drizzling over the truffles to decorate.  

There’s so much that you can do with ganache. 

I let it thicken and spread it onto a simple sponge, like my chocolate orange loaf cake, or my easy chocolate sponge. You could also use it to top chocolate orange brownies.

Chocolate Orange Pots

My kids love simple chocolate pots. We buy the Aldi Version, but you can get dairy milk ones, too. 

Chocolate Orange Ganache Pots are a great alternative. 

They are basically set ganache in a little plastic pot. They make a super simple pudding, and chocolate orange pots are easy to make at home. 

If you don’t want your chocolate orange pots to set too hard, increase the cream by 100ml to make your ganache. 

Then, pour it into small pots (old Gu containers are perfect) and leave it in the fridge to set overnight. Grate on some dark chocolate, or add a dollop of whipped cream for a nice finish. 

Variations

Milk Chocolate Orange Ganache

Dark chocolate orange ganache is rich and smooth. If you prefer the sweeter flavour of milk chocolate orange, skip the dark chocolate and reduce the cream by 45ml to keep the 1:1 ratio. 

Whipped Ganache

You can also whip chocolate and orange ganache into a thick, fluffy consistency, almost mousse-like, which can be great for filling cakes. 

To whip ganache, leave to cool completely before whipping with an electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until it’s fluffy. 

Boozy Chocolate Orange Ganache

Use Grand Marnier ganache for a boozy twist. Stick to a 1:1 ratio, replacing 30ml cream with 30ml Grand Marnier. 

I prefer Grand Marnier ganache with dark chocolate instead of chocolate orange, but it’s up to you.

White Chocolate Orange Ganache

White chocolate can be a bit temperamental when it melts and is more likely to seize when melting. 

But melting it by pouring over warm cream is a very safe and easy way. 

To make a white chocolate orange ganache, use a white chocolate orange or add orange juice to regular white chocolate and follow this recipe. 

Leftovers

If you’ve got more ganache than you need, use the rest for one of the ideas above. Or dip breadsticks in it. Or, you know, a spoon!

Storage

Leftover ganache can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Or frozen for up to two months. 

If you need it pourable after this, warm it in short bursts in the microwave or over low heat in a saucepan on the hob. 

FAQ

What is the Difference Between Ganache and Icing?

In the UK, icing is made with icing sugar and is a very sweet cake topping. We have various icings, from soft buttercream to stiff royal icing, with lots in the middle. 

Ganache gets all its sweetness from the chocolate and usually contains no added sugar. When set, it can be thick like buttercream but warm. It’s more of a drizzle or sauce.

Other Recipes 

If you like this chocolate orange ganache recipe, you might also want to try:

• Bailey’s Ganache
• White Chocolate Ganache
• Nutella Ganache
• Coffee Buttercream
• Bailey’s Buttercream
• Nutella Buttercream
• Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

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