The difference between ganache and cream

Nowadays there is a vast number of recipes for cake and pastry garnishes as well as pastry fillings, and we hear more and more about chocolate ganache and cream. But we have to be careful as these two terms are not interchangeable: we are not talking about the same preparations. So let’s try to clarify and explain the differences between ganache and cream.

Chocolate cream: the different types of pastry cream

In the world of pastry there are many types of pastry cream and chocolate cream is one of them: when we talk about cream, we are referring to a mixture made with milk, eggs, flour and sugar. Pastry cream is one of the classic recipes in the world of pastry making and it is used as a filling, cake topping or as a spoon dessert, and there are many versions to satisfy everyone’s palate.

We can find vegan and gluten-free pastry cream, or we can add a touch of flavour to the base recipe by adding fruit and spices, such as cinnamon.

However, the type loved by everyone, both young and old, is obviously chocolate, whether dark, milk or white.

Parisian cream: the sweet encounter between cream and chocolate

Parisian cream is commonly known by the French term “ganache”, which means “fool”. This name is linked to the discovery of this cream: tradition has it that ganache was created from the mistake of a French pastry chef, who accidentally poured boiling cream onto chocolate. The pastry chef was thus nicknamed “fool” and since then the term has passed to the cream itself.

To date, ganache cream is the basis of pastry making and is a mixture made with cream and chocolate with a touch of butter: it should therefore not be confused with chocolate cream.

It can be used both for filling cakes and covering cakes, and many types have been created: the most used is obviously chocolate ganache, but we can make a vegan ganache by replacing the fresh cream with a water and sugar syrup or we can flavour it with by infusing with spices, alcohol or fruit. Examples include the forest fruits ganache, made with white chocolate, or the coffee ganache. In short, depending on the final use, you can indulge yourself with personalised combinations: for a more frothy mixture, you need to work the whipped ganache with an electric mixer; for a smooth and uniform cream in a short time, Nutella ganache will instead be the perfect chocolate covering.

The RivaReno laboratories offers three different ganaches to win everyone’s heart: dark chocolate, white chocolate and coffee ganache. All three versions are made with high quality ingredients and are always freshly prepared. The result? Three fresh, velvety creams with an intense flavour: real delicacies for the palate, try them and find out!