White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

This White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Recipe was created specifically for White Forest Cake. It tastes like the inside of a chocolate truffle - so silky smooth that it literally melts on your tongue.

It's the perfect buttercream for White Forest Cake, but there are many other cakes that pair beautifully with this rich, white chocolate frosting. For example, it's crazy good on this simple One Layer Chocolate Almond Cake or a sinfully delicious dark chocolate Devil's Food Cake. The combination of decadent dark chocolate fudge cake and buttery white chocolate is exquisite.

White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream also pairs well with this rich Spice Cake. The combination of cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and white chocolate give the cake a flavor similar to a good chai latte.

Of course, white chocolate buttercream is perfect for a classic Vanilla Cake, because nearly every kind of frosting is delicious on vanilla cake.

But also, consider swapping out the traditional Cream Cheese Buttercream for White Chocolate Buttercream the next time you make Red Velvet Cake or Carrot Cake.

Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to whip up a batch of white chocolate buttercream:

1. Heavy whipping cream: It's important to make sure you are using heavy whipping cream, not table cream or light cream. Heavy whipping cream has a higher fat content that's crucial for this buttercream to come together.
2. White chocolate chips: You can also use white chocolate bars, cut into small pieces. Use as high-quality chocolate as you can find. I usually use Lindt White Chocolate.
3. Salt. Always and forever.
4. Vanilla extract: Be sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla extract which can give an unpleasant aftertaste to this buttercream. Depending on how you plan to use this buttercream, you can also use a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract, something I highly recommend when making White Forest Cake.
5. Salted butter: You can, of course, use unsalted butter if you like. The little bit of extra salt in salted butter is delicious in this buttercream. But, you can also use unsalted butter and then just add a pinch more salt. Be sure to taste the buttercream before adding more salt to determine whether you think it needs it. The level of salt in anything is a matter of personal preference.

*See recipe card for specific quantities of each of these ingredients.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Step #1: Melt the white chocolate with some cream to make white chocolate ganache.

Ganache is simply chocolate and cream, heated together so that the chocolate melts and blends into the cream. It's important to heat white chocolate very slowly and gently. If you heat white chocolate too quickly, or over high heat, it can seize up.

If this happens, there's nothing you can do but start over. So, it pays to be patient and heat it slowly. You can do this one of two ways: in the microwave or using a double boiler.

To use the microwave:

1. Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Heat it for 1 minute at 50% power. Remove the bowl and give it a stir.
3. Repeat this process until the chocolate is about 90% melted.
4. Remove the bowl from the microwave and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is cool.

To use a double boiler:

A double boiler is simply two pots, one slightly larger than the other so that the smaller pan (or bowl) can sit on the rim of the larger one without falling into the larger pan.

1. Add the chocolate and cream to a small saucepan or a heatproof bowl.
2. Fill another, slightly larger saucepan with a couple inches of water and set it on the stovetop over medium high heat.
3. Set the small saucepan over the saucepan with water; the goal is to have the small pan resting on the edges of the larger saucepan without falling all the way into the pan. If the small pan you're using is too small, set a mesh strainer into the pan, and set the small pan inside the mesh strainer.
4. As the water in the larger pan begins to boil, turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring the chocolate chips and heavy cream constantly, until the chocolate chips are 90% melted.
5. Remove the small saucepan from the heat and continue to stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted.

Tip! Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The ganache can also be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Step #2: Whip the White Chocolate Ganache.

Remove the ganache from the refrigerator and use an electric mixer to beat it at medium high speed until it gets nice and thick. This will take about 3 minutes

Step #3. Add the rest of the heavy whipping cream along with a bit of salt.

With the mixer running, slowly pour in the rest of the heavy whipping cream. Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of salt.

Keep beating until the mixture is thick enough to almost hold its shape.If you run a spoon through it, it will hold the line, but then slowly start to spread out.

Tip! What you have at this point is Whipped White Chocolate Ganache, which makes a perfectly delicious frosting all on its own. So, if you like, you can stop here and frost your cake with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache. Or, proceed to turn this into Buttercream.

Step #4: Add the vanilla extract.

Add the vanilla extract (and the almond extract, if using) and keep beating. As you do, something alarming will happen: the whipped ganache will break, separating into something that looks like cottage cheese.

Stay with me - this is ok.

Step #5: Add the butter.

With the mixer continuing to beat, slowly add the melted butter. Add about 1 teaspoon at a time of the butter until it has all been added. As you do, you will see the buttercream start to come together.

Continue to beat until the buttercream is smooth, creamy, and cohesive.

The buttercream is now ready to use. 

Tip! If, after 10 minutes of beating, the buttercream still looks a bit separated, melt another tablespoon or two of butter and add a bit more. Only add about 1 teaspoon of melted butter at a time, continuing to beat, until the buttercream comes together.

Useful equipment for making buttercream

To make the white chocolate ganache, you'll need a microwave safe bowl to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Or, you'll need a couple of saucepans - one small saucepan and one medium saucepan (or a medium saucepan and a heatproof bowl).

Other than that, the only equipment you need to make this buttercream is an electric mixer.

Using a stand mixer makes the whole process much, much easier because the mixer does all the work. But, you can also use a handheld mixer to make this buttercream.

How to store and freeze this buttercream

Store white chocolate ganache buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

It's important that the buttercream be at room temperature before using it to frost a cake. To bring it to room temperature, pull it from the refrigerator and allow it to sit on the countertop for a couple of hours. Re-beat the buttercream using an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to ensure it's completely smooth and creamy.

You can also gently bring it to room temperature in the microwave, but be careful to not get it too warm. Heat it at 50% power for 30 seconds at a time. Remove the bowl from the microwave and use a spoon to break up the buttercream and stir it around.

Repeat until about 50% of the buttercream is softened, then dump it into a mixing bowl and beat until it's smooth and cohesive.

White chocolate ganache buttercream can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight then follow the instructions above to bring it to room temperature and re-beat it before using.

FAQs and expert tips

More recipes for white chocolate lovers

If you love white chocolate, these brown butter white chocolate chip cookies and colossal white chocolate raspberry cookies are going to be right up your alley.

And these malted white chocolate sandwich cookies filled with creamy halva buttercream and drizzled with white and dark chocolate are, in my opinion, the perfect holiday cookies. But, of course, don't let that stop you from making them any time of the year.

And this pumpkin chocolate chip bread glazed falls somewhere between a decadent quick bread and soft, chocolate-studded pumpkin cake. In addition to being covered in a white chocolate glaze, these pumpkin loaves include some melted white chocolate in the batter.