Fudge vs. Ganache. When you imagine a thick, rich, chocolatey dessert are you thinking of fudge or ganache? It’s easy to mistake one for the other considering they are both luscious treats, they’re both made by melting chocolate, and they feature plenty of the same ingredients. Plus, you often hear about both when baking brownies.
Enjoying Both Fudge and Ganache Chocolate
But at their core, these are two distinct delicacies. To figure out what makes each one unique, first, we’ll take a look at how we typically enjoy them.
Fudge is a dessert in its own right, typically cut into squares and enjoyed as finger food. Ganache, on the other hand, is a liquid garnish that is typically drizzled over brownies, cakes, and other treats as a finishing touch. While it may harden into a rich solid as it cools, you wouldn’t usually eat it by itself (although if you do enjoy ganache by the spoonful, no judgment there). While both of these chocolatey delights have a simple ingredient list, they achieve their tastes and textures in different ways.
What Is Fudge?
Fudge is a type of candy that comes in various flavors, like dark chocolate raspberry and salted caramel. The essential ingredients in homemade fudge are butter, sugar, a dairy ingredient, and flavorings. Traditional fudge is cut into squares and eaten as candy. Hot fudge, often used as a topping for ice cream, includes corn syrup to achieve its drippy consistency, making it perfect for adding a rich, chocolatey layer to your favorite frozen desserts.
The true origins of fudge are somewhat mysterious, with stories from American and Scottish folklore. In 1888, a student at Vassar College in New York made fudge using her friend’s cousin’s recipe and sold it at a fundraiser, making it popular among women’s colleges. Another tale suggests that fudge may have been adapted from tablet, a Scottish candy with similar ingredients.
What Is Ganache?
Ganache is best thought of as a smooth glaze with a drippy consistency, perfect for drizzling over brownies, cakes, and other treats. However, it can also be used between cake layers as a filling or a base layer for cupcakes and pastries. It makes the perfect chocolate frosting. Ganache ingredients are typically easier to find, usually just chocolate and heavy cream.
Origins of Ganache trace back to a 1920 pastry chef named Georges Auguste Escoffier, whose assistant accidentally mixed chocolate and cream, creating the delicious glaze.
Making Fudge
Fudge has just a slightly longer ingredient list compared to ganache. It can be simple or complex to make. There are various methods for making it, each with different levels of complexity. The easiest recipes use simple ingredients like chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk – not evaporated milk as it doesn’t have the sugars. Along with butter and sugar, melted together and spread in a pan to harden. Microwave methods can simplify the process further. More complex recipes require a candy thermometer to heat sugar to an exact temperature, resulting in smooth fudge.
More elaborate recipes call for a candy thermometer and are argued to yield a superior texture. These versions require heating the sugar to the right temperature, usually 238 degrees Fahrenheit. Then simmering it without stirring to prevent sugar crystals from forming. It demands a bit more attention, but aficionados promise a creamy, velvety dessert as the ultimate reward.
I make an old-fashioned fudge recipe that uses marshmallow fluff. It’s such an easy no-fail tasty dessert.
Making Ganache
Ganache is simpler to make, usually involving dark chocolate or milk chocolate and heavy cream in equal parts. Heat the cream to a simmer and pour it over chopped chocolate. Stir the mixture as the chocolate softens, forming a thick, smooth glaze. For best results, if the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, cover the bowl to trap the warmth and ensure a smooth blend.
Variations can include milk to chocolate ratios. Make a white chocolate ganache using white chocolate chips.
Mix-ins and Uses
Ganache is typically limited to liquid mix-ins like extracts, liqueurs, and syrups, or spices and herbs. Fudge allows for chunkier additions like peanut butter and other nut butters, chopped nuts, peppermint candy, and more, making it versatile for various occasions.
Versatility of Ganache
Ganache can be used immediately as a glaze, chilled for a firmer consistency, or whipped into a frosting. Different chocolate-to-cream ratios yield different textures, suitable for various dessert applications.
With a 1:1 chocolate-to-cream ratio, you’ll get a drippy consistency ideal for glazing cupcakes, brownies, cakes, cheesecakes, crepes, pancakes, and cookies. Drizzle it on while still warm to avoid hardening. If you have leftovers, let them come to room temperature on the counter.
For a thicker ganache, use a 2:1 chocolate-to-cream ratio and chill it. This works well for filling pastries, cookies, cupcakes, or cakes, and making truffles. To make whipped ganache, bring the mixture to room temperature and whip with electric beaters until light and fluffy. We like to frost our chocolate cake with a homemade ganache frosting.
Storing Fudge
You can store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Just place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
However, for longer storage, refrigerate fudge in an airtight container for up to a month.
Freeze fudge wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Storing Ganache
Ganache can be stored at room temperature for up to two days if it contains cream. Store ganache in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature or gently warm before use.
Freeze it for longer storage
Freeze ganache in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature or gently reheat before using.
Fudge vs Ganache
In summary, both fudge and ganache are delicious, tasty desserts with distinct characteristics. Fudge is a standalone chocolate dessert with a rich history and versatile mix-ins. While ganache can be a glaze or filling with a simpler preparation process.
