Earl Grey and White Chocolate Ganache

Made with white chocolate and cream infused with Earl Grey tea, this Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Because of its versatility, I find myself returning to this Earl Grey ganache recipe over and over again. Smooth, creamy, and reminiscent of a hot cup of Earl Grey tea, I love this ganache for frosting cakes and cupcakes, filling bon bons, piping into mini tartlets, or sandwiching between macaron shells.

Earl Grey Ganache Ingredients

• Whipping Cream – Whisked with melted white chocolate, the high fat content of whipping cream (or heavy cream, in the US) gives the Earl Grey-infused ganache its creamy texture. It’s good to have some extra whipping cream on hand to “top up” after straining. You’ll need 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) to whisk into the melted white chocolate.
• Earl Grey Tea – Earl Grey is a popular British tea with prominent notes of citrus and bergamot. I find that these flavors pair nicely with sweet pastry elements (especially chocolate); spices such as cinnamon and cardamom; and citrus fruits like lemon and orange. I first baked with Earl Grey tea during Superior Pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu London, where we made these Earl Grey and caramel éclairs. Since then, I’ve found a number of ways to utilize Earl Grey tea in my recipes, most often in rolled chocolate truffles and ganaches like this one. You can make this ganache with Earl Grey tea bags, or with loose leaf tea. I’ve tested it both ways, and find it easier to use loose tea. While the tea bags work, you’ll “lose” quite a bit of cream because of the absorbency of the bags.

• White Chocolate – I strongly suggest making this ganache with a good-quality white chocolate, such as Guittard, Callebaut, or Valrhona, rather than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that make them suited to baking than chocolatework. I’ve tested this recipe with Guittard Creme Francaise 31% white chocolate, Callebaut W2 28% white chocolate, and a chopped Belgian white chocolate. Note that the type of chocolate used will affect the consistency of the ganache, so you might need to adjust the cream-to-chocolate ratio slightly, depending on your intended application.
• Unsalted Butter – Softened butter creates a smooth, creamy ganache. I find that unsalted butter works best, but because white chocolate is very sweet, you can substitute salted in this recipe without much noticeable difference.
• Food Coloring – For colored ganache, you’ll need a few drops of blue and/or purple oil-based food coloring. Without it, the ganache will be a light brown color reminiscent of peanut butter. See my notes below.

Tinting the Ganache

You may or may not want to add food coloring to your ganache. Without it, the ganache will be light brown-tan in color, so it looks more like peanut butter than chocolate:

I usually like to add a few drops of blue and/or purple, which produces a ganache similar in color to the one pictured above. Remember that if you do choose to add food coloring, it’s best to use an oil-based color (often labeled “candy coloring”) to color your white chocolate, rather than a gel or water-based food coloring. Oil and water do not mix!

Tips and Tricks

• Use a mesh strainer. To remove the tea bags, pass the cream through a fine mesh strainer, then discard the tea.
• Whisk, whisk, whisk. Depending on the white chocolate you’ve chosen, this ganache might take a bit of whisking to come to the proper consistency. (The longer you whisk, the creamier and thicker the ganache will be. I prefer a thinner, more pipeable ganache for macarons, and something thicker if I’m frosting a cake.) To speed things along, you can place the bowl in the fridge, but do so very briefly and carefully, checking the consistency every minute or two.

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Earl Grey and White Chocolate Ganache

Recipe by becky

• Total Time1 hour
• Yield300 grams (approx. 1 1/4 cups) 1x

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An Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache recipe, ideal for frosting cakes and cupcakes, or for filling macarons.

Ingredients

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150 milliliters whipping cream (2/3 cup), plus more for topping up
12 grams (3 tablespoons) loose leaf Earl Grey tea, or 5 Earl Grey tea bags
200 grams good-quality white chocolate (7 ounces, or 1 1/4 cups)
15 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 tablespoon)
Purple or blue oil based food coloring (optional)

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Instructions

Combine the whipping cream and Earl Grey tea in a small saucepan.

Gently warm the cream over low heat. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour. (The longer the infusing time, the stronger the Earl Grey flavor will be.)

Pass the infused cream through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the tea bags and any loose bits of tea.

Weigh the infused cream into a clean saucepan. If necessary, “top up” with additional cream, re-weighing to 120 milliliters (1/2 cup).

Gently rewarm the infused cream until steaming.

Meanwhile, melt the chopped white chocolate over a bain marie, or double boiler.

Whisk the cream into the melted chocolate.

Whisk in the softened butter and the food coloring, if using.

Whisk until smooth and creamy. Spread or pipe as desired.

 

Equipment

Callebaut 28%

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loose leaf Earl Grey tea

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oil based food coloring

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• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Infusing Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Frostings and Fillings
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Sweets

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Allow time to infuse. To give this ganache its Earl Grey flavor, you’ll begin by infusing tea into the whipping cream. To do this, you’ll gently heat the cream, then remove from heat and allow the tea to infuse for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour. The longer you allow the tea to infuse, the stronger the Earl Grey flavor in your ganache will be.

To store: Store leftover ganache in the refrigerator for up to five days. Allow to come to room temperature before spreading, rolling, or piping.

Other Ganache Recipes You Might Enjoy

Raspberry and Ruby Chocolate Ganache
Classic Dark Chocolate Ganache

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!