I’m excited to share my White Chocolate Caramel Ganache, a luscious blend of French salted butter caramel and silky white chocolate that yields a thick, fluffy filling perfect for cakes and cupcakes.

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I had this idea to turn white chocolate and French salted butter caramel into something that looks fancy but is actually easy, and I kept messing with textures until it felt right. I call it my White Chocolate Caramel Ganache because that name sounds legit, and yes it fluffs up into a dreamy cloud.

This Whipped Caramel Ganache Recipe made me stop buying premade stuff, its texture is thick but airy and it makes any cake or cupcake taste like you worked way harder than you did. I can’t wait for you to taste the little secret that holds it all together.

Ingredients

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White chocolate: mainly sugar and cocoa butter, little protein, makes ganache super sweet
Heavy cream: rich in fat and calories adds silkiness and body few carbs small protein
Salted butter caramel: pure sugar and butter very sweet adds deep caramel notes salty balance
Unsalted butter: concentrated milk fat helps texture and mouthfeel provides richness vitamin A
vanilla extract: tiny calories no nutrients but it rounds flavors tempers extreme sweetness
Flaky sea salt: just sodium zero calories makes flavors pop and cuts through sweetness
Good chocolate: higher cocoa butter melts smoother less sugary improves texture a lot

Ingredient Quantities

12 oz (340 g) good quality white chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream

1/2 cup (120 g) French salted butter caramel (store bought or homemade)

2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but i’d use it)

Pinch to 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, more to taste

How to Make this

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1. Finely chop the 12 oz white chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl; have the 1/2 cup French salted butter caramel and 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp nearby, and measure the cream and salt.

2. Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream until steaming and tiny bubbles form at the edges but do not boil (microwave 30-45 seconds or warm on the stove).

3. Pour the hot cream over the chopped white chocolate, let sit 1 to 2 minutes so the chocolate softens, then slowly stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy.

4. Stir in 1/2 cup salted butter caramel, then add the 2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp) and 1 tsp vanilla if you want (i’d use it); keep stirring until fully incorporated and shiny.

5. Add a pinch up to 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, taste and adjust — start small, you can always add more.

6. If you see lumps or graininess, warm the bowl briefly over a pot of simmering water while stirring, or push the ganache through a fine mesh strainer to smooth it.

7. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to stop a skin forming, cool to room temp, then chill in the fridge until the ganache is thick but still scoopable — usually 1 to 2 hours (or about 30-45 minutes in the freezer if you’re rushed, but watch it).

8. Transfer the chilled ganache to a mixer bowl and whip on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes; scrape the bowl once or twice. Don’t overwhip or it will get grainy and stiff.

9. If it breaks or seems too loose, add 1 tablespoon warm cream and whisk gently to bring it back; if too stiff, chill briefly then whip again.

10. Use right away to fill cakes or pipe onto cupcakes, or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days; bring to room temp and re-whip briefly before using.

Equipment Needed

1. Chef’s knife
2. Cutting board
3. Heatproof bowl (glass or metal)
4. Small saucepan or microwave-safe measuring cup for heating cream
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Rubber/silicone spatula for stirring and scraping
7. Whisk
8. Fine-mesh strainer for smoothing lumps
9. Stand mixer or hand mixer with mixing bowl
10. Plastic wrap to cover the ganache surface

FAQ

What exactly is whipped salted caramel ganache and how is it different from regular ganache?

It’s a white chocolate ganache blended with salted butter caramel then whipped until light and fluffy. Unlike a pourable ganache, this one is aerated so it’s spreadable and pipeable like a frosting, with a salty sweet caramel punch.

Can I swap the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate?

You can, but expect flavor and texture changes. Milk or dark will be less sweet and firmer when set. If you use dark, taste as you go and maybe cut back on added caramel so it’s not too intense.

My ganache is grainy or looks split, how do I fix it?

Try gently warming it and stirring to re-emulsify. For graininess from overheating white chocolate, add a little warm cream slowly and stir until smooth. If it’s split, cool to room temp then beat it slowly to bring it back together.

How do I get the best whipped texture for piping or spreading?

Chill the ganache until it’s thick but still soft, then whip with a mixer in short bursts. Don’t whip while it’s hot or it will stay runny, and don’t overwhip or it’ll turn dense. If it gets too stiff, let it sit at room temp a bit then whip again.

How long can I store it and what’s the best way to re-use it?

Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 7 days. For longer, freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring to room temp and rewhip briefly before using.

Can I use store bought caramel or do I need to make it from scratch?

Store bought is totally fine and saves time. Just choose a good quality French salted butter caramel for best flavor. If you make your own, cool it a bit before folding into the chocolate so you dont seize the white chocolate.

Whipped Salted Caramel Ganache Recipe Substitutions and Variations

White chocolate: swap for good quality milk chocolate if you want less sickly sweet and a more classic chocolate note, or use vegan white chocolate (cocoa butter based) for a dairy free option.
Heavy cream: use full fat canned coconut milk (chill and scoop the thick cream) for dairy free, or approximate heavy cream by mixing 3/4 cup whole milk with 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter to make 1 cup.
French salted butter caramel: replace with dulce de leche plus a pinch of flaky sea salt, or use store bought caramel sauce and stir in 1/8 to 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt to taste.
Unsalted butter: swap for salted butter but cut back on the extra flaky salt, or use a high fat vegan butter if you need a non dairy swap.

Pro Tips

1) If it goes grainy or looks broken, dont panic. Add 1 tablespoon warm cream and whisk gently, or blitz it for a few seconds with an immersion blender then strain if you need extra smoothness. Warmth fixes most problems, but dont keep heating or you’ll mess up the chocolate.

2) Use a cold metal bowl and cold beaters when you whip it, and only chill the ganache until it is scoopable not rock hard. That little extra chill helps it aerate faster so you can get lightness without overwhipping, and if it ever gets too stiff just let it sit at room temp a few minutes then whip again.

3) Small hacks for shine and texture: a teaspoon of light corn syrup or a spoon of glucose syrup will make the ganache glossier and smoother, and a few drops of vanilla concentrates the flavor better than more sugar. Also, make sure the caramel is soft and room temp before you fold it in so it blends without clumps.

4) Keep everything dry and avoid stray steam or splashes of water around the chocolate, it will seize in a heartbeat. Cover the surface tightly with plastic so a skin doesnt form, and store chilled in an airtight container, then re-whip briefly at room temp just before using.

Whipped Salted Caramel Ganache Recipe

Recipe by Dave Simpson

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Calories

262

kcal

Equipment: 1. Chef’s knife
2. Cutting board
3. Heatproof bowl (glass or metal)
4. Small saucepan or microwave-safe measuring cup for heating cream
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Rubber/silicone spatula for stirring and scraping
7. Whisk
8. Fine-mesh strainer for smoothing lumps
9. Stand mixer or hand mixer with mixing bowl
10. Plastic wrap to cover the ganache surface

Ingredients

12 oz (340 g) good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (120 g) French salted butter caramel (store bought or homemade)
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but i'd use it)
Pinch to 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, more to taste

Directions

Finely chop the 12 oz white chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl; have the 1/2 cup French salted butter caramel and 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp nearby, and measure the cream and salt.
Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream until steaming and tiny bubbles form at the edges but do not boil (microwave 30-45 seconds or warm on the stove).
Pour the hot cream over the chopped white chocolate, let sit 1 to 2 minutes so the chocolate softens, then slowly stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy.
Stir in 1/2 cup salted butter caramel, then add the 2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp) and 1 tsp vanilla if you want (i'd use it); keep stirring until fully incorporated and shiny.
Add a pinch up to 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, taste and adjust — start small, you can always add more.
If you see lumps or graininess, warm the bowl briefly over a pot of simmering water while stirring, or push the ganache through a fine mesh strainer to smooth it.
Cover the surface with plastic wrap to stop a skin forming, cool to room temp, then chill in the fridge until the ganache is thick but still scoopable — usually 1 to 2 hours (or about 30-45 minutes in the freezer if you’re rushed, but watch it).
Transfer the chilled ganache to a mixer bowl and whip on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes; scrape the bowl once or twice. Don’t overwhip or it will get grainy and stiff.
If it breaks or seems too loose, add 1 tablespoon warm cream and whisk gently to bring it back; if too stiff, chill briefly then whip again.
Use right away to fill cakes or pipe onto cupcakes, or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days; bring to room temp and re-whip briefly before using.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.