TECHNIQUE: THE PERFECT DRIP

When I first got into caking, drip cakes were having their moment—and I made plenty of them.

Looking back, the drip cake trend stands out as a bit of an anomaly. While many cake trends come and go—often with alarming speed—you’ll still see lots of drip cakes in your feed today.

The drip has endured. And I think the reason is pretty simple: the sight of rich chocolate running down the sides of a cake is irresistible. It appeals to the Augustus Gloop in all of us... who wouldn’t fall into a river of melted choccy, given half a chance?

"My Chocolate! My Beautiful Chocolate!"

I’ve mentioned before that recipes are not really something that I often provide on this site, (there are already loads of talented people doing that), but I believe the chocolate drip deserves an exception. It’s still a staple in novelty cakes and continues to be a crowd-pleaser.

A Quick Word on Candy Melts vs Chocolate (and why it matters!)

Real chocolate contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter—two essential ingredients for glossy, delicious drips. If you check the label on a packet of candy melts, you’ll usually find a fairly unappetising mix of sugar, milk powder, and vegetable or palm oils, with maybe a hint of cocoa powder thrown in to make them taste vaguely chocolatey. They're extremely sweet and often have a waxy texture that leaves your tongue and throat feeling weirdly coated. So, it’s usually quite obvious when candy melts have been used.

For me, candy melts are a no. Just no. They’re not chocolate. I don’t use them for drip cakes—or much else—because, frankly, they don’t taste very nice.

Even if you ignore the flavour issues (which you shouldn’t), the cheap fats used in candy melts can affect the consistency and finish of your drip—so they’re best avoided if you can.

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Chocolate Drip Recipe

This recipe uses proper chocolate and it’s easy to remember—just three ingredients.

You will need:

• 50g unsalted butter

• 100ml double cream (reduce if using milk or white chocolate – see tips below)

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate

Method:

1. Grate or break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl.

2. Gently heat the cream, but remove it from the heat before it starts to boil.

3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two. Once the chocolate has melted, stir until smooth.

4. Chop the butter into small pieces and add it to the chocolate mixture.

5. Stir gently until the butter melts and the mixture is glossy. And you’re ready to... er... drip.

   
   

Top Tips:

• This drip works beautifully on cakes covered in sugar paste or buttercream. If your cake is buttercream-covered, chill it first so the drip doesn’t melt the coating.

• If you're making a milk or white chocolate drip, you may need to reduce the amount of cream, depending on the brand of chocolate you use.

• Be cautious when making coloured drips. Food colouring or whiteners can affect consistency, so always test a small batch first... you don't wanna be wasting choccy.

• And don’t forget—you can drizzle this over cupcakes too. Why wouldn’t you? :)

Hope this helps you achieve the perfect chocolate drip