Drip cakes, I love 'em - they are one of the few cake trends that I am glad has stuck around.
This post is dedicated to my best friend. So a little background on him... He's a graphic designer - and an exceptional one. He is a stickler for all the details... of everything. He's also the strong, silent type and will hate me writing about him (soz hun).
When I started caking, I was bending his ear pretty much every day about one thing or another, (the poor man). We are both highly critical types (in a good way) - that's why we get along. If an idea survives after we've examined and critiqued it from every possible angle - the chances are, that it's a winner. :)
Anyway - because of my constant ear-bending, he naturally ended up being exposed to lots of cake-related images. And being the analytical but highly creative type, that he is, he started to notice things... In particular, he noticed and got annoyed by, thick and lumpy drips on drip cakes... and I mean like really annoyed.
So for the sake of my bestie - and anyone else who struggling to achieve the perfect drip... here's a little recipe that may help you out.
Before we begin, there is just one major thing to note: For me, candy melts are a huge no-no. I never use them for drip cakes (or much else really) because they are too full of the cheap fats that go into making fake chocolate. This can really affect the consistency and finish of your drip... and they really don't taste very nice... If someone wants chocolate... give them chocolate!
So, this recipe uses the real thing, (I stick to Belgian, those guys know their chocolate). It's super-easy to remember and only uses 3 ingredients.
You will need:
50g unsalted butter
100ml double cream (reduce for white chocolate - see below)
200g good quality chocolate
Heat the cream but remove from the heat before it starts boiling.
Break the chocolate in small pieces into a bowl, then pour the hot cream over it.
Leave the chocolate to melt - stirring occasionally.
One done, add the butter in small pieces and stir until it has melted and you're good to... er... drip.
Top Tips:
This is fine to use on sugarpaste or buttercream covered cakes. If using on a buttercream cake, chill the cake first, so the drip doesn't melt the coating.
If you want to create a white or coloured drip - you may need to reduce the amount of cream - depending on what brand of white chocolate you use. You can then add colour / whitener until you get the shade you want.
I hope this was of some help and I wish you all smooth, glossy and delicious drips for many years to come. :)
Blog Update: My friend has now read this post and wrote the following response to me in an email (I'm honestly not joking).
"Apparently, being 'highly critical and a stickler for the details', I would like to add, that I'm equally as bothered about the location, spacing and length of drip".
You have gotta love this guy.
As always, hit me in the comments box below if you have any questions.