So, last week I shared a Spider-man cake I made, and I expressed how I really screwed up on the drip. I even included one mistake to avoid when making a drip cake because this tip is sooo avoidable… and I knew better! But it’s ok (it happens in the cake world). Keep reading to find out the best tips for creating a great drip!
#1 Be Sure to use the correct ratio.
Depending On what type of chocolate you are working with make sure you are using the correct chocolate to heavy cream ratio. For Dark chocolate you will want to use a 1:1 ratio whereas white chocolate you will want to use a 2:1 ratio. This means with dark chocolate; you will want to use equal parts chocolate and heavy cream and with white chocolate you will use half of the amount of whipping cream that you have for chocolate. For instance, if you decide to use 100 grams of white chocolate, you will need 50 grams of heavy whipping cream. This is because white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate and contains more milk, making it softer and more delicate, therefore requiring less liquid to achieve the same or similar result. For milk chocolate you will want to use a 1.5:1 ratio. This is super important as you don’t want your ganache to be too watery or too dry.
#2 Chill Your Frosted Cake
It is important to make sure the buttercream or fondant on your cake is cool before applying your drip. This is so that the warm liquid has a chance to cool the drip as it runs down the cake slowing it down so that you don’t get a pool of ganache at the bottom of your cake. Unless of course, this is what you are going for. Even so, it is much better to have a controlled drip so that you can create the vision you are after, even if this includes a pool of ganache at the base of your cake.
#3 Let your drip cool.
We learned the disastrous mistake of adding your drip too soon last week, when I shared the article “My 3 Secrets to Creating Beautifully Dark and Delicious Cakes plus the One Mistake to Avoid When Making a Drip Cake.” There is a reason this tip made the cut for the number one mistake to avoid as it is SO common amongst new cake decorators. After making your drip, allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding to your chilled cake. Check to make sure the drip is not too cool, as this will prevent the drip from being able to wiggle down the side of the cake and cause the drip to become gloppy and uneven with some parts being thicker than others (which is fine if that is what you are after). You should know when it is ready when the bottle or piping bag (if using one) is not too warm to the touch and the drip moves like slow lava.
Ex: On the right below you can see where the black drip has cooled and became gloppy, although this is the look I was going for, be sure your drip temperature is somewhere in the middle in order to achieve a more uniformed drip such as on the left.
#4 Use the right food color when coloring your ganache.
If you want to color your ganache and don’t want to purchase a reliable pre-made cake drip, I suggest you stick to gel (my preference) or oil-based food coloring. Liquid food coloring can affect the consistency of your ganache since its water content is much higher than gel and oil, potentially ruining your drip and possibly your beautiful cake (Yikes!)
#5 TEST YOUR DRIP!
I don’t mean to shout but I CANNOT express this detail enough. It is extraordinarily important for you to test your drip BEFORE you begin adding it to your cake. I like to use a regular glass or plastic drinking cup turned upside down on my countertop. You can also test the drip in the back of the cake but that brings me to tip number five.
#6 Always start in the back.
Even after you do a test drip on a different surface, I still recommend starting your drip in the BACK of your cake, especially if the drip covers more than half the cake. I always begin my drips in the back of my cake, this allows plenty of practice to get the drips just right before you reach the front of your cake. Just be sure not to fall in a trance and get carried away (dripping cakes can be so fun). If your not careful you will quickly end up dripping the front side of the cake before you realize it and can ruin your anticipated design.
#6 Go sssllooooww
Listen when I tell you, you DO NOT WANT TO RUSH THIS PROCESS. If you are just learning to add drips to cakes, it is super important to go slow until you learn your flow and can comfortably move at a faster pace. Cake mistakes SUCK, and even though you can almost always correct your mistakes when it comes to cake decorating, drips make the list of being one of the more difficult errors to correct. So, turn on some relaxing music, breathe, be patient when adding your drip and just enjoy the process of cake decorating
So, there you have it! Seven tips for creating the perfect drip! If you haven’t mastered the popular cake drip, with these tips you will be well on your way. Be sure to let me know how these tips work for you and any other tips you might have for creating the perfect drip below!
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