Chocolate Gold Drip on Buttercream

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Hi everyone! In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a beautiful chocolate gold drip effect on a buttercream cake.

Beautiful Chocolate Gold Drip on Buttercream! Cake video tutorial by MyCakeSchool.com. Online cake videos, cake tutorials, cake recipes, and more!

 

Gold drip cakes are a very popular trend in decorating, and for buttercream frosted cakes, a chocolate ganache gold drip is the best option.

For fondant cakes, a royal icing gold drip may also be used, as we demonstrate in this tutorial: Gold Drip on Fondant Cake

We hope that you love this elegant look. Make sure to check out our Materials and Notes beneath the video!

**Update: Since making this tutorial, many more products/recipes have become available for gold drips. Some products are pre-made gold drips that you simply apply directly to the cake. Recipes for metallic gold drips are floating around as well, that can be mixed and applied to your cakes. It's always a good idea to check out all of your options! ;0)

 

Table of Contents

Materials for Chocolate Gold Drip Cake:

Enjoy the video! Here is a quick look at our steps: 

Double Barrel Cake Construction:

In the video, we created a double barrel cake from four 6 inch cake layers.

The cake is resting on its own cardboard cake circle, cut down to size. Then, 4 bubble tea straw supports were inserted and cut to the height of the bottom two layers.

Another 2 layers (resting on their own cardboard cake circle) were added to complete the double barrel.

For the base, use 4 cardboard cake circles glued together and wrapped in your preferred covering (we used a plastic tablecloth). We hammered a sharpened (¼ inch width) dowel into the cake to act as the central support. The central dowel isn't always necessary, but if you are traveling with the cake, it is a good idea!

White Chocolate Ganache: We used a 3:1 ratio of chocolate to heavy cream. {12 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips to 4 oz heavy cream}

Edible Gold Luster Dust (we used Rolkem Super Gold)

Classic Vanilla Buttercream- We used the hot knife method for smoothing...butter based frostings can be easily chilled and firmed up.

Bench Scraper/Spatula

Misc. Small Paintbrushes (I also used a larger soft brush for dusting on the top. Optional)

Vodka (High proof clear alcohol is ideal for mixing with luster dust to create paint.)

Americolor Ivory Coloring Gel (optional. We tinted our ganache)

Rice cereal treats- I used the packed 22g bars. Three for the largest pumpkin, one for the medium sized pumpkin, and one split in halves for the two smallest pumpkins.

Shortening- I lightly greased the rice cereal treats before covering with fondant.

Lollipop stick stems- optional. You'll only need one or two.

Floral Wire- I used paper covered floral wire (painted gold) for the pumpkin vines. 22 gauge (or any gauge that can easily be coiled.)

Leaf cookie cutters (optional) We used a small maple leaf and ivy cutter.

Notes:

Your paint should be a thick "paint-like" consistency. Mix vodka into your luster dust a very small amount at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If too thin, add a bit more powder.

You may find that you need to apply a second coat of "paint" after the first as dried.

If your ganache drip is too soft to paint, or takes a long time to set up at room temp, refrigerate the cake to speed things along.

The chocolate drizzle is very simple, but painting is more time consuming. So, allow yourself plenty of time to decorate! ;0)
 

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24 Comments

  1. If I make this cake (or any other) a day in advance should it stay in the fridge until it's needed or at room temperature?

  2. @Casie- I usually refrigerate my buttercream frosted cakes in a bakery box just to keep things nice and firm, especially if the cake is being transported. Then, allow to warm to room temperature a couple of hours or so before the event. However, if you would prefer to just keep the cake in a cool room, that is fine too (assuming the cake doesn't have a perishable frosting or filling.)

    *We rarely have issues with condensation on our cakes after refrigeration. In hot summer months it happens now and then because the temp change from fridge to kitchen counter is more dramatic. But if you should have any condensation, it will evaporate (or you can place in front of a fan to speed things along.)

  3. on this cake I will be making it this week for thanksgiving, Can I use lemon extract instead of the vodka as I dont have any at this time and I have lemon extract.

  4. Hi Melissa
    Would this gold drip work on a number shaped cake? I am busy making a 21 cake for my niece and she would like the drips!
    I searched your tutorials on cutting and icing number cakes and I don't seem to see any. Would you please do one sometime :)
    Regards
    Marie-Anne

  5. @Michaela- I'm sorry that we missed your question but for future reference, yes you can use lemon extract in place of vodka.

    @Marie-Anne- Yes, you could do the gold drips on any type of cake! Thanks for your suggestion about carved number cakes, I will keep this in mind!