Drips are such a simple and gorgeous way to decorate a cake. It’s one of my favorite decorating techniques, and that’s why I’m sharing this tutorial on how to make a white drip cake!

I love drip cakes because you can customize them in so many different ways.

This white drip can be made with drips of different lengths, thicknesses, and added either fully around a cake or to just a small portion as an accent.

With that in mind, there are a few things that are super helpful to know when making a drip cake.

I share everything you need to know below and walk you through each step of the process.

How Do I Make White Drips for a Cake?

My white drip recipe is made with white chocolate ganache, and is primarily made with heavy cream, white chocolate and white gel food coloring.

To make these white ganache drips, all you have to do is heat your heavy cream until it’s steaming, then pour it over the white chocolate.

After letting it sit for a couple minutes, the white chocolate softens.

Then you just add in a squirt of white gel food coloring and give it a good stir until it’s smooth.

It’s a pretty straightforward and quick process!

The somewhat challenging part of making a drip cake is actually adding the drips to the cake.

How to Brighten This White Chocolate Ganache Drip

This drip cake recipe is made with white chocolate, which naturally has a yellowish hue from the cocoa butter in the white chocolate.

Unfortunately, this means that if you just mix together white chocolate and heavy cream, you’ll end up with drips that are light yellow.

This is why it’s super important that you mix in some white gel food coloring!

It really brightens up the ganache and gives it a much whiter look.

How Do I Add Drips to a Cake?

There are two common ways to add drips to cake. Most people use either a spoon or a plastic squirt bottle.

Some people prefer one method over the other. I recommend using whatever method you feel most comfortable with.

Adding Drips Using a Spoon

One way you can add drips to cake is with a spoon.

The best thing about this method is that you don’t need any special tools. I think everyone has a spoon in their kitchen!!

You simply take 1-2 teaspoons of ganache in your spoon and carefully pour it over the edge of a chilled buttercream cake.

I recommend scraping the bottom of your spoon against the bowl each time you scoop up a bit of ganache.

This will prevent rouge bits of ganache from dripping off the bottom of your spoon all over your counter and your cake.

Adding Drips Using a Squirt Bottle

The second way you can add drips to a cake is with a plastic bottle.

Once the ganache is made, carefully pour it into a plastic squirt bottle.

Not everyone has these on hand, but they’re pretty cheap to buy! You can find them at Target, Walmart, or on Amazon (that’s where I get mine).

I like using a squirt bottle because it helps you add drips to a cake a lot faster than a spoon.

In my opinion, it also is a lot easier and cleaner!

If you have leftover ganache, you can simply pop the cap on your bottle and throw it in the fridge.

Leftover ganache can last in the fridge for up to a month.

I have a little shelf in my fridge door dedicated to bottles of leftover ganache!

To reuse leftover ganache, pop the bottle into the microwave and reheat in 10 second intervals until it’s fluid again and looks like it’s the right consistency.

What Should My Drips Look Like?

There’s a spectrum of ganache drips, and I always say no two drip cakes are alike.

They’re all unique and beautiful in their own way.

There is no right or wrong here, just drips of all shapes and sizes! Different types of drips can help you achieve different looks for your cakes.

I went for shorter, thicker drips on this cake so that I could easily add sprinkles around the base of this cake.

Tips for Adding White Drips to a Cake

Whatever look you chose for your white drip cake, I have two very important tips to ensure you get the look you’re after.

Tip #1: Chill Your Cake

My first tip is to only add drips to a chilled cake!

I mean THOROUGHLY chilled. Your second coat of buttercream should be firm to the touch.

This can take up to 30 minutes in the fridge, or about 10 minutes in the freezer.

Chilling your cake will help your drips stay in place once they’re added and help prevent them from running down too far.

Tip #2: Make A Test Drip

My second tip is to make a test drip. Take your ganache and make a single drip on your cake.

Let it flow and sit for a couple minutes. See what it looks like and how far it runs down the side of the cake.

Are you happy with how it looks? This is your time to make changes to get it just right. Is it too thin?

Did the drip run too far down the cake? Maybe you need to let your ganache cool more so that it thickens a bit or you can melt in a bit more chocolate.

Is your drip too thick or short? You might need to thin it out by popping it in the microwave for a couple seconds (seriously, don’t heat it for more than 5 seconds). Or maybe you want to add in a tiny bit more heavy cream.

This is the point in the process where my eagerness can get the best of me.

After I think I’ve made the necessary adjustments I dive right into adding all my drips.

But for all I know, I may have overcorrected! I may have actually heated or cooled my ganache too much.

After each adjustment to your ganache, you need to do another test drip.

It’s worth taking the extra few minutes to make sure your ganache is the perfect temperature.

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Cake Layers

This vanilla drip cake recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have all of them on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt)!
• Egg whites – I use egg whites out of a carton to avoid wasting any yolks! You can also use 5 egg whites or 3 whole eggs if needed. Or if you have an egg allergy you can use flaxseed eggs or an egg replacer.
• Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use almond, lemon, or even coconut extract.

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use coconut extract, hazelnut extract, or even pistachio extract.
• Gel food coloring – If you want to color this frosting, I recommend using gel food coloring! It creates vibrant colors without throwing off the consistency of the buttercream.

Substitutions and Swaps – White Chocolate Ganache

• Heavy Cream – You can use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream to make the ganache drip. I don’t recommend using regular milk though, it doesn’t have a high enough fat percentage to make a thick ganache.
• White Chocolate – I love using the Whole Foods mini white chocolate chips, because they melt so easily! You can also use regular white chocolate chips, white chocolate wafers, or even a chopped up white chocolate bar.
• White Gel Food Coloring – White gel food coloring is an absolute must! Otherwise your drip will have a yellowish hue from the cocoa butter found in white chocolate. You can also use 1 tsp of titanium dioxide powder if you can’t find white gel food coloring.

My Tips for Making the Best White Drip Cake

• Use this drip recipe on any type of buttercream cake that’s been thoroughly chilled.
• Don’t use this white drip recipe on fondant. It can do weird things to the fondant and create a goopy mess.
• The ratio of heavy cream is different if you use white candy melts. Candy melts cannot be swapped 1:1 for the white chocolate in this recipe! They are not interchangeable.
• Be sure to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream! You need the high fat content to create the right consistency in this recipe. Milk cannot be used in place of the cream.

Making a White Drip Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• Make this ganache drip recipe ahead of time or save leftovers! Once it’s made, wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or cover the top of the plastic bottle and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
• To use chilled ganache, heat the bottle or bowl in the microwave for 10 second intervals until it reaches the right consistency. Use leftover ganache to top cupcakes, cookies, or even ice cream!
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Share Your Creations with Me!

If you try this white drip cake recipe, please let me know what you think!

Tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations.

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