Pink Drip Cake

Instructions

Pink Cake Layers

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line three eight-inch pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle or a large bowl with a whisk until fully combined.
3. Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
4. Pour in egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments on a low speed. Add in oil and vanilla extract, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. 
5. Add in a generous squirt of pink gel food coloring. Mix the batter on a low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl part way through to evenly color the batter.
6. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. I like to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh my pans, and ensure they all have the same amount of batter. This guarantees the layers will bake to be the same height.
7. Bake for 34-36 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
8. Place cake layers into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.
9. Level the top of each cake layer with a serrated knife once they've fully cooled.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix in on a low speed. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
2. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. 
3. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
4. Wait to color the buttercream pink with gel food coloring until you've filled and crumb coated the cake. The white buttercream will create a pretty contrast with the pink cake layers.

Pink White Chocolate Ganache Drips

1. Heat heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds, until it's just beginning to bubble. Gently pour white chocolate chips into the heavy cream, making sure they are fully covered with cream. Allow mixture to sit for 1 minute.
2. Stir slowly until the cream and white chocolate are combined. Some bits of chocolate may not be fully melted yet. Heat the mixture again for 20 seconds, and stir. Repeat as necessary until all the chocolate bits are fully melted and incorporated.
3. Add in the pink gel food coloring, if desired. Let the mixture cool until it reaches the desired viscosity. It should be barely warm to the touch.
4. If it seems too thin or thick, you can add a touch more chocolate chips or heavy cream! The type of cream and white chocolate that you use can affect the consistency, so feel free to adjust as needed.

Assembling This Pink Drip Cake

1. Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
2. Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer.
3. Apply a thin coat of frosting around the cake, to fully cover the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
4. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper. To create a watercolor look, color a half a cup of frosting a medium shade of pink, and another half cup of a frosting a deeper shade of pink.
5. Dab the pink frosting onto the second layer of white frosting. Smooth with the white buttercream, to blend the colors together.
6. Add the pink drips to the cake using a plastic squirt bottle or spoon.
7. Decorate as desired with leftover buttercream and pink candies, then enjoy!