Chocolate Drip Cake

5 from 6 ratings

Want to learn how to make a chocolate drip cake? This recipe is super easy & walks you through everything you need to know about drip cakes!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Additional Time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 378kcal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) into a large bowl.
Pour in the hot water, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together until fully incorporated.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they're incorporated into the batter. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, and bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them into wire racks to finish cooling.
Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer.

Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Add in the sifted cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Halfway through, add the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
Mix in the cooled, melted semi-sweet chocolate on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it's steaming and just starting to bubble. If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stove top, you can heat the cream over medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate, making sure it's fully covered with cream. Allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes.
Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate are fully combined and the mixture is smooth.
Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is just slightly warm to the touch.

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board with a dab of chocolate buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of each cake layer as you stack them with a large offset spatula.
Cover the cake in a thin coat of chocolate buttercream. Smooth using a benchscraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the buttercream is firm to the touch.
Add a second, thicker layer of chocolate buttercream to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper. Chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) one more time until the buttercream is firm to the touch.
Then make a test drip with your ganache to see if it's the right consistency (more detail on that in the post above). Once it's the right consistency, add the drips to the chilled cake using a plastic squirt bottle or spoon.
Then decorate as desired! I like to use the leftover buttercream to pipe swirls on top of the cake with a large French piping tip (an Ateco 869).

Use this drip recipe on any type of buttercream cake as long as it's chilled.
I prefer using mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, but any type of chocolate chip (or finely chopped chocolate bar) will work. See my notes above about using different types of chocolate.
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.
To make a vegan version of this chocolate ganache drip, use coconut cream and dark chocolate.
If you want to make a cake with colorful drips, try my colorful drip cake recipe.

Make this chocolate 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 it in the fridge for up to a month.
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!
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.
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!