Archive for December 2017

Another birthday, another excuse to bake more cake.

It was my 22nd birthday on Wednesday and amongst celebrations I decided to make my own birthday cake, and roped my sister into being my assistant. The last big cake I made was the summer drip cake for my sister and so I thought of making a winter drip cake.... and by this I mean, less rainbow sprinkles.

Keep reading to see how I did this step by step, the amazing ombre inside and pretty sparkler.

Using a plain sponge cake recipe for a large amount, make your cake mix and split into four different bowls. Using any colour of your choice, add food colouring from a large amount (to make the darkest layer), and then less in each bowl after. The last one should be so light that it is almost normal cake mix colour. Place your mix into four 8 inch cake tins and bake as usual.

(Always remember the order you put them in, or you'll kick yourself later)

Whilst the cakes are cooking and then cooling start making your butter icing. To do this use a block of butter and LOTS of icing sugar, a dash of milk and a drop of vanilla extract. Using an electric whisk mix together until you can no longer taste the butter. For the proportions I usually guess, however for one block of butter use at least one pack of icing sugar.

Spread an even amount of butter icing in each layer, and stack neatly.

Make a crumb coating around the cake and on the top also. This means using a palette knife, spreading a thin coating of the butter icing and allow to dry. Don't worry if this is messy as it means the next layer of butter icing won't get all those cake crumbs in.

For your drip effect you can use melted chocolate or water icing. In the summertime drip cake I used white chocolate and pink food colouring, this time I used icing sugar mixed with water, black and pink food colouring. The easiest way to ensure it's accurately dripping, is to put the icing into a piping bag and drip at the edge, and using a spoon smooth over the top. You can change how much it drips by adjusting the quantity of icing sugar/water.

After adding (what felt like a whole a tub of) green food colouring to some of the butter icing, using this nozzle and a piping bag, made large swirls on the top. To make this effect start in a circle going from the outside in and upwards.

Using a smaller version of the same shape nozzle, and pale purple coloured butter icing, piped small little 'ice gem' shapes in between each green swirl.