Slime Party Drip Cake
I only recently saw how the drip effect on a cake was created. I watched a professional baker on a Saturday morning television program effortlessly drip white chocolate around a stunning cake. In this case, I usually find it’s best left to the professionals. It never turns out that way when these things are attempted at home. But actually – I was wrong! It really is as easy as it looks.
Slime Cake
A drip cake can turn a cake into a piece of elegant artwork or into something as effective as children’s slime! By adding brightly coloured gel food colouring (the gel gives the strongest colour) the mixture completely transforms the cake.
Slime Party
I was given a bit of a challenge when my daughter’s friend wanted a slime cake for her slime themed birthday party. I was more than happy to do the cake, but I was going by an image from Pinterest! Everyone knows that the reality is, nothing actually looks like Pinterest images in real life. The perfect picture which was shown to me looked simple. But with rainbow stripes around the perfectly shaped round cake and little pots of ‘slime’ on the top actually meant there was a fair bit of detail. The pressure was on, but I was more than happy to go for it.
Don’t Make It All On The Day
In fact there are two tips here. Firstly, start making the cakes a day or two before the party. This is mainly to avoid rushing the decorations, and also for tip number two which is to keep the sponge cakes in the fridge. Something I learned when I was watching how to do the rainbow frosting on YouTube!
If you keep the cakes cool, they keep fresh and it’s a lot easier to ice.
Another tip is you can make the buttercream frosting in advance. keep it in an airtight container for a couple of days in the fridge or freeze.
Make the Layers
This cake requires at least three cake layers. If you make it higher then you’ll need to support it internally with cake rods or straws, but you shouldn’t need to do that here.
You will also need a cake base for the cake. You can cover it with rolled icing if you wish, but I didn’t want to try out too many new skills at once!
What Else Is Required?
A basic turntable is useful for decorating the cake. I picked this one up from Wilko’s in town for just ยฃ6. I also picked up a pallet knife to spread on the frosting and some icing bottles to create the drip effect at the top of the cake.
You will also need a piping bag. You could use disposable bags so you don’t have to keep washing it out, as you will be piping different colours.
Ingredients:
For one sponge cake layer (you will make three layers in total)
- 175g (6oz) Butter or Margarine
- 175g (6oz) Caster Sugar
- 3 Medium Eggs
- 175g (6oz) Self Raising Flour
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
For the Buttercream Icing
- 50g (2oz) Butter or Margarine
- 100g (4oz) Sieved Icing Sugar
- Gel Food Colouring, Pink, Blue, Green, Yellow etc
For the Dripping Effect
- 150g White Chocolate (I used white chocolate baking chips)
- Half a cup of double cream (although you may need more if it’s too thick)
- Gel Food Colouring
Decoration
- Old slime or play dough pots, washed and sterilised
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line 18cm (7in) round cake tin with baking paper
- Cream together the sugar and butter until pale and creamy
- Add the eggs and whisk along with a little flour
- Gradually add the flour, folding in the last couple of tablespoons with a metal spoon
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and ensure it is even on top
- Bake in the centre of the oven for around 40-45 minutes (checking on it every 15-20 minutes)
- The cake is cooked when it springs back to the touch, or comes out clean with a skewer
Allow the cake to cool before taking it out of the tin and chilling in the fridge.
Repeat two times so that you have three cakes. These will then be your layers.
Chill
Once your cakes have cooled completely in the fridge (you can wrap in cling film or in an airtight container), you can begin to stack them up. You will next need to make your buttercream icing.
Buttercream Icing Method
Add your butter or margarine to a bowl and cream using a whisk. Gradually add the sieved icing sugar until it comes together. You can add a few drops of vanilla essence if you wish.
Begin to ice and shape the cake
- Place the first cake on your cake board, using a small amount of icing on the board to keep it in place
- Using a sharp knife (I favour a bread knife!) gently shave the top of each cake to that they sit flat on top of one another
- Spread a layer of buttercream icing on the top of the first layer and place cake number two on top. Then repeat with the third layer
- Using your knife, shave the side of the cake so it’s nicely rounded. If your cake board is sitting on a turntable then this makes it easier to do
- Then crumb coat your sponge cake by applying a layer of buttercream all over the sides and the top of the cake
- Put back in the fridge to chill
Next, the coloured icing
You may need to make another batch of buttercream icing. Then separate it out into individual bowls and add a different colour using your gel food colouring to each bowl. Make your colours as strong as you wish. If you feel as though your buttercream is changing consistency, then sift in a little more icing sugar.
Take your cake out of the fridge and fill a piping bag half way with your first colour. With a steady hand, start from the bottom of the cake and pipe around (move the turntable around to get a neat stripe of colour). Then repeat with the different colours to create a rainbow effect.
At this stage the cake will look messy. So using your pallet knife and starting from the bottom again, hold it close to the cake and turn once more. This will take off the excess icing. Clean your pallet knife as you go, and don’t be afraid to go back with the piping bag and fill any gaps.
Don’t worry about applying the buttercream icing to the top of the cake, as this is where the slime dips will go.
Place your rainbow cake back in the fridge to chill.
Then the Drips for the Drip Cake
In a pan, gently melt your white chocolate chips. Then add your double cream. Keep stirring and you will have a runny mixture. If you feel it is too thick, then add a little more cream.
Take a small amount out and put in a clean saucepan (it sets very quickly, but you can heat it again to turn it back to liquid). Then add some food colouring of your choice.
Put your coloured mixture into an icing bottle and squeeze your slime onto your cake, starting at the top. Keep it in one area (as you don’t want your other colours mixing in with it). Take your bottle to the edge of the cake at the top and allow it to drip down the side. Once you are happy, put the cake back in the fridge for ten minutes or so.
When you are ready to do your next colour, simply heat up the white chocolate and cream and take out a small amount and add another colour to it. If it starts to set, warm in a new saucepan again.
Then repeat your drip decoration.
Put back in the fridge to set, then repeat with a third colour.
Add your slime pots to the top of the cake, ensuring they are secure with your white chocolate mixture and put some of the mixture inside the pots. This makes it look as though the slime has spilled out all over the cake.
Keep in the fridge to set and keep cool!
Enjoy the party!
The white chocolate ganache on the cake is just lovely, and the cake is kept moist. This was my first attempt, but it went down well with not only the children, but with the grown-ups too!
