This simple recipe and technique will give you the perfect white chocolate ganache drip for your cake – every time!
Ratio of Cream to Chocolate for Drip Cakes
White chocolate ganache drip has plagued me for awhile. My first time making it I used way too much cream. It ends up that a regular chocolate drip and a white chocolate drip are totally different and for white chocolate, you need a much smaller amount of cream. While a normal chocolate drip recipe is a 1 to 1 ratio of chocolate and cream, white chocolate drip is typically 1 part cream to about 2 or even 3 parts chocolate.
Temperature of White Chocolate Ganache Drip
The second mistake I made was not letting the chocolate cool to the correct temperature. It should be about 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take 15-30 minutes to cool down. I highly recommend an instant read thermometer to get it just right. Side note: this is one of my favorite kitchen tools – they’re cheap and use can use them for anything from candy making to cooking meat to the perfect temp!
Tips for the Perfect White Chocolate Ganache Drip:
- Chop all of the chocolate into small pieces. If you don’t, it can sometimes take awhile to make sure it gets fully melted and incorporated into the cream. If you have pieces of unmelted chocolate, you can use a plastic spatula to press against the side of bowl to break it down. Then, reheat until it’s all combined. You can also use a regular or immersion blender to mix if there are pieces of unmelted chocolate. Then reheat for 10-15 seconds until smooth.
- For a white chocolate drip, use a ratio of 1 part cream to at least 2 parts chocolate. I’ve gotten my best results with all or most of the chocolate being chocolate melts rather than white chocolate chips.
- Be patient when letting the chocolate cool. It takes longer than you think, normally between 15-30 minutes to cool down to the right temperature.
- Use a candy or instant read thermometer – this is key to getting the chocolate the right temperature. You want it between 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure the cake is cold. Keep it in the fridge and take it out right before you are going to add the drip. This helps slow the drip falling down the side of the cake.
- To get the drips exactly how you want them, put the chocolate use a pastry or plastic bag with a medium size tip and drip around the edges of the cake, and then fill in the top.
Coloring White Chocolate Drip
Coloring a white chocolate drip is super easy! Since the white chocolate chips actually have a slight yellow color to them, if you want a bright white drip you’ll need to use white food coloring. For regular colors, you can add gel food coloring just like you would for buttercream frosting or royal icing. Sometimes it helps to use an immersion blender to get it perfectly smooth and combined.
Decorating Drip Cakes
The nice thing about a drip cake is once you master the drip you can decorate however you want. You can add more buttercream, macarons, or sprinkles. For the pictured cake I used Liv for Cake Pink Champagne cake recipe, with my Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting and topped with Rose Gold Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Champagne Marshmallows.
Other Drip Cakes:
White Chocolate Ganache Drip
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp white chocolate chips finely chopped
- 1/2 cup 100 g candy melts, chopped
- 3 tbsp heavy cream 43 g
Instructions
- Chill frosted cake
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces
- Add to microwave safe bowl and add heavy cream
- Microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until all the chocolate is melted.
- Once melted, let sit for 15-30 minutes, until it reaches 85-95 degrees fahrenheit
- Either pour over cake, spreading towards the outside of the cake so it drips or add to a pastry or plastic bag with a medium trip and drip around the edges, then fill in the center and smooth with a spatula.
- Put back in the fridge to chill until ready to finish decorating.
Notes
- Chop all of the chocolate into small pieces. If you don’t, it can sometimes take awhile to make sure it gets fully melted and incorporated into the cream. If you have pieces of unmelted chocolate, you can use a plastic spatula to press against the side of bowl to break it down. Then, reheat until it’s all combined. You can also use a regular or immersion blender to mix if there are pieces of unmelted chocolate. Then reheat for 10-15 seconds until smooth.
- For a white chocolate drip, use a ratio of 1 part cream to at least 2 parts chocolate. I’ve gotten my best results with all or most of the chocolate being chocolate melts rather than white chocolate chips.
- Be patient when letting the chocolate cool. It takes longer than you think, normally between 15-30 minutes to cool down to the right temperature.
- Use a candy or instant read thermometer - this is key to getting the chocolate the right temperature. You want it between 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure the cake is cold. Keep it in the fridge and take it out right before you are going to add the drip. This helps slow the drip falling down the side of the cake.
- To get the drips exactly how you want them, put the chocolate use a pastry or plastic bag with a medium size tip and drip around the edges of the cake, and then fill in the top.
- This recipe is adapted from Preppy Kitchen
Nutrition
Other Cake Decorating Techniques:
Cassie says
Our microwave just went out this week, could I do this using the glass bowl over a pot method?!
Sophia says
Yes! Using a double broiler to heat the chocolate/cream would definitely work!
V Davenport says
Hi, cake looks beautiful. Quick question, can you use this recipe on fondant icing?
Thanks x
Sophia says
Hi, unfortunately I haven’t tried a ganache drip on fondant and i’ve heard mixed things about if it will work. I’ve read that it makes the fondant wrinkle and others say it works just fine. I’ve heard using a thinned out royal icing works well on fondant, but I personally haven’t tried that either as I tend to stick with buttercream for my cakes. I’m really curious now if it will work, please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Becki says
Is it possible to make this one day in advance and heat in the microwave in short bursts to get to the right temperature?
Sophia says
I haven’t tried it that way. It’s a pretty simple recipe so I do recommend making it the day you are decorating your cake, but if you try reheating it let me know how it goes!
Geraldine Gibson says
I live in the UK. Can you tell me what Candy Melts are please. Would like to try this recipe.
Sophia says
Hi, these are candy melts. You can usually find them in craft stores or online. The big brands that sell them are Wilton and CK products.
Nat says
Please can you share the recipe for the cake? Is it a regular sponge?
Sophia says
Hi, it’s a champagne cake. The recipe is linked in the post under the Decorating White Chocolate Drip Cakes section.
Nat says
Thank you 🙂
Sophia says
So glad you liked it!
Kathryn says
Does this set hard?
I am needing to paint drip rose gold…so I am thinking white chocolate is best! This looks fab and easy recipe to follow.
Thanks.
Kathryn 🙂
Sophia says
Yes, it will set hard enough for you to paint it!
Vanessa says
Did you melt the chocolate and candy melts together?
Sophia says
yes, you cut up both the white chocolate and chocolate melts and add to the same bowl to melt.
Sophie says
Never done drip icing nor ganache , but thanks to your recipe I’m really pleased with my first white chocolate ganache drip cake. Really easy after following your instructions, thank you.
Sophie
Sophia says
Thanks, so glad you liked it!
Kalistae says
Fast question, can you replace the heavy cream with evaporated milk? Or do the milk and butter mix?
Sophia says
I haven’t tried evaporated milk so I’m not sure if it will work. If you’re looking for an alternative to cream here is a recipe for a drip cake using water. I haven’t personally tried the water drip, but if you try it or try subbing evaporated milk for cream, let me know if it turns out!
Geetanjali Tung says
Wow… What an elegant looking cake. I am just loving everything about this cake. Beautiful capture!!!