I perfected a colorful drip made with only three ingredients, and in my latest Drip Cake Recipes post I reveal the tiny trick that makes glossy, candy-bright drips look impossibly professional.

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I love a good dessert hack, and this Colorful Drips idea always makes me grin. I kept it simple so you can focus on color and chaos, using white chocolate chips and gel food coloring paste to get those glossy, bold drips.

I’m not one for perfect piping, i like messy edges, and thats exactly the point here. If you ever poked around How To Make Cake Drip or flipped through Drip Cake Recipes you’ll see endless takes, but this version is quick, playful and weirdly addictive.

Read on if you want bright drips that actually behave on a cake, and a few honest mistakes you can avoid.

Ingredients

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White chocolate chips: Mostly sugar and cocoa butter, high calories, little protein.
Finely chopped white chocolate: Same deal, richer melt and sweeter, not much fibre.
Heavy cream: Rich in saturated fat, adds creaminess and silky texture, very caloric.
Gel food coloring paste: concentrated color, traces of additives, dont affect flavor much.
Makes the drips very sweet and rich, masks subtle flavors, kids love it.
Treat not health food, occasional dessert, pair with fruit for balance.
Suitable for decorations on cakes, cookies, or donuts, gives glossy colorful finish.

Ingredient Quantities

10 oz 285 g white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate, good quality

1/3 to 1/2 cup 80 to 120 ml heavy cream, at room temp

Gel food coloring paste, concentrated, about 1 tsp per color or to taste

How to Make this

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1. Put 10 oz (285 g) white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

2. Heat 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer, bubbles at the edges but not boiling.

3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit 1 to 2 minutes so it melts, then stir gently from the center until smooth; if there are still lumps zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds then stir.

4. Divide the warm ganache into small bowls for each color, wipe rims so you dont make a mess.

5. Add gel food coloring paste about 1 teaspoon per color or to taste, stir until evenly colored, add more paste slowly since it is very concentrated.

6. Check consistency it should be pourable but thick enough to hold a drip; if too thick add 1 teaspoon warm cream at a time, if too thin chill a few minutes in the fridge to thicken.

7. For extra smooth drips strain the ganache through a fine mesh into squeeze bottles or piping bags, or just use a spoon for a more rustic look.

8. Chill your frosted cake in the fridge for at least 10 minutes so the drips set on contact, and test on the side of a chilled bowl to see how far the drip runs.

9. Apply drips by squeezing small amounts at the edge and letting gravity pull them down, add more to lengthen a drip then fill the top center and spread gently with the back of a spoon.

10. Work fairly quickly because white chocolate ganache firms as it cools, store the finished cake in the fridge and let it sit 20 to 30 minutes at room temp before you cut and serve.

Equipment Needed

1. Heatproof bowl (glass or metal) for melting the white chocolate
2. Small saucepan to warm the cream
3. Silicone spatula or rubber scraper to stir and scrape the bowl
4. Whisk or large spoon to smooth the ganache
5. Measuring cup and measuring spoons (1/3 to 1/2 cup and teaspoons for the gel paste)
6. Microwave (optional) or a double boiler setup for quick zaps if needed
7. Fine mesh strainer to get extra smooth drips
8. Squeeze bottles or disposable piping bags for controlled drips
9. Small bowls or ramekins and a teaspoon for dividing and coloring, plus the fridge or a chilled bowl to test drips and set the cake

FAQ

What exactly are Colorful Drips and how do I use them? They're basically a white chocolate ganache colored with gel paste, used to drip over cakes, cookies or cupcakes. Melt 10 oz (285 g) white chocolate with 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) room temp heavy cream, color, then spoon or pipe along the edge for pretty drips.

How do I get the right drip consistency? Start with 1/3 cup cream for a thicker, slower drip and 1/2 cup for a runnier drip. Add the cream in small amounts till smooth. If it's too thin, stir in more chopped chocolate and chill a bit. If too thick, warm gently and add a teaspoon of warm cream at a time till you get the flow you want.

How much gel coloring should I use? Gel is concentrated so start small. For pale pastels use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per color, for vivid shades use up to 1 tsp or a bit more to taste. Mix thoroughly before judging the final color cause it deepens as it sits.

My white chocolate looks grainy or has seized, what now? If it seized from a drop of water, whisk in a spoonful of warm cream or a tiny bit of neutral oil or light corn syrup to smooth it out. If it got grainy from overheating, let it cool a little then stir, and rewarm very gently in short bursts.

Can I use regular chocolate chips or candy melts instead? Use good quality white chocolate, either chips or finely chopped bars. Some chips have stabilizers so they might need a touch more cream. Avoid candy melts if you want a real chocolate flavor, but they do work if taste isnt your top priority.

How do I store leftovers and reheat without ruining them? Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to a week. Bring to room temp, then rewarm gently in 10 second microwave bursts, stirring between each. Or use a double boiler. If it separates, whisk in a few drops of warm cream until smooth.

Colorful Drips Recipe Substitutions and Variations

White chocolate swap: use good quality white couverture or baking chocolate, same 10 oz, it melts and tastes better than cheaper chips.
Quick alternate for white chips: white candy melts or almond bark, same weight; theyre easier to work with but can be sweeter and less creamy.
Heavy cream substitute: full fat coconut cream (same volume) for dairy free, or whole milk plus 1 to 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter per 1/3 to 1/2 cup to mimic the fat.
Food coloring options: oil based or powdered color (or sifted freeze dried fruit powder) instead of gel paste; avoid lots of liquid water based color or the chocolate may seize.

Pro Tips

1) Start coloring in tiny steps, like a toothpick at a time. Gel paste is super concentrated so it’ll look lighter while warm and then darken as it cools. If you add too much you can thin slightly with a drop of warm cream, but fixing an overcolored batch is annoying so go slow.

2) Keep a small cup of warm cream handy to tweak consistency on the fly. Add one teaspoon at a time for a pourable drip, or pop the ganache in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it up if it’s running too far. Ganache sets fast though, so work steady but not frantic.

3) Use squeeze bottles or a piping bag for controlled drips, and test first on the side of a chilled bowl to see how far each squeeze will travel. For a more rustic look just use a spoon and don’t worry about perfection, but wipe the rim of each bowl before switching colors to avoid muddying them.

4) For ultra smooth drips strain the warm ganache through a fine mesh and warm your spatula or spoon under hot water then dry it before stirring to help knock out tiny lumps. Store the finished cake chilled and let it sit about 20 to 30 minutes at room temp before slicing so the ganache relaxes and doesn’t crack.

Colorful Drips Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I perfected a colorful drip made with only three ingredients, and in my latest Drip Cake Recipes post I reveal the tiny trick that makes glossy, candy-bright drips look impossibly professional.

Servings

servings

Calories

157

kcal

Equipment: 1. Heatproof bowl (glass or metal) for melting the white chocolate
2. Small saucepan to warm the cream
3. Silicone spatula or rubber scraper to stir and scrape the bowl
4. Whisk or large spoon to smooth the ganache
5. Measuring cup and measuring spoons (1/3 to 1/2 cup and teaspoons for the gel paste)
6. Microwave (optional) or a double boiler setup for quick zaps if needed
7. Fine mesh strainer to get extra smooth drips
8. Squeeze bottles or disposable piping bags for controlled drips
9. Small bowls or ramekins and a teaspoon for dividing and coloring, plus the fridge or a chilled bowl to test drips and set the cake

Ingredients

10 oz 285 g white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate, good quality
1/3 to 1/2 cup 80 to 120 ml heavy cream, at room temp
Gel food coloring paste, concentrated, about 1 tsp per color or to taste

Directions

Put 10 oz (285 g) white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Heat 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer, bubbles at the edges but not boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit 1 to 2 minutes so it melts, then stir gently from the center until smooth; if there are still lumps zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds then stir.
Divide the warm ganache into small bowls for each color, wipe rims so you dont make a mess.
Add gel food coloring paste about 1 teaspoon per color or to taste, stir until evenly colored, add more paste slowly since it is very concentrated.
Check consistency it should be pourable but thick enough to hold a drip; if too thick add 1 teaspoon warm cream at a time, if too thin chill a few minutes in the fridge to thicken.
For extra smooth drips strain the ganache through a fine mesh into squeeze bottles or piping bags, or just use a spoon for a more rustic look.
Chill your frosted cake in the fridge for at least 10 minutes so the drips set on contact, and test on the side of a chilled bowl to see how far the drip runs.
Apply drips by squeezing small amounts at the edge and letting gravity pull them down, add more to lengthen a drip then fill the top center and spread gently with the back of a spoon.
Work fairly quickly because white chocolate ganache firms as it cools, store the finished cake in the fridge and let it sit 20 to 30 minutes at room temp before you cut and serve.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.