Laura Kate Lucas

  • About
  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • Press & Features
Cakes & Baking Recipes

Cake Decoration Tutorial | Golden Chocolate Drips & Cascading Flowers

February 13, 2017

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

Today’s post is a little different than most, but hopefully the theme will be popping up a little more regularly on the blog. As you may or may not know, I used to be a professional baker here in Manchester. I also still bake cakes through my own little side business named Uppercake, taking bespoke cupcake, layer cake and wedding cake requests as and when I can. I thought it might be a nice addition to the blog to start featuring some of these to show you guys, and possibly doing little step-by-step tutorials for the ones you really like.

This one was a 30th Birthday Cake I created last year for one of my lovely friends. It is a totally style different to anything I had ever really made before, so there were a few new tricks and techniques I had to learn to put this one together – but I was really pleased with how it turned out. I have put together a step-by-step tutorial for anyone who might like to have a go, or just for those who are curious at how putting something like this together might look.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

I won’t go into too much detail on ingredients and putting the basic cake together, as this is more about the decoration. However, if you are interested in the recipe or some more basic cake tutorials then let me know in the comments below and I will put something together!

So first up I baked the sponge and assembled the cake. This style of cake looks really beautiful as a tall, thin cake, as opposed to the standard shorter, wider cakes, so I made this out of 4 eight-inch vanilla sponges layered with vanilla buttercream.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

As the cake isn’t being covered with sugar paste (royal icing), the buttercream needs to be as smooth as you can get it, to achieve that very polished and elegant look. First of all I begin with filling in all the gaps between the sponge layers with plenty of buttercream, then taking a palette knife and adding a thin layer of buttercream over the whole cake. Try to make this smooth if you can, but at this stage the main thing is to get an even layer covering the cake. Pop this in the fridge to set.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

After about 15 minutes the buttercream should have set enough for you to add another layer and start to smooth this out. I use a combination of my palette knife and a scraper tool to apply more buttercream, and then spinning the cake slowly around on the turntable, smoothing and scraping the buttercream as neat as you can get it. Put it back in the fridge to set again, repeating this process until you are happy with the appearance. The buttercream should be opaque now, so you aren’t able to see any of the sponge cake underneath. It can take a while, and I must admit that I do end up getting a little OCD about it so it took me forever to get the perfect smooth coating. You should be able to do it in about 3-4 coats if you aren’t precious about it, although sometimes there are just areas that you can’t quite get 100% how you like them, but don’t worry – practise makes perfect!

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

After the final layer of your buttercream has set, you can move on to creating the delicious looking drip-effect. I melted some good quality white chocolate over a bain-marie to avoid burning the chocolate (you could also use candy melts as an alternative to chocolate). You want to slowly pour this over the top of the cake, going quite close to the edges and then gently encouraging it over the sides with a small cake tool or your palette knife. The drips will create themselves and set naturally, so no need to touch the sides of the cake at all.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with FlowersLaura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

Once the chocolate has fully set all over (this may take a while) you can begin to paint it. I bought some edible gold paint online and used my cake paintbrushes to do this. If you are going to create this sort of thing on a regular basis, it is definitely worth buying yourself a good set of paintbrushes for decorating your cakes. I tend to always need different sizes dependant on the detail and decoration of the cakes, so they are a must-have in my cake decorating kit! Different colours and types of paint can have different consistencies, and I actually found this particular gold paint to be rather translucent, meaning I had to let it dry and give it about 3-4 coats before I was happy with the colour. I also found that it wasn’t as metallic as the edible spray-paint cans, but with something so detailed you just wouldn’t be able to use these here.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

To personalise the cake, I cut out a sugar paste heart and the number 30, painting this in gold to fit in with the colour scheme. I added black ribbon and a black heart, as I thought the black, white and gold colour combination was very bold but classic at the same time.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

To complete the cake, I added some artificial flowers. You can, of course, make these using edible flower paste or something similar; if you want the full cake to be edible. I actually really liked the look of these and wanted to build a bold collection of large flowers on the top of the cake, flowing down the side, so I thought buying faux ones would be better for the job than my not-so-great flower making skills. Plus these ones are super easy to get hold of and there are so many different colours and types to choose from that it makes it incredibly easy. They are also on wires so easy to secure onto the cake easily and mess-free.

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger - Cake Baking and How to Decorate - Gold Drip Layer Cake with Flowers

Et voila! A chic 30th birthday cake, complete with golden chocolate drips and cascading flowers.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Please do let me know what you thought in the comments below, and if there are any other cake tutorials you might like to see.

LL x

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Related

RELATED POSTS

Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger | Acrylic Nails at Home by Jennifer Marie
Acrylic Nails at Home by Jennifer Marie
Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Fashion Lifestyle and Wedding Blogger | Sara Miller London Gifting Inspo
Sara Miller London | Christmas Gifting Inspo
Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Fashion Travel and Style Blogger | Zana Scarf Beach Swimwear Outfit
How to Style Scarves for Summer | Zana Prints
Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Lifestyle, Fashion and Travel Blogger | Ginger Snap Neon Light - Interior Design Decoration Review
Ice Cool Interior Decor | Gingersnap Neon Light
Laura Kate Lucas - Manchester Fashion, Lifestyle and Food Blogger | Thrifty Living Tips with Giff Gaff
Thrifty Living Tips & Tricks | Giff Gaff Gameplan
Leave a Comment 
[zilla_likes]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Laura Kate Lucas | Manchester Lifestyle & Fashion Blogger

Instagram

laurakatelucas

📍Snaps from our stay at @deadwoodcabins 🤠🇺🇸🌵 a dreamy Wild West inspired retreat in rural Lincolnshire with the cutest cabins, cosy log fires and the best neighbours Dolly and Doris 🐷 cannot recommend this place enough for a little glamping getaway 👌 it was so nice to have a bit of a digital detox - the cabins have games and a private BBQ (you can pre-order food for the BBQ which will be in your fridge when you arrive) so we spent the night cooking dinner and smores, playing scrabble and drinking mulled wine in front of the fire 🥰 there are three different cabins to choose from and all of them are filled with souvenirs and trinkets that make each one unique. There’s also a saloon if you want to go hang (BYOB or there’s an honesty box for beers from the fridge) and you can help yourself to fresh chicken eggs for breakfast too 🍳 thank you to @paarriiee for being such a lovely host, can’t wait to come back 🖤
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#deadwoodcabins #glamping #uktravel #cowgirl #wildwest #ukglamping
‘Ndu Y’Olive Me? YES @nellspizza I do 🍕❤️ 
There’s some new menu items that have made it straight to the top of my faves list, including a chopped salad, moreish garlicky dough bites, and a pizza with nduja, olives, vodka sauce and basil 👌 ALSO the cocktails are SO underrated here - the margs are top tier and their new seasonal drinks are a must try. Will be back for the pistachio ice cream sandwich (so hard not to prioritise eating as much pizza as possible and save room for dessert but I will manage it one day) ✌️
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#nells #nellspizza #manchesterpizza #kampus #manchestereats
Autumn 🍂 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #ootd #au Autumn 🍂 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#ootd #autumnootd #altstyle #outfitinspo #thrashermag #asos #manchesterinfluencer #laurakatelucas #girlswithtattoos #pinkhair
PSA! 📢 The sellout @salfordrum coffee rum is ba PSA! 📢 The sellout @salfordrum coffee rum is back 🙌 run don’t walk to grab one of these, I can’t tell you how good this stuff is 👌 there’s a reason it sold out last time!! The bottle is also stunning and the perfect addition to your bar or cabinet. Oh and if you wanna show off your cocktail skills then make this: Salford Rumtini 🍸 Salford coffee rum 50ml, fresh espresso 40ml, sugar syrup 20ml - hard shake to make it frothyyyyy and then strain into a coupe or martini glass ET VOILA ☕️ your new fave drink ✨
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#salfordrum #salfordrumcompany #coffeerum #cocktailrecipe #manchesterinfluencer #thingstodoinmanchester #laurakatelucas
NYC day 6 ✌️ 🖤 started with mimosas on our NYC day 6 ✌️
🖤 started with mimosas on our rooftop. Waking up to the nyc skyline is my fave.
🖤 we got the subway to @citifield to watch the @mets ⚾️🏟️ so much fun - would definitely recommend doing this if you’re visiting. The whole experience was one of my favourites of the trip.
🖤 A little wander and some vintage shops on the way back to the hotel before getting ready for dinner.
🖤 Dinner at @ivan_ramen 🍜👌 easily the best ramen I’ve ever had (thanks to @josgoncalves91 for the recommendation - SO glad I went here and would definitely recommend to anyone else. Watch the chefs table episode on Netflix.)
🖤 ended the eve with a couple of amazing cocktail bars - @superbuenonyc (no.2 in North America’s 50 best bars) and @attaboy134 (22 in the worlds 50 best bars)🍸 unsurprisingly both up there on my list of favourite cocktails. Also both really lovely atmospheres and would 10000% return. Attaboy have no menu but you just tell them what you like and what you’re in the mood for and they make you something incredible 👌 it’s also hidden behind a very normal looking door (last pic) so you gotta knock to get in.
Superbueno is Mexican-American, a really fun vibe and also serve food 🌮
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#nyc #nycitinerary #newyorktravel #ivanramen #attaboynyc #superbuenonyc #nymets #citifield #thingstodoinnyc
Quick OOTD <3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . #ootd #jad Quick OOTD <3
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#ootd #jadedldn #styleinspo #altstyle #girlswithtattoos #jeansandanicetop #drmartens #manchesterinfluencer #laurakatelucas
Ridin off into the sunset 🤠✨ (aka the weekend Ridin off into the sunset 🤠✨ (aka the weekend)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#deadwoodcabins #ootd #cowgirl #cowboy #cowgirlstyle #westernstyle #laurakatelucas #manchesterinfluencer
Stacking ✨🤠 my current fave jewellery extras Stacking ✨🤠 my current fave jewellery extras from @everydayandco_ 💕  use code LAURA20 for discount 🫶
(gift)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#jewellery #cowboybootnecklace #goldjewellery #altstyle #howtostack #laurakatelucas #manchesterinfluencer #pinkhair
Autumn menu PERFECTION at @evelynscafebar ✨👌 Autumn menu PERFECTION at @evelynscafebar ✨👌 one my favourite evenings at one of my favourite spots, and the food is so so good. The menu is mostly small plates (with some biggies in there too) so it’s perfect for sharing with some bottles of wine ofc. 💕
My faves are the Tuna Crudo, BBQ Mackerel (the best mackerel I’ve ever eaten), the steak is 10/10 and honestly Evelyn’s is one of my fave places for the veggie dishes! Oh and the lamb. AND the dessert! Okay I’ll stop. If the fact that every dish on the menu being great isn’t enough to get you there, they also offer 50% off wine 5-7pm weekdays 🍷 which is surely one of the best happy hours in town?! 
20/10 always great and this menu might be the best yet!
(invite)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#evelynsnq #evelynscafrbar #northernquarter #manchesterrestaurants #laurakatelucas #manchesterinfluencer
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Bloglovin

Follow

 

Coconut lane discount badge

Proudly associated with Copywriter Collective
Europe’s No. 1 source for freelance copywriters


Categories

  • Accessories
  • Activities
  • Advice & Tips
  • Beauty
  • Blogging
  • Cakes & Baking
  • Competition
  • Contributed Posts
  • Event
  • Fashion
  • Fitness
  • Food & Drink
  • For Him
  • Gifting
  • Hair
  • Health
  • Home & Interiors
  • Jewellery
  • Lifestyle
  • Lockdown
  • Marketing
  • Pet
  • Recipes
  • Restaurant
  • Seasonal
  • Subscriptions
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Wedding

Archives

Subscribe

Enter your email address to subscribe to LauraKateLucas and receive notifications of new posts by email!

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Jennifer theme  |  
 

Loading Comments...