White Chocolate and Caramel Drip Cake

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

I would like you to know that this cake is all your fault.

I begged for help for my rampant drip cake addiction in my Chocolate and Peanut Butter Drip Cake post, and not one of you sent help. It’s like you’re encouraging me, at this point. You have no one to blame but yourselves.

I’m a mess. There are descriptions of drip cakes written in notes on my phone, doodled on napkins, scrawled on the inside of my planner. I stay awake at night plotting cakes I can never make because I will eat them all, and when I finally lay my head down, drip cakes haunt my dreams.

I used to be able to make normal cakes. Play with fondant. Sculpt things. Swirl buttercream with fancy frosting tips. Now all I want to do is watch. That.. DRIP.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Be still, my beating heart.

There was nothing for me to do but make another one. So just know that I’m laying the blame on you, my lovely enablers readers, for this coma-inducing monstrosity you’re about to see.

Because I’ve clearly got a problem.

This cake hounded me for weeks. Called to me, sang me its siren song of smooth, sweet white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and heavenly pound cake, the sticky, dripping caramel dripping lazily down the side.

Oh. Man.

I could not resist any more.

Step the First: Make that swiss meringue buttercream! I followed a different recipe from the one I used for my Apple Cider Cupcakes, this one is from Baker’s Royale. She makes it so easy to follow!

All you need for this is white chocolate, white sugar, egg whites (save those yolks for Zabaglione!), and room temperature, cubed BUTTER. Soooo much butter. You can use shortening if you absolutely have to or if you want your icing to stay very white.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

You can either melt the chocolate in a pot on the stove at a low temperature, or in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring after each round in the microwave. You want it to melt, but not get too hot.

In a different pot on the stove, mix your caramel. I kind of cheat when it comes to caramel – instead of double-boiling normal sugar until it’s just so, I mix brown sugar and cream until it’s the right consistency, bring it to a boil, and then either add more brown sugar or more cream, depending on the texture. For this, you want it to be quite thick. I added a little salt to cut through the sweet, but that’s optional of course, I know it’s not for everyone!

This is the best part: you can use your metal mixing bowl as the top pot in the double boiler. Fewer dishes? YES PLEASE.

With a whisk, mix the egg whites and the sugar over simmering water until the temperature reaches 140° – 160° F. Do not ask me how I managed to whisk, hold the bowl and hang onto the thermometer at the same time. I don’t even know how I did it.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog
It will get all fluffy, and if you stick your fingers in it, you won’t be able to feel the sugar granules anymore. Yes, I’m telling you to stick your fingers into a melted sugar – I promise that at 140° it won’t burn you! It’s not hot at all, just warm!

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog
Stick that bowl in your mixer with the whisk attachment, and give ‘er until it gets light and fluffy and glossy, and stands in peaks. I’ve had it take anywhere from three minutes to seven, depending on the day, the freshness of the eggs and who knows what.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog
Once you’ve got it to the right consistency, turn your mixer to low and add in a cube of butter at a time, waiting a couple seconds between each one.

Now the hard part, just. Keep. Going. At some point, the buttercream will look weird, like cottage cheese.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog
Ew. Scrape the sides in and just keep going!

Eventually (could take up to ten minutes!) it will turn into the smoothest, softest buttercream you’ve ever seen in your entire life. And THAT’S when you add the melted white chocolate (which should be room temperature right now). Just keep the speed on low and add it in. Ohhhh man.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Now put it to work crumb coating that pound cake! I’ve included the recipe for the pound cake below, but have no step by step pictures. I mean, it’s pound cake! Toss everything in a bowl, whip it up and bake it. Make sure it’s cold before you try to take it out of the pans or level it.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Stick that baby in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it solidifies a bit.

Once it’s done, frost the outside. I find swiss meringue buttercream to be the easiest buttercream to smooth and level.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

With your hand, press some mini chocolate chips all around the base of your cake, and then do the same with some smashed pecans just above it for the layered look. (And to hide the fact that your cake is peeking through like a jerk)

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Make sure your caramel is room temperature, any warmer and you’ll have a mucky mess when everything melts!

Drizzle some in the middle, and then carefully take a spoon and just little by little add some to the edge.

In a pot on the stove, mix your caramel. I kind of cheat when it comes to caramel – instead of double-boiling normal sugar until it’s just so, I mix brown sugar and cream until it’s the right consistency, bring it to a boil, and then either add more brown sugar or more cream, depending on the texture. For this, you want it to be quite thick. I added a little salt to cut through the sweet, but that’s optional of course, I know it's not for everyone!

Gently coax it over the side.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Do this all the way around the cake. As things cool, you can even go around again and add some where it needs it.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

So drippy.

Now go back and do the rest of the middle of the cake, just being really gentle. You’ll need wayyyy less than you think you will!

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

Top it with those fantastic White Chocolate Meringue Cookies from last week.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

This is it.

The cake of my dreams.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

All that taunting.

All that waiting.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

It all comes down to the perfect drip.

The perfect slice.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

And ooooooh man. Just promise me that you’ll cut your slices smaller than the one up there. This cake is SWEET. But oooooh so delicious.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

This cake just not even fair. Not even at all.

White Chocolate & Caramel Drip Cake - I Say Nomato Nightshade Free Food Blog

I’ll never forgive you. But I have a feeling we’ll both be okay with that.

White Chocolate and Caramel Drip Cake
A rich, heavy poundcake smothered in air-light white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream, covered in mini chocolate chips, crushed pecans, and a thick caramel sauce.
Servings: 1 4-level 8" Round Cake
Author: Cristina
Ingredients
Pound Cake (makes 2 layers, double for 4):
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups white , granulated sugar
  • 4 sticks unsalted butter , cubed and room temperature (you can use shortening)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 oz . white chocolate
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream
Quick and Easy Caramel
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 5 Tbsp brown sugar
  • OPTIONAL: 1 Tbsp of coarse salt (I love this addition, as it cuts the sweetness a bit, but it's not for everyone)
Optional Toppings:
  • 2 cups mini chocolate chips
  • 2 cups crushed pecans
Instructions
Pound Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F
  2. In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.
  3. Set your mixer on medium and add the eggs and vanilla.
  4. Alternate adding milk and sifted flour, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
  5. Add baking powder and salt, and beat for 5 minutes.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes if using 8" round pans, or 1hr if using 9x13 rectangular baking pan.
  7. Remove from the oven and make sure they're cooled COMPLETELY before you take them out of their pans and try to level them.
Quick and Easy Caramel
  1. In a pot on the stove, mix the brown sugar and cream, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 30 seconds, before bringing down to a simmer. The mixture should thicken. You want it to be quite thick for the drips, so add more brown sugar or cream as necessary.
  2. This should be ROOM TEMPERATURE before you try to put it on the cake!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  1. Melt your white chocolate and cream in a small pot on low heat over the stove OR in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring often. Bring it to ROOM TEMPERATURE before you try to add it to the buttercream, or else you'll have a mess. Make sure that you give it a stir now and then so it doesn't solidify.
  2. Fill a small to medium-sized pot with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil on the stove.
  3. In a metal mixing bowl, add your egg whites and sugar, and place over the pot. Make sure that no part of the bowl is touching the boiling water, but rather sitting over it.
  4. Whisking constantly, bring the eggs and sugar to 140°-160°F. If you stick your fingers in, you shouldn't feel any sugar granules, but the mixture is still warm, not hot. It will look quite foamy.
  5. Using the whisk attachment for your mixer, set the speed to high, and whisk your meringue until it's glossy, smooth, and forms stiff peaks. (About 3-7 minutes)
  6. Set the speed to low, and add in your cubes of butter, waiting a few seconds in between each one. Let it mix. It'll go through some pretty gross-looking stages, but just be patient, eventually you will end up with a beautifully smooth, light buttercream! (About 5-10 minutes)
  7. Keeping the speed on low, pour in your room temperature white chocolate and wait until it's all mixed in.
Decorating the Cake
  1. Do a crumb coat, or once-over with a thin layer of buttercream, and then pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes so all those crumbs get sealed in.
  2. Now frost the rest, trying to make it as smooth as possible.
  3. Using the palm of your hand, press the chocolate chips and pecans in all the way around.
  4. With a spoon, gently encourage the room temperature caramel over the side. Go back over a second time if you need to. You will need less caramel than you think you will!
  5. Top with last week's White Chocolate Meringue Cookies (http://halifaxbloggers.ca/isaynomato/2015/12/10/white-chocolate-meringue-cookies/) for a finished look!

 

 

About the author

Cristina

An avid lover of all things East Coast and delicious, Cristina blogs at I Say Nomato, a site dedicated to exploring and inventing allergy-friendly food. When she's not experimenting in the kitchen, she can be found curled up with a good book or planning her next adventure.