How to Drip Icing on the Edge of Any Cake for Instant Dram a

There is something to be said for a beautifully-decorated cake. It instantly becomes the showpiece at any party, the recipient of countless compliments. There are plenty of techniques for decorating a beautiful cake, some more difficult than others. But trust us when we say that creating an icing drip may just be one of the easiest, but also stunning, ways to decorate a layer cake.

Frosting a cake can be tricky, but we're here with a surefire technique to mask any imperfections. Mix a loose icing or ganache to spread over the top of your cake and allow to drip down the sides. Not only does this icing drip look really lovely, but it also hides any small mistakes in your frosting job, making it a perfect technique for beginners.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

If you're looking for an icing with just the right consistency, give the frosting in our Devil's Food Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting and Ganache a try. To create an icing drop on your cake edge, start with a smooth-frosted cake. Then it's as simple as pouring your drip icing over the top of the cake and spooning more around the edge to drip down the sides. You'll want to make sure that your icing is thick enough to hold its shape (otherwise it will run off the sides of the cake), but thin enough to spread. And voilà—you have a layer cake with a beautiful icing drip.

Here's our step-by-step guide to creating an icing drip on your next layer cake.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Step 1

Make sure the drip icing is cool but not cold. Slowly pour about half of it over the top of the cake.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Step 2

Spoon more icing around top edge of cake so that it drips down. Spoon remaining icing onto center of cake.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Step 3

If needed, use the spoon to nudge the icing down the sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top.