Hello friends! I am absolutely THRILLED to be making Drake on Cakes with you this coming Saturday (February 27th just in case you forgot). This is one of my very favorite classes to teach in person at The Bakehouse and I know we’ll have just as much fun doing it together online!
As we mentioned before you bought your ticket, you’ll arrive to class (in your very own kitchen with your very own computer) Saturday morning having already baked your cake layers. Together we’ll make an American Buttercream and frost our two layer cake. I’ll show you some basic piping and writing tips. I’ll also show you how I style my cake and a little scene around it.
Are you ready? There are a few things you’ll need. Certainly don’t feel compelled to have every single thing. Grab what feels good to you and let’s have a good time!
The Cake:
The two layer cake you make is entirely up to you! You could make Everybody’s Birthday Cake. You could make a chocolate version of Everybody’s Birthday Cake. You could make your favorite cake from your favorite baking book. You could whip up a boxed funfetti cake – really anything you like!
I’m going to bake my cake layers the night before class and store them wrapped in the refrigerator until class starts. It’s always easier to frost a cooled and chilled cake. I suggest you do the same but if you bake the cakes the morning of class just make sure they’re cooled completely to room temperature before frosting.
The Frosting:
We’ll be making a big batch of American Buttercream for this cake. We’re making a big batch so we have plenty to pipe and decorate with. Any extra buttercream is really nice as a filling between cookies or stores in the freezer well! Recipe below.
The Lyric:
Now the questions is, what Drake poetry is going to grace your cake? You might already have a lyric in mind! It’s a great idea to go into class knowing what short Drake quip you want to on your cake. It will help you build a theme and color story. There’s no easy way of going about finding your Drake lyric. I just…. listen to a lot of Drake and look for gems short enough to write on a cake – usually up to six or seven words max. You can look at @drakeoncake for inspiration (and absolutely use any of those lyrics that resonate) or there’s this Buzzfeed article that dives into some of the best Drake lyrics (though not every one is short enough to be cake worthy).
The Tools:
To frost and decorate our cakes we’ll use:
• an offset or frosting spatula
• a cup of hot water
• a rotating cake stand and grease-proof cake cardboard. I use this sturdy cake stand and these boards (that you can find at a store like Michael’s in a smaller quantity.)
• piping bags. I have a combination of these professional bags and these disposable bags. You’ll want at least two, maybe three or four bags.
• a few piping and writing tips. I typically use Wilton 4 or Wilton 5 for writing. A set of border tips will also be nice (linked though you can certainly find these at a craft or cake decorating store)
• a set of cake decorating color gels. This is a nice starter kit.
• a can of store-bought chocolate frosting for writing or accents. Not required just nice to have on hand.
• I have also used fondant, a rolling pin, gel colors, and letter cookie cutters to make letters instead of piping them! I’ll show you how to do this during class if you’d like to have the tools on hand!
The Decorations:
Think about the color direction you’d like to head in before splurging on sprinkles, cake decorating color gels, and decorations. I often think chocolate frosting is great for writing lyrics because it’s so readable and I sure do buy pre-made chocolate frosting at the grocery store for that.
I’ve linked just a few sprinkles below from Amazon though I also head to either Michaels or a cake decorating store to buy small sprinkle packs and make my own sprinkle mix. Also consider cake toppers, streamers, edible confetti, tiny party hats… there are no limits! More is more!
Primary Purple and Pinks Sprinkles.
All Natural and Vegan Field Day and Full of Heart Sprinkles
Glitter and gold sprinkles.
The Props:
I’ll show you how I style my Drake on Cake photos and the honest truth is that I collect little trinkets from around my house and add them to the photo. I like to layer in confetti, a cake stand, a linen, costume jewelry, fresh flowers, candy (I love Runts lol), lipstick tubes, small books or magazines, baking supplies, small plates and forks. Anything that tells the story of your chosen lyric in a cheeky way. Really – anything goes. Take a look at the styling on @drakeoncake and look around your own house for trinkets. The idea is to make this fun and personal!
See you real soon friends! Can wait to Drake on Cake with you! xo
PrintBAKEHOUSE LIVE: Drake on Cake American Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 sticks unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, warm
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- The butter should be room temperature, about 70 degrees. You should be able to press your finger into the stick of butter easily.
- In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment (the rubber scraper paddle is preferable), slowly mix the butter and the vanilla bean paste together just until combined. Add the powdered sugar slowly while the mixer is set to its lowest setting.
- As soon as the butter and powdered sugar are mixed, add the warm or room temperature whole milk and pinch of salt. Mix using the lowest speed for 10 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on low for another 10 seconds.
- Lift the standing mixer. The frosting should easily separate from the paddle. If it’s still too firm, add 1 additional tablespoon of warm milk and mix until combined.
- With a rubber spatula, press the frosting against the sides of the bowl to eliminate any air bubbles.
