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Perfect Gold Drip Leo Birthday Sheet Cake Recipe with Sunflower Buttercream Frosting

gold drip leo birthday sheet cake - featured image
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A moist, tender birthday sheet cake with a silky sunflower buttercream frosting and a classy edible gold drip, perfect for celebrating Leos or any special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120g) plain Greek yogurt (optional)
  • For the Sunflower Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) sunflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2–4 tablespoons (30-60ml) heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • For the Gold Drip:
  • ½ cup (90g) white chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon edible gold luster dust mixed with a few drops of clear alcohol or lemon extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch sheet pan or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a mixer bowl, beat softened butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Mix in whole milk, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt until combined.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, beating on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  8. To make sunflower buttercream, beat softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed.
  9. Add sunflower oil, vanilla extract, and salt. Adjust consistency with heavy cream to get a smooth, spreadable frosting.
  10. Spread buttercream evenly over cooled cake using an offset spatula. Chill cake in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  11. Melt white chocolate chips with heavy cream over low heat until smooth. Let cool slightly.
  12. Brush edible gold paint (gold luster dust mixed with alcohol or lemon extract) onto the white chocolate glaze.
  13. Drizzle white chocolate glaze along edges of chilled cake to create drip effect. Then brush gold paint over the drip for metallic shine.
  14. Return cake to fridge for 10 minutes to set the drip. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Chill the cake before applying the gold drip to prevent sliding. Use light-tasting sunflower oil for the buttercream to avoid overpowering vanilla flavor. Mix edible gold dust with clear alcohol or lemon extract for smooth application. Pipe a thin border around the cake edge before dripping to catch excess glaze.

Nutrition

Keywords: birthday cake, gold drip cake, sunflower buttercream, sheet cake, Leo birthday cake, easy birthday cake, moist cake, edible gold drip

Find it online: https://sofiaspice.com/perfect-gold-drip-leo-birthday-sheet-cake-recipe-with-sunflower-buttercream-frosting-tutorial/