Today is a big day! It’s May the Fourth, aka #StarWarsDay, the finale of The Clone Wars, and the third anniversary of my blog Popcorner Reviews!
I spent all weekend baking Star Wars themed treats — honestly, that’s pretty standard for me — and I have some exciting posts and updates to share this week (the image below is a teaser!).
Just what might I be planning? I’ve got FOUR new Star Wars recipes, a giveaway (it is absolutely adorable), and an exciting announcement! Make sure to follow along so you don’t miss anything.
In honor of the finale of the The Clone Wars, now available to stream on Disney+, I’m sharing a new Star Wars drip cake inspired by an amazing Star Wars character — Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka is strong, compassionate, fierce, and I can’t think of a reason why I wouldn’t make her into a cake! (It is the sincerest form of flattery, don’t you know?)
Find the recipe below and stay tuned for another Star Wars cake coming to the blog this week inspired by another Clone Wars character — Maul!
Star Wars Drip Cake Tutorial VIDEO — Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano Cake — A Star Wars Drip Cake
What You Need:
CAKE
- Three 6-inch circular cakes (add in blue and orange sprinkles prior to baking for fun Ahsoka funfetti!)
BUTTERCREAM ICING
- 4 sticks of salted butter, room temperature
- 2 lbs. of powder sugar (1 bag), sifted
- 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- 3-5 tbsp. milk
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 1/6 c. heavy whipping cream (aka 2 tbsp. + 2 tsp.)
- 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
DECORATING TOOLS
- Food gel coloring — blue, orange
- White-white icing color
- Assorted sprinkles — blue, orange, white
- Angled spatula
- Icing bags
- Icing couplers
- Icing tips — medium star tip
- Serrated knife
- 6-inch cake board
- Cake spinner
- Icing scraper
- Ahsoka design template — DOWNLOAD
- Tano cake topper template
Prepare and bake three 6-inch circular cakes — you choose the flavor! I went with a vanilla cake with added blue and orange sprinkles for an Ahsoka take on funfetti!
CAKE BAKING TIPS: Grease your cake pans and then sprinkle flour all over the surface. Next, cut out a circular piece of parchment paper and lay it on the base of the pan before pouring the batter into the pans. These steps will help your cakes slide right out of the pan once they cool.
Once your cakes are out of the oven, set them aside to cool. Then, using a serrated knife, level off the top of the cake, if needed.
Before you begin to ice your cooled cakes, place your cake on a cake board and a cake spinner.
Next, it’s time to prepare your buttercream icing.
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat your softened butter until fluffy and creamy (this is an important step!). Then, add vanilla and and a tablespoon or so of milk. Mix, then add half of your powdered sugar. Add the remaining milk and powdered sugar, and mix until incorporated. (I let my stand mixer go for several minutes until the buttercream mixture is creamy). Taste test to be sure it’s perfect!
Set aside two small bowls of icing and color one with blue food coloring and a second one with white-white icing color. With the remaining majority of icing, color it orange.
Next, add an orange buttercream crumb coat to your cakes. Place your first cake on top of your cake board and add a generous amount of icing to the top of it. Then, using your angled spatula, smooth the icing out across the top of the first cake.
Once your icing is smooth and even, place your second cake on top. Repeat the process, adding a layer of icing to the top of the second cake. Spread the icing across the top of the second cake with your angled spatula and spread the excess icing over the edge of the cake. Repeat process for your third cake, smoothing the top buttercream layer.
Add buttercream around the edge of your cake. Then, using your angled spatula, smooth the icing around your cake.
Next, place your cake in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Once your cake has had a chance to chill, add an additional buttercream layer to the cake. Smooth with your angled spatula and return your cake to the fridge for an additional 10-20 minutes.
Remove your cake from the fridge, and use your icing scraper to get that extra smooth buttercream surface. Tip! Run your icing scraper under hot water for a few seconds and then dry it off prior to using it to smooth your buttercream. This will help your icing be extra smooth.
Next, add your Ahsoka Tano design to the front of your cake with white buttercream. Since buttercream is off-white, you can add some white-white icing color to brighten up the buttercream color. Then, take your Ahsoka Tano design stencil and carefully press it to the middle of the front of your cake. Use a knife to spread white buttercream over the opening of the stencil, then carefully remove the stencil to reveal your Ahsoka design left on your cake.
Before adding your white chocolate ganache, carefully transfer your cake from your cake spinner to your cake plate or cake stand.
Heat your heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl for approx. a minute (or until it begins to bubble). Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave (it will be hot!) and add your white chocolate chips to the bowl. Let the chips soften, stirring to combine. Place the bowl back in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour half of the ganache into a second bowl, then color one bowl with white-white icing color and the other with blue food coloring.
Test one drip in the back of the cake first to ensure you have the right consistency and “drippage” before continuing.
Then, starting with the blue white chocolate ganache, use a spoon to add a small amount of blue ganache to the top edge of the cake on either side of the Ahsoka design, letting it roll down the edge. Be careful not to add the ganache too close to the design, as you do not want the ganache to cover the Ahsoka design.
Continue adding blue drips around the top edge of your cake (this is a great way to hide any flaws in your icing too!), then add white ganache drips in between each blue drip so that they are alternating color around the cake. Lastly, before the ganache sets, cover the top of your cake with ganache by spreading it out smooth across the top, but it doesn’t have to be perfect (we’ve still got the sprinkles!).
The final steps are for decorating! Add your white and blue buttercream to icing bags with star tips. Then, around the top and bottom edges of your cake, add small mounds of icing in alternating colors. Then, cover the top of the cake in assorted sprinkles and add some around the base of your cake, if desired.
Complete your drip cake with a Tano cake topper, using the template supplied in the list above.
And there you have it! A Star Wars drip cake inspired by Ahsoka Tano.
Find more Star Wars recipes and Star Wars DIYs to try!