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Perfect Gold Drip Leo Birthday Cake with Sunflower Buttercream

Gold Drip Leo Birthday Cake - featured image
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A radiant and warm birthday cake featuring a moist, fluffy texture with a unique floral nuttiness from sunflower buttercream and a shimmering edible gold drip. Perfect for celebrations and Leo season.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour (or cake flour for a lighter crumb)
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature (or sunflower milk)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seed butter
  • 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
  • 1 cup (260g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup (130g) sunflower seed butter (smooth, unsalted)
  • 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk (for buttercream consistency)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for buttercream)
  • Pinch of salt (for buttercream)
  • 4 oz (115g) white chocolate, chopped
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) heavy cream (for gold drip)
  • Edible gold luster dust
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. If batter curdles, add a spoonful of flour mixture to bring it back.
  5. Mix in sunflower seed butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk in two parts, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops, and bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  9. Beat softened butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy.
  10. Add sunflower butter, vanilla, salt, and cream one tablespoon at a time until spreadable consistency is reached.
  11. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread thick layer of sunflower buttercream on top. Add second layer and cover entire cake with thin crumb coat. Chill 30 minutes.
  12. Apply final thick coat of buttercream, smoothing with offset spatula.
  13. Heat heavy cream until just simmering, pour over chopped white chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, stir until smooth.
  14. Add sunflower oil and edible gold luster dust until glowing sheen is achieved. Cool until slightly thickened but pourable.
  15. Using spoon or squeeze bottle, drip golden ganache around cake edges and over top. Chill cake to set drip.
  16. Garnish with fresh edible flowers or sunflower petals if desired. Slice and serve.

Notes

Use softened butter at room temperature for best creaming results. Avoid overmixing batter after adding flour to prevent toughness. Chill crumb-coated cake before final frosting for smooth finish. For gold drip, ensure ganache is warm but not hot for controlled dripping. Buttercream can be made up to 2 days ahead and re-whipped before use. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator up to 4 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: gold drip cake, sunflower buttercream, birthday cake, Leo birthday cake, celebration cake, drip cake, moist cake, floral buttercream

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