White chocolate. The sweeter, more buttery neighbour to everyone’s favourite sweet treat, and the perfect filling and topping for a delicious cake. If you’ve been tasked with baking a stunning, delicious birthday cake for a white-chocolate-crazed loved one (or maybe you just want to bake yourself a little treat - why not, you deserve it!), then you might be looking for some ideas of how to incorporate this sweet snack.
Luckily for you, we are going to explore what white chocolate is, why it is so popular and give you a few different ideas of what you can do with white chocolate for a birthday cake.
What is white chocolate?
White chocolate is a type of confectionery that is made with milk, sugar and cocoa butter. It is different from milk and dark chocolate because it doesn’t contain any cocoa powder or cocoa solids at all.
It’s the cocoa butter and milk that give white chocolate its buttery, velvety texture, and the high sugar content that provides the sweet, luxurious taste that white chocolate is known for.
Can white chocolate be considered chocolate?
You may be thinking ‘what? Of course white chocolate is chocolate - it’s in the name!’ And while we completely understand the confusion, white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate.
This is because, while it contains cocoa butter which is derived from a cocoa bean, it doesn’t contain cocoa solids - which are required to make the sweet treat classed as chocolate!
Why is white chocolate so popular?
The fact that white chocolate isn’t technically chocolate doesn’t seem to matter. In fact, as of 2013, almost $1.5 billion worth of white chocolate was consumed around the world, and its popularity is growing - especially among millennials and Gen Z; 17% of millennial consumers ranked white chocolate as their favourite! White chocolate sales also grew by 12% in 2021, as opposed to milk and dark chocolate, which only grew by 9%.
But why is white chocolate so popular? Well there are a number of different reasons really. Firstly, it’s incredibly yummy on its own. But as well as this, it pairs well with almost any other ingredient (fruit, matcha, macadamia nuts - the list is endless) without overpowering - we’re looking at you, dark chocolate!
Because of this sweet but mellow taste, white chocolate is also used alongside milk and dark chocolate in a number of different confectioneries (think cookies, brownies and cakes!)
White chocolate birthday cake ideas
So, now that we have spoken about what white chocolate is and why so many people love it, let’s finally dive into some ideas of how to incorporate white chocolate into your loved one’s birthday cake.
Use white chocolate in the cake batter
Possibly the most obvious way to incorporate white chocolate into your birthday cake is by using it within the cake mix. Start making a classic Victoria Sponge cake, and just before adding the mixture to the tins, fold in some finely chopped white chocolate (or white chocolate chips if you’re too lazy to chop!)
When the chocolate is well distributed, evenly split your delicious chocolatey mixture across the tins and bake up a delicious white chocolate sponge!
Make a white chocolate buttercream
If you don’t want to make a white chocolate sponge (or you do but you also want to go OTT white chocolate!) another way to incorporate it into your bake is by making a white chocolate buttercream filling.
White chocolate buttercream is a rich, creamy buttercream icing made with melted white chocolate, designed to be used as the filling between each sponge layer. It’s easy to make, with just four ingredients: melted white chocolate, unsalted butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt, slowly mixed together until smooth. Vanilla extract can be added for taste as well.
Add a decadent white chocolate ganache coating
If you really want to go all out, you could coat your sumptuous cake in a luxurious, creamy white chocolate ganache. White Chocolate Ganache is a creamy mixture made from white chocolate, heavy cream, and butter, making it perfect for icing your cake.
To make, heat double cream over a medium heat until it begins to bubble and pour over finely chopped white chocolate. Leave the chocolate to melt into the cream for around a minute before using a hand blender or a whisk to blend the cream and chocolate from the centre of the bowl outwards.
If you still have lumps of unmelted chocolate, heat the ganache in the microwave in 5 second bursts until the chocolate has completely melted, stirring in between each burst. Leave to cool until it is at a spreadable consistency, and then pour over your cake.
What to pair with white chocolate for a birthday cake?
You may want chocolate on chocolate on chocolate - which sounds delicious! However, you may want to break up the sweetness of the white chocolate with a different flavour. As we’ve already mentioned, white chocolate pairs well with almost anything, but if you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some of our favourites:
- White chocolate and raspberry - The tanginess of the raspberries cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate for a delicious, mouthwatering taste.
- White chocolate and strawberry - Similarly to raspberries, white chocolate and strawberry is an age-old pairing, simply because the two taste so good together.
- White chocolate and matcha - The rich umami flavouring of matcha balances the buttery, sweet qualities of white chocolate perfectly.
- White chocolate and macadamia nuts - The rich flavour of macadamia nuts beautifully complements white chocolate’s creamy flavour.
- White chocolate and lime - Possibly a flavour combination you weren’t expecting, the tart, acidic taste of lime contradicts the sugary flavour of white chocolate, leaving a beautifully balanced bite.
How Gaya’s Cakes can help
If we’ve scared you off with all of this white chocolate chat, or you simply devoured the cake you baked before you’ve had the chance to sing ‘happy birthday’, we can help!
We have a range of different layer cakes, cupcakes and sweet treats to suit everyone’s tastes. We bake and decorate all of our cakes with the finest ingredients to ensure that our customers get the best quality products all the time.
Browse our cake collection online, or visit our bakery in Putney!
