Balloon Cake
One of my most popular recipes! How to make an adorable Balloon cake, topped with gelatin bubbles to look like a bunny holding balloons!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 765kcal
Equipment
- small piping bag + small round tip (linked is a set that contains both)
- 14-18 small water balloons (to dip to make gelatin bubbles)
Ingredients
Balloon Cake layers
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, room temperature)
- 5 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- ⅛ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup rainbow jimmy sprinkles (*not* non-pareils; they’ll dissolve and turn the cake grayish-brown!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (or 2 sticks, softened)
- 6-7 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
- 1-2 drops teal gel food coloring (I used Americolor teal)
Gelatin Balloons & Decorations
- 4 packages unflavored gelatin (0.25 oz each; about 4 Tablespoons)
- ½ cup cold water
- lustre dust (optional; if you want to add a bit of sparkle!)
- 2-3 drops liquid pink food coloring
- 2-3 drops liquid yellow food coloring
- 2-3 drops liquid green food coloring
- Sprinkle mix of your choice (optional; I used a seasonal mix, but this one is very similar)
- 4 ounces White gum paste or fondant (I used Satin Ice gum paste, but it comes in huuuge containers. Here’s a link to a smaller package of white fondant! I also mixed a bit of yellow gel color into a small lump of fondant to make the present next to the bunny, and a paintbrush with a bit of pink food color for the inside of the ears.)
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
Gelatin Bubbles
- First things first - gelatin balloons need about 24 hours of drying time! You'll want to make them a day ahead of assembling and decorating the cake.
- Inflate and tie off 14+ water balloons to about the size of the balloons you'd like to use on the cake; most of mine were 1 ½ - 2 inches or so.
- Combine gelatin, water, and lustre dust (optional) in a microwave-safe bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. The mix should become thick fairly quickly. Microwave in 10-second intervals, until melted. Divide into 3 small bowls and add food coloring. Allow to cool until no longer hot but still liquid.
- Dip balloons into the gelatin mixture, coating them close to the knot. You'll see in the video I used paper clips and a mug rack to dry them, but you can place them knot-side-down on a cooling rack as well. Dip balloons once for a light pastel color, or twice for a deeper color (re-dip after 5-10 minutes; you may need to re-melt your gelatin mixture if it solidifies). I added a few sprinkles to some of my balloons, but this is optional. Dry 12-24 hours. Allow longer drying time if bubbles are bending/cracking when you remove the balloons.
Balloon Cake layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured cooking spray, or grease and line with parchment rounds.
- Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix bits of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour in eggs and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk on a low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 34-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans – it helps to run an offset spatula or knife around the perimeter of the pan first. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
- Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any browned bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming. If you try to trim the layers while they’re still warm, they will crumble and break. (This is a great time to make your frosting and other decorations!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined. Reserve about 1/2 cup of white frosting to pipe the balloon strings, and color the rest light teal.
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle.
- Spread the layer with frosting, and add the next layer on top. (I added a sprinkle of rainbow jimmies in between my cake layers for more color, but this is optional!) Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or freezer to set the frosting.
- Once the frosting is set, transfer your white frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
- Pipe the balloon strings onto the side of the cake, stopping at the top.
Balloons & Decorations
- To make the bunny, I used one large and seven small lumps of fondant – the largest for the body, a small round lump for the head, two oblong arms, two small flattened legs, and oblong ears. Shape the bunny as shown in the photo/video; using a bit of water to help adhere the pieces together. Don't sweat it if the ears won't stay; they'll stick to the frosting on the side of the cake.
- Arrange the gelatin balloons on top of the cake – I used a bit of corn syrup to stick the top balloons to the lower ones. Add the fondant decorations at the base of the cake. Add a few sprinkles to the top of the cake and around the base!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate. Nutrition information also does not include gum paste or gelatin bubbles.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice (1/16th cake) | Calories: 765kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g