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12) Hot Air Balloon Cake with Sugar Basket

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 8- inch round cake layers cooled
  • 1 batch buttercream about 3 cups
  • Food coloring: blue white, and 2 contrasting colors
  • 1 small foam ball 4-inch or baked half-sphere cake
  • 1 sheet sugar paste/gum paste 3 oz
  • 4 wooden skewers 6 inches
  • 1 small square cardboard 3x3 inches
  • 1 cup mini candies or sprinkles

Method
 

  1. Level the two 8-inch rounds and stack with 1 cup buttercream; chill 15 minutes.
  2. Crumb-coat the stacked cake with 1 cup buttercream; chill 20 minutes.
  3. Tint remaining buttercream blue and lightly texture with an offset spatula for sky effect.
  4. Attach foam ball or half-sphere to cake top with a dab of buttercream; secure using two skewers pushed into cake.
  5. Roll gum paste into a small basket shape and let dry 1–2 hours; if using candy, skip drying.
  6. Insert four skewers into cake around sphere, trim to same height, and drape a thin gum-paste “net” or piped icing between skewers.
  7. Place basket on board, attach to skewers with extra buttercream, and add candies or cloud piping around base.