Gelatin Bubbles
I had never made gelatin bubbles before, but needed to make a bubble-inspired baby shower cake!
Gelatin bubbles always intrigued me, but seemed so complicated. I also despise the smell of unflavored gelatin, but decided to put my opinions aside for this project.
After a few rounds of experimenting, I realized gelatin bubbles are easier to make than you’d think. The active time isn’t too bad, but they do take quite a while to dry.
Gelatin Bubble Troubleshooting & Helpful Tips
I followed Cake Central’s tutorial as a starting point and learned a ton throughout this process.
I had some gelatin bubble triumphs, like having some of my gelatin bubbles actually end up being circular!
But I also had some struggles. I repeat, do not turn a fan on and point it directly at the balloons while they are drying…they WILL fly off your counter!!
Clearly, making these gelatin bubbles was an emotional roller coaster. But I promise, this story has a happy ending.
Hopefully, you can use the tips I share below to easily make perfect gelatin bubbles.
The recipe included below makes enough bubbles to cover the top of an 8-inch layer cake.
Tip #1: Keep Your Gelatin Warm
The first problem I ran into when making these bubbles was keeping my gelatin the right consistency.
If it cools off too much, it’s hard to dip the balloons in and gets kind of a goopy texture. This makes it difficult to get an even coating on each balloon.
If the gelatin cools off and thickens while you’re dipping the balloons, pop the gelatin into the microwave and heat for 10 seconds to get it back to the right consistency.
The most important thing is to keep an eye on the gelatin and heat it if it gets too thick. No one wants a lumpy, uneven gelatin bubble!!
Tip #2: Scoop Out Any Foam or Little Bubbles from the Gelatin
After heating up the gelatin, you may notice small bubbles or foam on top of the gelatin.
Carefully spoon them out of the container. This will cause your gelatin bubbles to have a cloudy, bubbly surface.
I dipped one balloon into the mixture before removing the little bubbles, and this is how it turned out! It was riddled with little bubbles and cloudy once it hardened.
Not terrible, but not quite the look I was after.
Tip #3: Use Small Balloons & Don’t Inflate Them Fully
As I began this project, I blew up some small balloons into varying sizes (1 inch to 3 inches in diameter).
I did my best to shape them into circles. But you know what? BALLOONS AREN’T SPHERES! They’re oblong. My makeshift way around this was to tie the knot very high up on the neck of the balloon.
This was easiest to do when the balloons weren’t fully inflated. I recommend leaving yourself a bit of room to work with when blowing them up.
Tip #4: Coat Your Balloons with the Right Amount of Shortening
Trust me on this one. It is absolutely essential that you lather up each balloon with a thin coat of shortening.
This step lets you easily remove the balloon from the hardened gelatin.
While you may be tempted to completely slather the balloon with shortening, a thin layer works best!
If you don’t wipe away any excess shortening (white areas), the gelatin won’t stick to the balloon and take shape.
You’ll either end up with white cloudy spots on your gelatin bubbles or uncovered batches of balloons. And no one wants that!!
Tip #5: Shake Off the Excess Gelatin
As you dip each balloon into the gelatin, shake off the excess.
If you don’t, the gelatin will drip off the balloon and harden in strands like in the photo below.
If this happens, though, don’t worry! You can gently pinch the strand of gelatin to remove it before it fully hardens, and it won’t be very noticeable.
Excess gelatin can also dry at the base of the balloon and make your bubbles appear darker on the bottom.
Tip #6: Carefully Use a Fan to Help the Gelatin Bubbles Dry Faster
This tip helps speed up the drying process. Without a little breeze, these gelatin bubbles can take up to 12 hours to firm up.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the patience or the time to wait overnight!! If you do have the time and a safe area, you can let these dry; by all means, go for it.
If you want to speed up this process, you can use a small fan on a LOW SPEED to shorten the drying time.
In full transparency, when I first pointed my fan at my bubbles, 1/3 of them flew off the counter and fell on the ground.
Start by placing the fan a safe distance away from the bubbles, at the lowest possible speed. With the help of the fan, my bubbles dried after about 4 hours.
One strange thing to keep in mind as the gelatin firms up. The gelatin will actually contract a bit and shrink. This will create loud, crackling sounds.
At first, I was convinced my bubbles were shattering, but I was relieved to realize it just meant they were drying quickly!
Tip #7: Pop the Balloons with a Sharp Pair of Scissors
Now that you’ve invested hours into these gelatin bubbles, it might seem crazy to just pop the balloons with scissors.
But I promise your bubbles will be strong once they’ve dried. It also helps if you use a good, sharp pair of kitchen scissors.
The balloon should easily pull away from the bubbles thanks to the shortening we spread on them.
There were a couple places where I skimped on the shortening, and the balloons got indented as I removed the balloons.
Like I mentioned earlier, you’ll be shocked by how sturdy your bubbles end up being. This is also what makes it easy to trim the jagged edges with scissors.
But to my surprise, I realized I could simply pop out the indent!!
And then you should be left with cute little gelatin bubbles!
Tip #8: Make These Gelatin Bubbles in Advance
I recommend making these gelatin bubbles ahead of time because the process is rather time-consuming!
The bubbles can be stored in an airtight container for several days at room temperature.
I couldn’t resist sharing a shot of the cake I decorated with these bubbles! Once the bubbles were dry, I used them to decorate this buttercream cake.
I simply pressed them into the buttercream and stacked them on top of each other.
DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend actually eating the bubbles. Although they are edible, they don’t taste great (plain gelatin!!).
These are much more of a decorative touch than an edible garnish.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try my gelatin bubble tutorial, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a comment and rating below.
Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your beautiful creations on social media.
Gelatin Bubbles
Ingredients
Gelatin Bubbles:
- 6 Tbsp unflavored gelatin 56g
- 3/4 cup cold water 180g
- gel food coloring
- 3 Tbsp shortening
- paper towels to wipe the shortening
- luster dust optional
Instructions
- Partially inflate 30 small balloons, tying a knot high up at the neck of the balloon to make it into a (somewhat) spherical shape. If desired, tie the balloon to the end of paper straw to make it easier to handle.
- Cover each balloon with a thin coat of shortening. You shouldn't be able to see any white streaks of shortening. The bubbles should just look shiny and lightly greased. This will make it easier to remove the balloons later in the process.
- Then add 3/4 cup of cold water to a small, heat-proof bowl. Pour in 6 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin (ratio should always be 2 parts water, 1 part gelatin). Gently swirl the water in the bowl to fully hydrate the gelatin in the water. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes to let the gelatin bloom (absorb water).
- Once the mixture firms up, pop the bowl into the microwave for about 20 seconds (time can vary based on your microwave). The gelatin should be warm and very fluid, but not hot to the touch.
- Stir in a few drops of gel food coloring and/or luster dust (if desired). Make sure the gelatin is fully dissolved at this stage. If it's not, heat it in additional 10 second intervals and stir in between until it's fully melted. If you notice small bubbles or foam on top of the gelatin, carefully spoon it out of the container. This will cause your gelatin bubbles to have a cloudy, bubbly, surface.
- Gently dip each balloon into the gelatin, rolling it to cover a majority of the balloon. Make sure each balloon is covered in a thin, even coat of gelatin. Gently shake off any excess gelatin. If you tied the balloons to straws, place them in a heavy glass to dry like in the photos above. If you skipped the straws, rest the balloons with the tie side down on a cooling rack.
- If the gelatin cools off and thickens while you're dipping the balloons, pop the gelatin into the microwave and heat for 10 seconds to get it back to the right consistency.
- Once all the balloons are dipped, dip them one more time. Two coats of gelatin help them be stronger and more brightly colored.
- Let the balloons sit for about 12 hours, or overnight, to let them fully harden. If you're in a time crunch, you can use a fan to speed up the drying process (it takes about 4 hours with a fan). If you choose to use a fan, let the balloons rest for about 30 minutes (I found they had started to harden by this point), then use a small fan (on a LOW SPEED) to speed up the rest of the drying process. Be VERY careful when you do this. If your fan is too strong, it will blow your bubbles right off your counter!!
- Once the bubbles have hardened, use scissors to gently puncture the exposed balloon. Once it shrinks, gently loosen the balloon from the bubble and remove it.
- If the bubbles collapse a bit during this process, don't worry! They are rather sturdy, and any indents can be popped back into place.
- Then use sharp scissors to trim away any jagged edges around the base of each bubble and use as desired!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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How neat! I can imagine kids I know going bonkers for these. I may have to make them!
Thanks!! They’re a ton of fun to make!
Do you think you could add sugar to the mixture to make them tastier?
I think you’d have to add a TON to make it actually taste better, and I’m not sure how that would affect the gelatin!
Can you use flavored jello?
for this recipe I really recommend plain gelatin! It smells terrible but ensures the bubbles are stiff once they harden!
They look awesome, just wondering if they are edible could you add a bit of sugar or some sort of flavour?
you could probably add some flavoring, but the texture would still be pretty strange!
Hi Chelsey. If you put these on your cake and then the cake in the fridge over night do you think the balls will get gooky and gross?
that’s a good question! I am not sure because I cut into this cake right after making it, but I’d recommend not adding them to the cake until the day of to be safe! The bubbles can be made in advance and sit at room temp, so i’d just wait to add them until you’re ready to transport or serve the cake <3
@Chelsweets, In the recipe you state you can make the cake, gelatin balloons and all, up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Is this correct or not? I am going to make this cake for my daughter’s baby shower but live a few hours away and would like to decorate it the day before.
True! I kept a cake with the little elephant and gelatin balloons on it in the fridge for 7 days, and the gelatin balls help up great. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Ok so my bubbles have been drying at least 2 hrs now with a fan I dont hear cracking does that mean I did them wrong?
Haha not necessarily! as long as they eventually harden and you can remove the bubbles, it’s a success! It might just be that your layer of gelatin is thinner than mine was!
Just wanted to say you cannot put these in the fridge for more than a couple of hours. The humidity is so that they will begin to melt and not look good.
Yes! I do not recommend placing this cake in the fridge once it’s decorated!!
Hey! I wanted to know if i could use agar agar, because im vegan but i loooooove the look of these. Thanks!
i haven’t tried it, so sadly I don’t know! but if you do, please let me know if it works! I’d love to know <3
Hi Chelsea. I know you had mentioned to coat the balloons in shortening in your forward about the recipe but I would also suggest adding that step in the directions in case some people don’t read it.
That is a great point Gillian. I just updated the recipe to include that tip. Thank you!!
Do you know if the balloons can be coated with a thin layer of vegetable oil instead of shortening?
Hi Jenelle,
I’ve never tried vegetable oil, but I’m not sure it would work :/ I think shortening is definitely the safer way to go!
@Chelsweets, I misread the recipe and used olive oil. Did not work! Attempt 2 today.
oh no!! I hope your second attempt was a success!!
Chelsea. Thank you so much for the recipe and guidance. Very clear and precise. I look forward to trying this. I am on a bowling team, so will make them into bowling balls
Aw that is such a fun idea / way to use this recipe JoAnn!! I hope it turns out amazing, I’m sure your team will love it 🙂
What size balloons did you buy? Would 5-inch ones be too big? (I don’t want to open a big package only to learn I need to return it).
Also, can you use regular food coloring or does it have to be gel food coloring? Thank you!
I bought the smallest ones I could find on amazon! they were like water balloons, quite small! I highly recommend gel food coloring to make sure you get a solid color and that you don’t throw off the consistency of the gelatin. Hope that helps Sarah!
Just curious, why is unflavored gelatin recommended and not a flavored jello?
Jello has loads of sugar in it, which can throw off the consistency/ how they set!
I just wanted to ask if we place the bubbles onto a fondant cake and place it in a box in the fridge will that still be not ok ?thank you
Hi Nicoletta! I think it would be best to not at them to the cake until the day you plan to eat it! I haven’t tested the bubbles in the fridge, but i’m worried it could cause condensation which might soften the gelatin and cause them to lose their shape :/
@Chelsweets, In your recipe you state “If you decorate this cake in advance, it can be refrigerated (gelatin balloons and all) for up to a week.” True or false?
True! I kept a cake with the little elephant and gelatin balloons on it in the fridge for 7 days, and the gelatin balls help up great 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsea! I was wondering if you could decorate them with royal icing or fondant? Or will it add moisture to the gelatin and cause it to soften?
Hi Christine! I’ve never added anything to gelatin bubbles other an a dusting or edible glitter, so sadly I’m not sure! However, I do feel like fondant or royal icing might cause them to soften / lose their structure!
Love the balloons, I made some also, I’m not going to lie, they aren’t that easy to coat evenly. But my cake turned out great!
So happy you made gelatin balloons/that your cake turned out great Kathy! It can be hard to get them evenly coated, but I think it gets easier the more you do it! I also trimmed away some parts where it was uneven near the base of the balloon, which helped them look more uniform 🙂
I’m norwegian and I need some help. Shortening? Whats that?! Google translate says it’s abbreviate… and thats not anything i can put on my ballons!! ? Can you use another word for shortening?! I understand it’s a white powder, but which one??
It’s solidified fat! But crisco is a vegetable product. Shortening is any fat that is a solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry and other food products. Although butter is solid at room temperature and is frequently used in making pastry, the term “shortening” seldom refers to butter, but is more closely related to margarine! <3
I made these today using your recipe and instructions, but added some super strength cherry flavouring just to make the smell pleasant. They turned out beautifully! Thank you!
That is SUCH a good idea Sandra!! I need to do that next time! So happy your gelatin bubbles were a big success 🙂
It’s tricky to explain but when you get the pointy oblong bit on the top of your balloon, if you twist this bit and then pull it round and tie it to the tie knot of your balloon, it will create a perfect circular ball shape. I can find a video if that makes no sense!
I’ve never thought of doing that!! I totally have to try that next time I make these 🙂 Thank you for sharing Rachel!!
Hi, anybody know how long these last for. I’m thinking of making a Cinderella coach with one
Hi June! These last for several days, if kept out at room temperature. Hope that helps, happy baking!
@Chelsweets, Some say several days and some say indefinitely if kept in an airtight container. I donate my cakes to Cake4Kids and usually assemble the day before delivery….however, I don’t know when the cake actually gets to the kid. Hopefully, it will work out.
Hi Chulia,
I’ve found they’re quite sturdy, even once they’re on cakes! They should keep their shape until they get to the kid <3
How did you make the golden ones? My mom is turning 65 and I want to make a fun yet elegant cake for her.
I would add not add any gel food coloring to the gelatin, then dust them with edible gold luster dust! You could also paint them with an airbrush with gold paint. Hope that helps, and that your Mom’s bday cake turns out great!!
Can I place them on the cake 1 day before serving? (On a mirror glaze)
I haven’t tested these out on a mirror glaze, so sadly I’m not sure!! I would say adding them as close to when you plan to serve them is probably safest <3
Dear .where it can be setted in freezer or out in an air tight container ?
Hi Fathima,
I’d keep it out at room temperature in an air tight container!
Hi! This looks so fun! I’m baking a circus themed cake for a July birthday and, I’m think these would be really cool on it. Can you tell me if there is a way to make the gelatin bubbles taste good? I’m thinking flavored gelatin but, with the shortening I’m not sure. Kids will be eating the cake and I’m pretty sure they’ll be eating every decorating I put on it. So, I want to make sure it all taste good. I was think isomaly bubbles but, I don’t have the parents to do those.
I added pink dust in my gelatin before it bloomed and then into microwave for 15 sec and myne came out perfect
Hi! When you store these isn’t okay if they touch or will they stick together?? Thanks!
I have used gelatin before to make flowers and designs you know the kind they inject into a bowl of clear gelatin ? Anyway the recipe for that adds citric acid and flavoring to the base and it is such a small amount I don’t think your recipe would be compromised but the citric acid added with the flavoring is how you make it not taste like something my dog would love and more like flavored jello products (which my dog would love as well)
Can you Eat it.
And Would it work if i used Big ballons Not for decoration?.
Thanks
Oh And do you make Any Jello Cakes. I Cant find any receipes!!!!
klaudia.lozano.10@gmail.com
I wonder if you couldn’t just use a flavored one and or ad flavoring to the gelatin like you would when making the jello flowers plain jello with liquid flavor to make a jello mold.cake type thing?
They sounds & looks amazing. I wonder if you added sugar or corn syrup to the mix if it would still work then you could eat them yummm!!! You would have to boil the sugar first to make it syrupy? Worth a try?
How did you make the 3 bubbles in the front of the cake with the little tail like a real balloon? This cake is AWESOME!!!
Aw thanks Teri!! I saved some of the trimmings from the jagged edges of the bubbles and cut them into little triangles! It works like a charm 🙂 Happy baking!
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing! Any idea if the gelatin balloons would retain shape/size at room temperature for several weeks? Contemplating them for part of a gingerbread house… 🙂
Hi Megan,
They totally do! They dry nice and firm and can be kept at room temperature for weeks!! I kept some in a bowl at room temperature for 2 months and they were just fine. Hope that helps and that your gingerbread house turns out great 🙂
I made these two days prior to when I needed them and maybe I should’ve kept them in the balloons until I needed them because when checked on the airtight container prior to decorating they all became misshaped and cat eye like. Attempting to quickly remake them. Other than that mishap the recipe is great I added orange extract to help with smell.
Hi Gina,
I’m so sorry to hear that!! I’ve found that if the layer of gelatin is pretty thick or if I dip them more than twice the gelatin can constrict a lot as it hardens. Maybe that’s what caused them to become shaped like that? Or maybe they weren’t completely hardened before the balloons were removed? I hope the second batch turns out well!
And that’s a great idea to use orange extract to help with the smell 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
How far ahead can I place the bubbles on my buttercream covered caked? Thanks
Great question Pamela! They hold up very well in the fridge on buttercream cakes. I stored a cake in the fridge with them for 5 days and they were still nice and firm. I was so scared they’d get soft, but they didn’t 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
I would be very careful if anyone has a latex allergy!!!
Great point JoAnne!! This a not a good idea for anyone who is allergic or sensitive to latex!
I hoping to make these on a Tuesday for a party on Saturday. Any idea if they’d last that long?
Hi Natalie,
These bubbles last FOREVER (for weeks if stored in an airtight container)! They will absolutely last a week on a cake, even if you add them to the cake and refrigerate it. They hold up very well. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi like to know did you have to wash the balloon before you use it because of the smell and will it taste weird from the stuff on the balloon let me know thanks
Hi Donna,
Great question! Since I didn’t plan to really eat these bubbles I didn’t wash my balloons before using them. The balloons I used didn’t have a super strong smell, but did smell like a balloon/latex. It didn’t make the cake taste or smell weird, so unless your balloons have a super strong smell or you plan to eat the gelatin balloons, you can probably skip washing them. Hope that helps, happy baking!
how did you attach the stacked balloons to each other?? i dont see buttercream (or gelatin) in between them. I might try corn syrup?
Hi Stephanie,
I honestly just kind of stacked them on top of each other because I didn’t need to transport the cake anywhere! You could definitely try corn syrup to stick them together though. Maybe putting it in a piping bag and cutting a tiny opening would make it easier to thinly pipe between the balloons? If you try that, please let me know how it works out!
Hei! The cake looks awesome!
How do you get these colors on the balloons if u dont use food coloring? They just get same colors as the balloons just like that?
Hi Elin,
Thank you 🙂 I use gel food coloring (like these: https://amzn.to/3TDyB9b) to color the gelatin different colors before dipping the balloons in them! Hope that helps, happy baking!
I just made a cake decorated using your bubbles and they turned out pretty darn good! Not perfect, I had some bubbles but they were acceptable to me. Your tutorial was very helpful, from not over greasing the balloons to hearing the cracking of the balloon suctioning away from the bubble. It was a fun and easy recipe! Thank you so much!
Oo, I can’t wait to try these! Thank you for the recipe and read.
Have you used beef gelatin? I switched from pork to beef because I couldn’t stand the smell of regular gelatin. The beef has a little smell but not as much as pig which definitely makes a difference when you’re making gummy candies.
Do you know if something other than shortening can used to grease the balloons? It’s not easy to find where I live.