Bubblegum Cake

4.80 from 5 ratings

This bubblegum cake is the perfect way to celebrate! It's made with tender, bubblegum flavored cake layers and bubble gum buttercream!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Additional Time45

Total Time1 50

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 630kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Bubblegum Cake Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 5g
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g or 2 sticks
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 235g
1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature 380g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
2 tsp bubblegum extract 8g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 9g
Pink gel food coloring

Bubblegum Buttercream Frosting

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 452g
1 tsp bubblegum extract 4g - optional
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
7 cups powdered sugar 904g or a 2 lb. bag
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
Pink gel food coloring

Pink Drip Recipe

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 80g
1 cup white chocolate chips 175g
Pink gel food coloring

Additional Decorations

Recommend Tools and Equipment

Instructions

Pink Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 4, 7-inch or 4, 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray. You can also use this recipe to make 4, 6-inch cake layers but the bake time will be a few minutes longer. If you don't have 4 cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can at a time.
Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Mix in 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream on a low speed.
Add in 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 2 tsp of bubblegum extract, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers a bit.
Then it's time to color the batter! This is optional, but it makes the cake slices so pretty! Divide the batter between two bowls (about 880g per bowl), and color one a light pink color with a squirt of gel food coloring. Use twice as much gel food coloring to color the other bowl of batter a deeper shade of pink.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, making two layers of each color. Bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place the cake pans into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans, and remove the layers from the pans.
These layers bake up pretty flat, so leveling them is optional! If you want to level them, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. I also like to trim the sides of the cake layers to make them easier to frost. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Bubblegum Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the bubblegum buttercream frosting.
Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Mix in 1 tsp bubblegum extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp salt on a low speed.
Gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of heavy cream on a low speed.
Continue to mix on a low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
Wait to color the buttercream pink until you've filled and crumb-coated the cake. The white buttercream will create a pretty contrast with the pink cake layers. Cover the buttercream flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, then set aside.

Assembling This Bubblegum Cake

Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer, and alternate between the dark pink and light pink layers. Place the top cake layer upside down to make the cake easier to frost.
Cover the cake in a thin coat of frosting that fully covers the cake layers. Smooth the frosting using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
While the cake chills, color the remaining buttercream a light shade of pink with gel food coloring.
Cover the chilled cake with a second, thicker layer of pink buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper and offset spatula.
Add a pink sprinkle blend around the base of the cake and gently press the sprinkles into the frosting using a small offset spatula. Chill the cake one more time in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Place the remaining buttercream in a large piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip (like a Wilton 1M). Seal the top with a rubber band or clip and set aside.

Pink Ganache Drips

While the cake chills, make the pink ganache. Heat 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds, until it's just beginning to bubble. Gently pour 1 cup of white chocolate chips into the heavy cream, making sure they are fully covered with cream. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.
Stir slowly until the cream and white chocolate are combined. Some bits of chocolate may not be fully melted yet. Heat the mixture again for 20 seconds and stir. Repeat as necessary until all the chocolate bits are fully melted and incorporated.
Mix in the pink gel food coloring and stir until it's evenly colored. Let the mixture cool until it reaches the desired viscosity. It should be barely warm to the touch.
If it seems too thin or thick, you can add a touch more chocolate chips or heavy cream. The type of cream and white chocolate that you use can affect the consistency, along with the temperature of the ganache. Feel free to adjust as needed.

Decorating This Bubblegum Cake

Add the pink drips around the top of the cake using a plastic squirt bottle or spoon. If this is your first drip cake, I recommend reading my drip cake tutorial. It has a ton of helpful tips to make sure your drips turn out great!
Pour some of the leftover ganache on top of the cake and spread it around with a small offset spatula. Be careful as you push the ganache towards the edge of the cake, you don't want it to flow over and mess up your drips!
Once the drips are in place, chill the cake one final time in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes). I promise this is the last time!! This helps the drips set and will prevent our buttercream swirls from melting on the warm ganache and sliding off the cake.
Pipe large buttercream swirls on top of the cake and top them with bubblegum balls. Cover the top of the cake with more pink sprinkles inside the buttercream swirls and your bubble gum cake is all ready to go! If you're making this cake in advance, wait to add on the bubblegum balls until you're ready to serve the cake. The fridge can cause condensation which can ruin the shiny finish of the gumballs.

Video

Notes

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out my section on ingredient substitutions above.

Tips for Making the Best Bubblegum Cake

Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. It helps them mix together better.
Don't level the cake layers until they are completely cooled.
Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.
You can also use regular white chocolate chips, white chocolate wafers, or even a chopped-up white chocolate bar for the chocolate this recipe calls for.
Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream! You need a high-fat content to create the right consistency in both the frosting and the ganache. Milk cannot be used in place of the cream.

Making This Bubblegum Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Make this ganache drip recipe ahead of time or save leftovers! Once it's made, wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or cover the top of the plastic bottle and store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

To use chilled ganache, heat the bottle or bowl in the microwave for 10-second intervals until it reaches the right consistency. Use leftover ganache to top cupcakes, cookies, or even ice cream!

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

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