How to Make a Cake Shaped Like a Gumball Machine

Make a gumball machine cake decorated with real gumballs.

Carving a cake into an upright three-dimensional gumball machine is quite a task and is not suitable for most cake decorators. You can create a simple gumball machine cake by arranging a round cake and square cake on a platter to form the basic shape of a gumball machine. The decorations and gumballs complete the look and ensure that your gumball machine cake will be easily identified as such.

Things You'll Need

• Cake mix
• Round cake pan
• Square cake pan
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Knife
• Serving platter
• White frosting
• Food coloring
• Gumballs
• Foil-wrapped chocolate coin
• Peanut-shaped candy
• Miniature candy bar
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Prepare one box of any flavor cake mix according to the package directions.

2. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan and an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Divide the cake mix between the two prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.

4. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

5. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool for at least one hour or until they are completely cool. A warm cake may cause your frosting to melt and ruin the appearance of your finished gumball machine cake.

6. Place the square cake on an oval or rectangular serving platter. Place the round cake next to the square cake. Turn the platter so that the two cakes together create the shape of a gumball machine.

7. Frost the top and sides of the round cake with white frosting.

8. Tint the remaining white frosting with any shade of food coloring you desire for the base of your gumball machine cake.

9. Frost the top and sides of the square cake with the tinted frosting.

10. Arrange gumballs on the round cake to represent gumballs inside the "gumball machine" globe.

11. Arrange a foil-wrapped chocolate coin and a peanut-shaped candy at the top of the square cake to create the coin slot on the "gumball machine."

12. Wrap a miniature rectangular candy bar in aluminum foil and arrange it near the bottom of the square cake to represent the trap door of a gumball machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Replace the water in white or yellow cake mix with bubble gum flavored soda to create a bubble gum flavored cake.

• Tint the cake batter with a few drops of red food coloring to create a bubble gum pink cake to match the gumball machine theme.

References

• Betty Crocker: Gum Ball Machine Cake