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Ball Drop Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 140 reviews

The Ball Drop Cake is a stunning celebration dessert featuring a moist vanilla cake layered with decadent chocolate cheesecake mousse, coated with a smooth buttercream, and finished with a shiny, edible glitter mirror glaze. This impressive layered cake combines multiple textures and flavors, making it perfect for special occasions and festive gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Vanilla Cake

  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup whole milk

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

  • 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 2/3 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (57 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Buttercream

  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (113 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mirror Glaze

  • 1 cup water, divided
  • 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (about 60% cacao)
  • 2 1/2 tsp gold edible glitter, divided
  • 1 tsp silver edible glitter
  • 1 1/2 tsp vodka, divided

Instructions

  1. Prepare Vanilla Cake: Arrange oven racks in the center and lower third and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Mix Batter: Using a handheld or stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add vegetable oil and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla extract.
  3. Add Dry Ingredients: Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture, beating until only a few dry streaks remain. Pour in milk and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the surface.
  4. Bake Cake: Bake the cakes for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cakes cool 20 minutes in pans, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely.
  5. Shape Cake for Mold: Line a 9-inch deep bowl with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top. Press plastic wrap into the bowl to avoid air pockets. Cut one cake layer in half horizontally, place one half cut side up inside the bowl and gently press to conform to the bowl shape. Cut the other half into 1.5-inch wide strips and arrange vertically to raise the cake layer higher along the bowl sides. Use extra scraps to fill any gaps. Refrigerate until ready.
  6. Make Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse: Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat 2/3 cup cream until hot (~1 minute in microwave) and pour over chips. Let sit 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature.
  7. Whip Cream: Beat remaining 1 cup heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
  8. Mix Cheesecake Base: Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth in a large bowl. Add cooled ganache and mix until combined, scraping sides as needed.
  9. Combine Mousse: Gently fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Spread mousse evenly into the cake-lined bowl and top with the reserved whole cake layer. Cover with excess plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
  10. Prepare Buttercream: Beat unsalted butter until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, then beat until light and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
  11. Unmold and Frost Cake: Remove cake from bowl by inverting onto a wire rack and peeling away plastic wrap. Using a small offset spatula, frost the cake with a thin, smooth layer of buttercream. For smoother frosting, refrigerate the cake, then smooth with a hot offset spatula as needed. Refrigerate cake until ready for glaze.
  12. Prepare Mirror Glaze: Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a shallow bowl; let bloom 5 minutes. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water; stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is just below boiling (~5 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin and condensed milk until smooth.
  13. Add Chocolate and Strain: Add bittersweet chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Strain the glaze through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove lumps and avoid bubbles.
  14. Cool Glaze: Stir glaze every 10 minutes until thermometer reads 85° to 90°F, which may take 1 to 2 hours depending on conditions.
  15. Add Gold Glitter: Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons gold edible glitter evenly into the glaze.
  16. Glaze Cake: Place cake on a wire rack over parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour glaze in a smooth, steady stream starting in the center and working outward in concentric circles until entire cake is covered. Pour extra glaze to cover any bare spots. Let glaze set for a few seconds between pours.
  17. Decorate with Glitter Splatter: Mix remaining gold edible glitter with 3/4 teaspoon vodka in a small bowl, and silver edible glitter with 3/4 teaspoon vodka in another. Using a small non-silicone pastry brush, dip in gold glitter mixture and flick to splatter glitter over cake. Repeat with silver glitter. Adjust glitter and vodka ratio for desired splatter size.
  18. Chill and Serve: Refrigerate glazed cake for at least 2 hours to set glaze, up to overnight. When ready, use a large knife or spatula to transfer cake from rack to serving platter.

Notes

  • Pressing the cake into the bowl shape gently is important to avoid breaking pieces; minor tears can be patched with scraps.
  • The mousse should be gently folded to maintain the airy texture.
  • Use an offset spatula for smooth buttercream application; reheating it under hot water helps smooth imperfections.
  • Monitoring the temperature of the mirror glaze is essential for proper consistency and shine.
  • Glitter splattering adds a festive sparkle, and less moisture on the pastry brush gives finer dots.
  • Refrigerate the cake during different stages to ensure proper setting and easier handling.

Keywords: Ball Drop Cake, vanilla cake, chocolate cheesecake mousse, mirror glaze, buttercream, celebratory cake, layered cake, edible glitter, festive dessert

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/ball-drop-cake-recipe/