A mirror glaze cake is one of those baking moments where science meets literal magic. The first time I poured a traditional mirror glaze over a frozen cake, I swear I stopped breathing for a second. Watching the whole thing turn into a glossy, reflective finish that looked like it came straight from TikTok was so satisfying. And the good news? Even though mirror glaze cakes look complicated, they're actually super doable once you understand the right temperature, the right consistency, and the base of every mirror glaze recipe.
I started making mirror glaze cakes long before they blew up on social media, but I’ll be honest — the vibrant color options and different looks people make on TikTok and Instagram totally inspired me to play with gel food coloring, cocoa butter variations, and different shade combinations. Whether you're glazing an entremet cake, an eight-inch layer cake, or even a chocolate cake covered in buttercream frosting, the technique is exactly the same: start with a frozen cake, get your glaze to the appropriate temperature, and pour with confidence.
What's In This Blog Post
My Inspiration
My own mirror glaze journey began when I was testing a mousse-covered cake for class and accidentally poured the glaze too warm. The colors combine, the glaze slid right off the sides of the cake, and I ended up with a run-off glaze disaster on my baking sheet. But that failure taught me the biggest difference between a beautiful creation and a sad puddle on parchment paper: temperature. Once I stuck to 90ºF and kept my cake frozen solid, everything changed.
And because I love bright colors, I always experiment with different colors in smaller bowls so I can swirl, drizzle, and layer them over the center of the cake. If you're glazing for the first time, trust me — play with color. A tiny bit of liquid food coloring or a very small amount of gel food coloring makes a huge difference in the final result.
Mirror Glaze Cake Ingredients
- Granulated sugar – Helps create the shiny reflective finish. Replace with equal parts glucose syrup and sugar if you want a thicker layer of glaze.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Adds richness and smoothness. Can be replaced with milk chocolate or real chocolate for a different type of glaze.
- Water – Used to hydrate the gelatin and dissolve the sugar. Cold water works best for blooming gelatin.
- Gelatin powder – The key ingredient for the outer layer texture. You can use plain gelatin or sheet gelatin.
- White chocolate – The best results come from high-quality white chocolate. Valrhona is amazing, but any real chocolate works.
- Gel food coloring – Gives a vibrant color without thinning the glaze. Replace with liquid food coloring sparingly.
- White food coloring – Helps brighten the whole thing so your glaze color pops.
- Plastic wrap & airtight container – Important for storing leftover glaze without air bubbles.
Tips & Tricks
Keep your cake frozen. Keep your glaze at 90ºF. And always strain everything to avoid lumps. If you’re making this for uploading & non-users on social media, use bright colors and a clean cake board so the whole cake looks flawless. Set your cake on a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch the excess glaze and keep your workspace clean.
And don’t rush your pour. Confidence is the secret glazing technique nobody talks about.
Step-by-Step Mirror Glaze Cake Instructions
- Heat the sugar mixture
Add the granulated sugar and the first amount of water to a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer — not a boil — and let it dissolve. - Bloom your gelatin
Mix the second quantity of cold water and the gelatin powder together and let it absorb for 15 minutes. This step ensures the right consistency. - Prepare your chocolate base
Combine the white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. - Add gelatin to the syrup
Once the sugar mixture is hot (but not boiling), remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until completely dissolved. - Melt everything together
Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and condensed milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the chocolate can melt, then whisk or use an immersion blender until smooth. - Color your glaze
Add gel food coloring, white food coloring, or several different colors split into smaller bowls if you want a multi-shade effect. - Strain and cool
Pass the glaze through a fine strainer to remove air bubbles and lumps. Let it cool to 90 degrees F — this is the most important part. - Glaze your cake
Place the frozen cake on a circular object or small cake pan turned upside-down on a baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the center of the cake, letting it flow down the sides of the cake until the entire cake is coated. - Finish your edges
After about 5 minutes, scrape off excess glaze at the bottom with a hot knife or offset spatula. - Serve or store
Refrigerate until serving. Finished cakes keep their shine for about 24 hours. Store leftover glaze in an airtight container wrapped with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Final Thoughts
A mirror glaze cake might look like something only professional pastry chefs make, but once you understand the consistency of the glaze and the appropriate temperature, it becomes one of the most fun techniques in baking. You can go minimalist with one glaze color or mix up different colors for a vibrant shade marble effect. Whether you’re making this for a special event, your first time experimenting, or just to impress social media, you’ll end up with something gorgeous.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much mirror glaze do I need?
This recipe is enough to glaze an eight-inch cake or a small entremet cake with tons of glaze for extra coverage.
Why does my glaze slide off?
Your cake wasn’t frozen or your glaze was too warm.
Can I use corn syrup instead of glucose syrup?
Yes — it works great and is the closest substitute.
How do I store leftover glaze?
Pour it into a container, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and refrigerate. Reheat gently to reuse.
Can I glaze a buttercream cake?
Yes, as long as the buttercream frosting is super smooth and the cake is well-chilled.
Want me to turn this into a short-form version, a Pinterest title, or an Instagram caption?
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Fine Sieve
- 1 Immersion blender
- 1 Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Cold Water for the gelatin
- 20 grams Powdered Gelatin
- 12 ounces White Chocolate high quality for best results such as Valrhona
- 5 ounces Water
- 11 ounces Sugar
- 7 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 2 drops White Food Coloring
- 1 Frozen Cake
Instructions
- Sprinkle the gelatin into the water and mix to combine. Set it aside to bloom for 15 minutes.
- Combine the water, sugar, and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer.
- When the sugar and water mixture begins to simmer (do not boil), remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.
- Strain this mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps and return it to the saucepan.
- Pour the hot liquid on top of the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to stir the glaze until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Add the gel food coloring and stir until well-mixed. Pass the glaze through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Leave the glaze to cool to 90ºF.
- Once the glaze has cooled to 90º F / 32º C, pour it over the frozen cake which is on top of a cup, sitting on a tray or plate with a edge to catch the drips.
- Leave the glaze to set for 5 minutes before using a hot knife to remove the drips.
- Enjoy your cake right away or refrigerate until serving. Keep in mind that glaze loses it's shine after 24 hours so if you're making this for a client make sure you pour the same day as delivery.
Video
Nutrition
Djina says
Hi!! I'm trying this on a galaxy cake, can I make the black glaze with dark chocolate insted of white and do the other colors in white chocolate.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you definitely can and that would taste a lot better
nilly says
hi, unfortunately my freezer is tinnyyy so I cant fit a cake in it. is it possible to keep it in the fridge overnight/ longer period of time prior to glazing? would that work?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sorry but the cake has to be frozen for the glaze to set up
Cesar Parra says
can you use flavored gelitan for the glaze
The Sugar Geek Show says
I've never heard of flavored gelatin. Do you mean jell-o? That contains sugar and is not the same as gelatin
Darren Tucker says
Great recipe. Worked a treat. Just follow the directions and you can’t go wrong
Carla says
Just an FYI in the step 8 which describes the temperatures of the glaze, it states 90º F / 37º C. This is not possible as the conversion is incorrect.
90º F = 32º C
37º C = 99º F
Other sites (including the one you referenced)recommend 90-93F / 32-34 C.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thanks so much, I will update that
Karen Netherland says
Liz I really love the way these mirror cakes look. Do you think it's possible to mirror glaze a teapot cake?
Thanks a bunch!
Karen N
P.S. Avalon is such a cutie.
The Sugar Geek Show says
You could definitely glaze the round part. For the spout and handle you might have to dip them in the mirror glaze with a toothpick and then attach to the teapot carefully with another toothpick. Tricky stuff
Yeah nah says
Didn't set properly for me, despite letting the temp drop to under 90f
Elizabeth Marek says
Sorry it didn't work out for you. Perhaps you mis-measured something along the way. The glaze definitely sets very well so something must have gone wrong 🙂
Krissy says
Do you pour mirror glaze directly on the cake or do frost the cake and pour over buttercream? Also if you pour all the colors in one bowl do they mix or stay a little separated. Trying to make a galaxy cake. Thanks!
Elizabeth Marek says
You frost the cake first and freeze it for an hour or two so it's really cold. Then pour the glaze over. I prefer to pour in separate cups.
Aliyah says
Hey, do we need to use white food colouring? I can’t find it in stores 🙁
Thanks!
Elizabeth Marek says
White food coloring makes the glaze opaque, otherwise it will be transparent.
PEGGY BRASWELL says
I just made this for the first time, and it came out even better than I expected! My only problem is getting the drips off cleanly. They just stretch out and don't want to cut. Any suggestions?
Elizabeth Marek says
Your knife needs to be hot.
Claire says
Hello. I plan on making this cake for a baking competition. It will likely be sitting at room temperature for about 4-5 hours. Will it be okay? I plan on freezing overnight, pouring in the morning, refrigerating for an hour, and then transporting to the site which will be indoors at room temperature. Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes it will totally be ok.
Mariyam says
Hi
Can what can I use to write HBD on Mirror glaze cake ? When I use normal icing it's sinking in the glaze
Thanks
Elizabeth Marek says
After the glaze has firmed up you can write with any kind of frosting
Robert says
Haven't made mirror glaze but have odd question: Can a mirror glaze go on a cheesecake?
Elizabeth Marek says
I don't see why not as long as the cheesecake is cold enough
Jacqueline Freel says
Hi Liz,
I have a question, I’m wondering if I can use your mirror glaze over a pipeable cream cheese frosting? Does it have to be buttercream?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can as long as its very very cold so that the glaze sets properly
Stephanie says
I made this for the first time also using the easy buttercream frosting. Rave reviews and it looked beautiful. My only change will be to get gel dye for stronger colour.
Stacey Janz says
This was the easiest ever and I made the galaxy look and it turned out so good. Super impressed and so was everyone else who ate it.
Marlene Raymond says
I haven't tried if yet, but will definitely be trying this weekend thanks so very much for the best recipe and for sharing the QA, they were so very helpful
Amanda says
I'm going to be making this in my baking class tomorrow. I read all the previous commentor's questions, and I really appreciate that you've answered them. I feel pretty confident that I'll get every right during class.