What is Mirror Glaze Cake?
Mirror cake glaze is a shiny cake made by pouring a delicious chocolate sugar glaze that has gelatin in it over a frozen cake, called an entremet (oooh so french). You can use a variety of colors and shaped molds to make the frozen cake to get that super reflective surface which is how the cake got it's name
These cakes really took off as a trend in 2017 but they seem like they are here to stay. One of the most popular creators of the mirror glaze cake is the instagrammer @olganoskovaa from Moscow Russia. Her cakes are so fun to watch, we never get tired of them!
What is mirror glaze made of?
Mirror glaze is made from sweetened condensed milk, a little chocolate, water and gelatin and sometimes flavorings and colors. Mirror glaze sets because of the gelatin but not hard. It is pretty sticky stuff.
Mirror glaze has a nice taste. It's sweet but not too sweet and the flavors meld well with the cake and fillings. It might look a little strange putting gelatin on cake but it tastes delicious!
Easy Mirror Glaze Recipe
Lucky for us, easy mirror glaze recipe isn't even that hard to make. Like most things related to baking, it does take a few specific things to be fully successful in your quest for mirror glaze awesomeness.
- Use a high quality white chocolate with more than 30% cocoa butter for best results
- Make sure you strain your glaze after you make it so that you don't have any lumps ruining the finish
- Pour your glaze at exactly 90 degrees F. Too warm and it will run off your cake. Too cold and it won't be smooth
- Make sure your entremet is frozen and fresh outta the freezer so that it sets the gelatin and chocolate in the glaze quickly
- Make sure you put your cake on top of a cake pan or glass so that the glaze can drip off easily.
Colored Mirror Glaze Recipe
To add colors to your glaze, simply start with making the white glaze. Divide the glaze into a few bowls and color them with regular food coloring. Some people like to then put these colors together into a big bowl or pitcher and then quickly pour over the frozen cake or they prefer to pour the colors individually and layer them up.
I used a combination of dark blue, turquoise and white to make this mirror glaze cake. You can even learn to make your own ocean wave mirror glaze cake complete with cool metallic effects!
fun little tip, if you add some metallic gold dust to some everclear or other grain alcohol and drip it over the mirror glaze, it makes some cool effects! Don't use too much though or it will eat away at your glaze.
Mirror Cake Galaxy
Making a galaxy cake is super fun! For this I prefer to use a dark chocolate mirror glaze recipe and add a little black food coloring to make it nice and dark. Then layer up some white, pink, purple, blue or any colors you want really! Top with some edible sprinkles or glitter for an extra out-of-this world look!
Galaxy mirror glaze cakes can be really fun and easy! My daughter avalon helped me make this one in a recent fb live. I just love how she has recently shown more interest in helping me bake, especially when it's time to lick the bowl.
Mirror glaze mousse cake recipe
So how do you actually make one of these beautiful, shiny cakes?
Start by making a mousse. Mousse is technically just any sort of custard (or pudding if you're from the US) that is lightened by whipped cream. You could make your own or if you're like me, you just use the boxed mix.
Switching up the flavors of your mousse can be pretty much anything! You can even start with vanilla and add in fruit purees to give it a different flavor like lemon or passion fruit! oohhh fancy.
How to make a mirror glaze cake
I had a great time making this valentines day themed mirror glaze cake heart with my daughter and she really enjoyed eating it. You see, its win/win that way. I get to make a yummy treat but I don't have to feel guilty about eating the whole thing myself.
I cooked up a batch of chocolate vanilla pudding and folded in some whipped cream. About ¼ liquid then whipped up to a firm peak. Fold until combined and smooth.
Fill your mold with about ⅓ of the mousse. Layer up some strawberries or fruit puree. More whipped cream, then your cake (I recommend our delicious vanilla cake recipe). Seal with another layer of cream and then freeze!
I love how this pretty cake looks on top of some melted ice cream and surrounded by fresh berries. Definitely, the perfect valentines day dessert that you can easily make on your own.
My smooth mirror glaze cake mold is perfect for creating a super shiny surface for the cake! Don't forget to trim off the drips after your glaze sets for a nice clean finish.
One more tip, once you glaze your cake, put it in the fridge for a few hours to soften. No one likes eating rock-hard cake! This cake will keep up to 24 hours but after that, it will start to lose it's shine.
Chocolate mousse cake with mirror glaze
Chocolate mousse cakes are not the only way to use mirror glaze. You can also use regular cake iced in plain old buttercream to make a mirror glaze cake with frosting. Make sure it's really really smooth though and frozen for a least an hour before you put that glaze over the top.
Once you put the glaze on, let the cake chill in the fridge until you're ready to slice into it.
Kitchen tools to make a mirror glaze cake
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Kitchen thermometer - Vital tool for making sure your mirror glaze is not too hot or cold when you pour. Also great for use when using chocolate!
Mirror glaze mold (smooth heart) - The classic mirror glaze mold! Perfect size to make a tasty treat for two.
Mirror glaze mold (geometric) - This mold is a little bigger than the smooth heart and has a cool geometric finish. Great for small gatherings like bridal showers or birthdays!
Strainer (chinois) - super fine strainer for getting out pesky lumps and bumps in your mirror glaze so you have a super smooth, super shiny finish on all your cakes!
Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 10 oz Granulated Sugar
- 7 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 5 oz Water
- 4 teaspoon Gelatin Powder
- 2.5 oz Water
- 7 oz White Chocolate (high quality for best results such as Valrhona)
- 2 drops White Food Coloring
Instructions
Instructions
- Add the sugar and first quantity of water to a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the second quantity of water into the powdered gelatin and mix with a spoon. Leave to fully absorb for 15 minutes.
- Combine white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in large heat proof container
- 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.
- Pour the hot liquid on top of the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and leave to sit for 5 minutes to melt.
- Use a whisk or 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 strainer to remove any lumps. Leave the glaze to cool.
- 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
Daniel Poon says
Can I use the bamboo charcoal powder to make black colour glaze instead of food colour?
Thanks.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Good question! Sounds like a fun experiment 😀
Chris Zurhorst says
I am looking to do petite fours with mirror glaze. Do you have any advise about doing this? I know the big issue I may see is having to buttercream the small petite fours. I know a lot of times a poured fondant is used. Could this be used under a mirror glaze or is this an issue? I also was thinking of a poured ganache then mirror glazing. Whats your thoughts on any of these and way to make my life easier when doing this. Thanks. Wedding this weekend that these are for.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can do petit fours but for mirror glaze you need to use a small square silicone mold with buttercream and then put a piece of cake on the inside of the buttercream, freeze them, pop them out and then glaze them. I hope that makes sense.
Pam says
I've seen mirror glaze over fondant as well. You do not HAVE TO use buttercream. I would say use whatever you want, just make sure they're frozen.
Kelly Shivery says
Can I use milk or dark chocolate chips instead of white to make a chocolate mirror glaze?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can
Janelle says
Can you do a mirror glaze on a regular chocolate mousse cake? I just concerned that mousse cake may not freeze well.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Mousse freezes extremely well. That is the traditional way of making a mirror glaze cake
Aafreen says
Love your recipie!
Can i bake the cake the day before and freeeze it amd them glaze it the next day, or 1 one full day of freezing is bad for the cake??
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can definitely freeze the cake and then glaze. After glazing store the cake in the fridge for at least 24 hours to let it defrost properly.
Chinju says
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Just to clear with you, my plan is to make a mousse cake and freeze overnight and glaze the cake next day b4 noon & refrigerate & cake cutting will be in the evening. My question is, will the cake be defrosted by the refrigerated time or it will be hard enough to cut (plz mention exact time for freezing the cake)? Its for my husband's birthday ?
How can i use springform cake pan for the smoother surface? OR can i use a normal cake pan lined with cling sheet?
Waiting ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it will be defrosted by the afternoon, the mousse defrosts very quickly. You can use whatever mold you want but just keep in mind if there are any lines or imperfections you will see them 🙂
Lacey says
This recipe states it makes two cups....about how many cups would I need for a 4 tier cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hard to say, I've never made a four tier mirror glaze cake. Two cups covers and 8" round cake so depending on the size, I would start with at least a quadruple batch.
E says
Hi! I'm getting ready to make a mirror glaze cake for my daughter's birthday, and I was wondering if the 4 serving recipe would be enough glaze to cover a two-layer 8 in round cake? Or should I use a higher number of servings?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Oh yes it will be plenty
Tee Butler says
If u fill with whipped cream and ice with buttercream will it still set correct?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can but remember that whipped cream is very soft and will not support the weight of a cake once it's at room temperature
Diana says
Can you recommend please a good food coloring?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I really like americolor food coloring
Ellis says
Can you cover a cake covered with ganache? if you haven't got a temperature checker how would you know when to pour it?
The Sugar Geek Show says
As long as the cake is frozen then you can. You can try and guess by feeling it but it's best to use a thermometer or you won't really be sure and then you risk wasting all your ingredients and hard work.
Aviva says
What do you mean by pour glaze over “frozen cake”? Should the cake go in the freezer? If so, how long?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yep! The cake has to be frozen to the touch or the glaze won't set.
Aviva says
How long should the cake go in the freezer? Just an estimate
Susana says
Hi Liz, I made the glaze and it looks amazing, the only thing was that it did not run very well when I pour it on. Can I reheated even after colored? And if I have left over can I storage room temperature or refrigerator? for how long? and reheat when ready to use again?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You may not have had it at the right temperature when you poured it if it was not the right consistency. You can re-heat the leftovers and try again as many times as you need. Remember you cake also needs to be very very cold.
Isha says
This recipe is really great. Worked out with no issues and my first time too 🙂 i followed the tips exactly and read the other comments
Brenda Cruse says
Thank you for the recipe I am making this for my great niece's birthday and she wants a blacklight cake I understand that tonic water will help My
Icing be reflective can I use it in this recipe
The Sugar Geek Show says
Could be a fun experiment!
Mahwish says
Your recipe looks awesome.. Thanks for sharing it... Making it for the first time... Plz tel me can i use it on butter cream cheese frosting...?? How thick the frosting should be..? Regards..
The Sugar Geek Show says
It doesn't matter if the frosting is thick, it just needs to be smooth for the mirror glaze to be smooth. I haven't tried cream cheese frosting but if it's frozen it should be ok
Clover says
How long will the mirror glaze keep its sheen? I was going to make one today to be served tomorrow and store in the refrigerator overnight. Will it still be shiny in 24 hours?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it will be totally fine overnight
Cindy says
Hi
I would like to flavor the glaze, could I use pomegranate juice rather than water?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I don't know if that would change the consistency of the glaze, I would suggest following the recipe first and adding a little extract for flavor
Maru says
Hi, thanks for the recipe! I'm going to try it really soon, but I got a question first...you all talk about icing and freezing the cake and so.. would it work just the same on a cheesecake? (Could let it set on the fridge overnight before trying to cover it but I don't know if it would be ok to freeze it)...
(I apologise for my English, hope my question clear enough hahahaha)
The Sugar Geek Show says
The cake needs to be mostly frozen and you can definitely freeze cheesecake. That would be so yummy! BUT you need to frost the outside so it's nice and smooth or you mirror cake will be lumpy 🙂
Mackenzie Harding says
If I freeze the cake for an hour prior to the glaze and then keep it in the fridge until serving would that work?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes I think that would work
Jaime Miller says
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be using this glaze to cover 2.25in dome mini-cakes. They will be predominantly mousse. Any tips for how to transfer to plates after the glaze sets? Can I handle the glaze gently w/ offset and gloves? Plating beforehand really isn’t an option as they’re for a party of 35.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Trim off the drips then place onto a pan with parchment paper and into the fridge to keep cold. Lift with an offset spatula and gloved hand to place onto the plate
Frankie says
So im doing a project on mirror glaze and all of the things you can put it on, but i can't find the date
may you please help me?
The Sugar Geek Show says
The date of what?
Frankie says
also, can you use this mirror glaze on donuts, if i put buttercream on it as well?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes and yes
Mary Campagna says
Can I use gelatin sheets instead of the powder? If so, how to convert it from powder to gelatin?? Thanks.
The Sugar Geek Show says
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin = 3 sheets leaf gelatin.
Simona Gronic says
Does this glaze freezes well?
Can I keep it a few days in the freezer before eating it?
I will not have enough time to do it right before, but I was thinking to make it a couple days in advance....
Thank you.
The Sugar Geek Show says
I wouldn't freeze it after you glaze but you can put it in the fridge after you glaze for a couple of days. It loses it's shine over time though
Novice says
You mention that the mirror glaze will start to lose its shine over time. What would you say the maximum time for storing a mirror glaze cake in the fridge would be, prior to the shine starting to diminish and how fast would it lose its shine??
The Sugar Geek Show says
24-36 hours
Diane Wagner says
I would love to try this mirror glaze. I am doing my grandson's 4th birthday cake this weekend. Can I put an edible picture over the glaze? If so, how. I was also thinking that maybe I would put the edible on the buttercream and then pour the glaze around it and down the sides of the cake. Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you so much!
Diane
The Sugar Geek Show says
After about 24 hours in the fridge the glaze becomes much less sticky and sets up so you could put an image on top no problem.
Diane Wagner says
Liz, My cake turned out great. I haven't put the image on it yet. I made the cake yesterday and was going to put the image on it just before the party today. The cake has been in the fridge. Well this morning my daughter informs me that the party is postponed due to the stomach flu. Can I freeze the cake until next weekend, without the image. I hate to waste all that hard work.
Thank you for your help,
Diane