Description

Ball Drop Cake is a stunning layered dessert featuring a moist vanilla cake shell filled with rich chocolate cheesecake mousse, coated with a smooth buttercream and topped with a shiny, shimmering mirror glaze. This impressive cake combines textures and flavors to create a show-stopping centerpiece perfect for celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Prepare the vanilla cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add vegetable oil and mix well. Incorporate eggs one at a time, blending fully after each addition, then beat in vanilla extract. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then gradually add to the wet mixture, mixing until only a few dry streaks remain. Add milk and mix on low speed until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and spread smoothly.
Bake the cakes: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even baking. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 20 minutes, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely.
Shape and refrigerate cake layers: Line a 9-inch deep bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it into the shape of the bowl carefully to avoid air pockets. Cut one cake layer in half horizontally; place one half inside the bowl cut side up, shaping it to fit. Cut the other half into 1 1/2-inch strips and arrange vertically along the inside edge to raise the cake walls. Use scraps to fill gaps. Refrigerate this molded cake until needed.
Make the chocolate cheesecake mousse: Heat 2/3 cup heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over semisweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and let sit for 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth ganache forms; cool to room temperature. Whip remaining 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Add ganache and beat until combined. Gently fold in whipped cream until just mixed.
Fill cake mold and chill: Spoon mousse into the lined cake bowl and spread evenly. Top with the reserved whole cake layer. Cover with plastic wrap overhang and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Prepare buttercream frosting: Beat softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, beating until light and fluffy. Remove cake from mold by inverting onto a wire rack and removing plastic wrap gently. Frost the cake with a thin, smooth layer of buttercream using an offset spatula. Refrigerate if smoothing is challenging, then use a hot spatula to refine the finish. Chill cake until glaze application.
Make the mirror glaze: Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a shallow bowl; let bloom for 5 minutes. In a medium pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 3/4 cup water. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture is just before boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add bittersweet chocolate chips and whisk again. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove lumps and prevent bubbles.
Cool and prepare glaze for pouring: Stir glaze every 10 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 85° to 90°F (29° to 32°C), which may take 1–2 hours. This temperature ensures the glaze will pour smoothly without melting the cake frosting.
Glaze the cake: Place a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper under a wire rack and remove the cake from the fridge. Stir 1 1/2 tsp gold glitter into the glaze. Pour the glaze in a steady stream onto the center of the cake, working in concentric circles toward the edges to fully cover it. Allow glaze to drip off and repeat pouring on any bare spots.
Decorate with edible glitter splatter: Mix 3/4 tsp vodka with 1 tsp gold glitter and silver glitter with remaining vodka in separate small bowls. Use a small pastry brush to splatter gold and silver glitter over the glaze for a sparkling effect. Adjust the glitter-to-vodka ratio to control splatter size. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the glaze to set.
Serve: When ready, transfer the cake from the wire rack to a serving platter using a large knife or spatula. Slice and enjoy the dramatic, multi-textured Ball Drop Cake.

Notes

Ensure the cake layers are completely cooled before shaping to avoid breaking.
Cutting cake strips and shaping inside the bowl requires gentle handling as thin cake strips are fragile.
The mirror glaze temperature is crucial — too hot will melt the frosting, too cold won’t pour smoothly.
Use an offset spatula for smooth buttercream application and rewarm it under hot water if frosting is difficult to smooth.
Edible glitter adds a decorative sparkle but is optional; use food-safe glitter only.
Refrigerate throughout the process as needed to maintain cake structure and frosting stability.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Ball Drop Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cake, Mirror Glaze Cake, Celebration Cake, Layered Cake, Dessert