Recipes and Cooking Balloon Cake Be the first to rate & review! By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 11, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 1 hrs 20 mins Cool Time: 1 hrs Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 recipe Classic White Cake or 1 package 2-layer-size white cake mix 1 recipe Creamy White Frosting or two 16-ounce cans vanilla frosting Sky blue paste food coloring Desired paste food colorings Vanilla wafers Red or black shoestring licorice White nonpareils Creamy White Frosting 1 cup shortening 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon almond extract 1 16 ounce package powdered sugar (about 4 cups) 3 tablespoon milk Classic White Cake 4 egg whites 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup butter or shortening, softened 1 ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk or sour milk Directions Prepare, bake, and cool White Cake as directed for 8- or 9-inch round layers. Transfer 1 cup of the Creamy White Frosting to a small bowl; set aside. Tint the remaining frosting a light sky blue. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate. Spread top with sky blue frosting. Top with second cake layer, bottom side down. Spread top and sides of cake with sky blue frosting. Divide the remaining 1 cup white frosting among four or five small bowls or custard cups. Tint each bowl of frosting a different color using desired food colorings. Spread each color onto a few vanilla wafers. Arrange vanilla wafers on top of cake to form a cluster of balloons and/or individual balloons. Insert a piece of shoestring licorice underneath each cookie to resemble a balloon string; bunch strings in a cluster at base. If desired, tie a piece of licorice into a bow and place at base. Sprinkle top of cake with nonpareils to resemble clouds. Creamy White Frosting In a large mixing bowl beat shortening, vanilla, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add about half of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar and enough of the remaining milk to reach spreading consistency. Classic White Cake Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch or 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan(s). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans or 30 to 35 minutes for 8-inch pans or 13x9x2-inch pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center(s) comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or place the 13x9x2-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 599 Calories 26g Fat 89g Carbs 5g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 599 % Daily Value * Total Fat 26g 33% Saturated Fat 9g 45% Cholesterol 22mg 7% Sodium 315mg 14% Total Carbohydrate 89g 32% Total Sugars 70g Protein 5g Vitamin C 0.3mg 1% Calcium 72mg 6% Iron 1.1mg 6% Potassium 96mg 2% Fatty acids, total trans 3g Folate, total 41.3mcg Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.