Gumball Machine Cake

I saw this cake in a Parenting magazine at the doctor's office and I thought it would be perfect for my six year old's birthday. He loves gumballs. He has to have one every time we go to the mall. So I looked it up online and it wasn't too difficult. I've tried to make creative cakes before but they take way too much time and it's just not worth it. If it's more difficult than this one, I won't make it.  I'm not the best cake decorator and I get frustrated when it doesn't turn out right. But I thought this turned out really cute and my little boy loved it!

Burton with his cake...

Printable Recipe

Gumball Machine Cake


I used the recipe for the Simple Sprite cake and buttercream frosting

1 cake baked in a 1-quart pyrex bowl (I used a 1.5-quart bowl)
1 cake baked in a 3 by 5 inch loaf pan
frosting
red food coloring
3/4 cup M&Ms
4 red licorice twists
1 red Tootsie Pop
black decorative icing

Cut the loaf cake into two pieces. One piece should be 2 inches long and the other piece 3 inches long. Place the 2 inch piece at the top of the bowl cake and the 3 inch piece at the bottom of the bowl cake. Reserve one cup of the frosting. Mix with food coloring. Frost the bowl with the plain frosting. Place M&Ms on the cake. Frost the two loaf pieces with red frosting. Trim licorice and place around the edges of the base cake and the bottom edge of the top cake. Place the Tootsie Pop in the top of the cake. Pipe a black line on the bottom of the red cake for the gumball machine's opening.