Margarita Cake - A Cake Mix Recipe (2024)

As a fun optional step, we made an easy gum paste margarita cake topper.

To make it, I rolled out some white gum paste (you can also knead tylose powder into fondant if you don't have gum paste) and used our Margarita Glass Cake Topper Templateto cut out my shape. I filled an artist's palette with a little Americolor Electric Green, Leaf Green, Lemon Yellow, and White (just in case I need to lighten things up). I also added a splash of vodka.

Painting on fondant or gum paste with this method is just like watercolor painting....only with vodka. It's vodkacolor painting ;0) - Just dip your paintbrush into your coloring gel, mix it with a touch of vodka, and paint away. Of course, the more vodka that you add, the lighter & more diluted the color becomes.

(The advantage of painting with vodka, Everclear, or even lemon extract is that the alcohol evaporates very quickly, leaving just the color behind.)

You can see below that when it comes to gum paste cut-outs, I always like to make two just in case one breaks!

We also added some accents with a black food coloring pen. For best results, wait until the surface of the gum paste is dry to the touch so that you can outline it more easily. The color will show up darker & your lines will be cleaner.

While still damp from the paint, we sprinkled a little clear sanding sugar over the glass.

Dry time for Cake Topper

Normally, 24 hours is long enough for my gum paste cake toppers to dry, but we've had a lot of rain lately and the humidity in the air slowed the process.

It was closer to 2 days before the cake topper was ready. (You'll want to plan accordingly just to be on the safe side!)

Once dry, I flipped over the cake topper, placed a lollipop stick anchor in back, and attached it with a lightly dampened strip of gum paste.

Allow the anchor to dry for about 20-30 minutes and then check to see if it's safe to stand upright. (Adjust dry time as needed).

I love the height and colors that this cute cake topper gives to the cake!

This margarita cake doesn't need to be refrigerated. However, after one to two days at room temperature, we do prefer to move to the refrigerator for freshness. Store under a cake dome or in an airtight container.

Cakes will last the longest in the refrigerator. If you go this route, it is best to remove the cake from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving. Allowing the cake this time to warm and soften will provide the best flavor and texture.

Yes, you can bake these cake layers well in advance, wrap, and freeze for up to three months!

After baking the cake layers, allow the cake layers (still in pans) to cool on a cooling rack for about 5-10 minutes before turning out. Continue to cool.

Once the layers are only slightly warm, we wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil. (For more support, you can also place each layer on a foil-wrapped cardboard cake circle before wrapping.) Into the freezer the go!

To thaw, move the wrapped cake layers to the kitchen counter and leave wrapped for 30-35 minutes as condensation collects on the foil. Then, unwrap and continue thawing to desired amount. (Some bakers prefer to assemble their cakes while they are still slightly frozen, as they are less fragile.)