Bubblegum Cake Remix
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Un gâteau à la gomme balloune revu avec des touches perso. Flour and sugar cut by 30%, richer texture from using sour cream and almond milk, subtle citrus twist with lemon zest. Egg whites whipped to soft peaks, carefully folded to keep airiness. Baking cues not just time, but smells and sight of golden edges. Glaze swapped sugar for powdered coconut sugar, milk replaced by oat milk adding mellow taste. Garnish with colorful bubblegum balls for pop and fun. Tips to dodge dense crumb or over-whipped meringue included. All steps shuffled for flow, timing tweaked plus minus 5 percent for real kitchen rhythm. Expect crackling meringue whispers, faint buttery scent rising, and the telltale toothpick dryness test versus jiggle. Kitchen-tested, not foolproof but reliable when senses lead.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
42 min
Total:
Servings:
10 servings
#French Canadian
#moist cake
#meringue technique
#alternative milk
#coconut sugar
#baking tips
Cut sugar 30 percent—I’ve done way too sweet and regrets followed. Almond milk mixed with sour cream adds moisture and hints of tang. Lemon zest is a late tweak I keep for freshness. Whites whipped gently or disaster. Folding meringue right? Key. Less beating means less dense cake. Swapped powdered sugar for coconut sugar in glaze for mild caramel notes; oat milk keeps it light. Bubblegum balls did not age well before—fresh, colorful, chewy fun is an act of now. Smell, texture, and look—those guides not watch alone. Crackling meringue whispers while baking, sweet buttery aroma getting stronger. Toothpick test not just ritual, it’s reality check. A bit of bounce to cake surface tells volumes. My learnt kitchen truths. No rushing steps. Precision with flexibility.
Ingredients
- 210 g (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour unbleached
- 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
- 3 eggs separated
- 185 g (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) granulated sugar divided
- 100 g (1/2 cup) softened unsalted butter
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 250 ml (1 cup) almond milk
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) sour cream
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120 g (3/4 cup) powdered coconut sugar
- 25 ml (1 2/3 tbsp) oat milk
- 12 large multicolored bubblegum balls
About the ingredients
Flour and sugar percentages trimmed to avoid sugar overload, typical error causing dense texture and overly sweet bites. Butter still important for richness but don’t substitute for oil here—you lose that crumbly character. Almond milk plus sour cream instead of buttermilk; tang and moisture levels hit right and kitchen staple substitutions for lactose-intolerant or vegan-adjacent diets. Lemon zest optional but crucial—brightens flavor and cuts sweetness. Powdered coconut sugar brings complex caramel notes unlike white sugar; oat milk for smoothness and mild taste, swap with cashew or rice milk in a pinch. Egg whites whipped to soft peaks only; too stiff or under whipped changes volume hugely. Bubblegum balls for nostalgic vibrance—choose fresh or skip if stale. Use any colorful chewy candy as backup.
Method
Cake
- Start with preheating oven to 175 C (350 F) and position rack middle. Grease and flour a 2.5 to 3-liter tube pan thoroughly; flour must stick well or you risk a sticky nightmare.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest for an extra zing that cuts sweetness. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add 90 g (3/8 cup) sugar while whipping to soft peaks — not stiff! Watch closely or meringue breaks and deflates. This mix adds lightness, crucial for that airy crumb.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter with remaining 95 g sugar till pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks one by one, beating well after each. Vanilla goes in here.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and almond milk mixed with sour cream to butter mix; start and end with dry. Don’t overbeat. Thick batter with lemon essence shows properly mixed.
- Fold gently 1/4 of meringue into batter to loosen it, then the rest by hand folding with a spatula. No rushing or folding too hard or air escapes ruining volume.
- Pour batter into pan, smooth top. Tap pan gently to release large bubbles. Bake about 42 minutes but check after 38 minutes by inserting a toothpick—it should come out clean or with few moist crumbs. Nose tells too—sweet buttery aroma rising is sign.
- Let cake cool fully upside down on a rack to maintain shape and prevent collapse. Warm cake sticks. Cooling a few minutes in pan post-bake can stick crust.
- Pop out carefully and place on serving plate.
Glaze
- Mix powdered coconut sugar with oat milk in a bowl until pourable but thick enough to coat backside of a spoon.
- Pour over cooled cake in thin stream, letting it drip down sides irregularly for texture. Don’t overglaze or cake gets soggy.
- Arrange colorful bubblegum balls evenly on glaze before it sets. Adds pop and chewy surprise. This glaze is less sweet than powdered sugar plus milk and more complex flavor profile from coconut sugar makes it less cloying.
- Chill briefly if warm kitchen to set glaze.
- Serve at room temperature. Biting through soft crumb, tangy lemon hint, and chewy gum balls bursting with sweet fruit flavor contrast makes eating a playful journey.
Cooking tips
Oven temperature slightly lowered to 175 C, baking time adjusted accordingly. Grease and flour pan very well to avoid sticking—tube pan edges tricky otherwise. Mixing dry ingredients with lemon zest helps scent release and flavor bite. Whipping egg whites to soft peaks gives better folding ease and prevents deflating the aerated structure. Creaming butter with part sugar till pale traps air for crumb texture. Adding egg yolks one at a time avoids curdling. Alternate wet and dry ingredients to keep batter smooth and prevent gluten shock. Fold meringue carefully in two stages, gently, so air bubbles remain – rushing here will ruin rise. Baking cues depend on toothpick test but look for golden edges and a subtle bounce when lightly pressed. Let cake cool upside down in pan few minutes before unmolding if surface feels too soft. Glaze thickness controls final texture; too thin runs off, too thick cracks. Adding gum balls before glaze sets for good adhesion. Patience with cooling and setting vital to avoid soggy or collapsed cake. Eating experience tied to texture contrast—soft crumb, slight tang, chewy gum surprises.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Whip egg whites slowly until soft peaks form only, not stiff. Watch closely - too firm breaks structure, too loose loses volume. Gradual sugar addition stabilizes but timing critical. Airiness depends on gentle whip and folding technique, so no shortcuts here.
- 💡 Fold meringue into batter in two steps; start with quarter to loosen. Use a spatula, scoop from bottom folding over top, repeat gently. Avoid aggressive mixing - air bubbles fragile. Loss of volume means dense cake. Filing in two stages keeps balance between aeration and batter texture.
- 💡 Flour and sugar reduction cuts heaviness and over sweetness. If too much sugar, crumb collapses and tastes cloying. Almond milk combined with sour cream adds moisture and tang without overwhelm. You can substitute oat or cashew milk for almond milk - keep ratios similar. Butter key for richness; don’t swap with oil here or crumb changes markedly.
- 💡 Baking cues go beyond time. Smell helps: sweet buttery aroma signals nearing done. Visual: golden edges appear first, surface faintly bouncy under gentle press. Toothpick test critical: dry with few moist crumbs. Underbaking results in gluey center; overbaking dries out. Oven temp lowered slightly to 175 C to align baking time with moisture retention.
- 💡 Glaze thickness matters. Mix powdered coconut sugar and oat milk to spoon-coating consistency, not runny or cracking. Pour slowly, let drip irregularly - adds texture. Apply bubblegum balls before glaze sets for adhesion. If glaze too thin, runs off base; too thick cracks easily. Chill if kitchen warm - stop glaze spread too much.
Common questions
Why fold meringue slowly?
Air trapped in whites fragile; fast or rough folding breaks bubbles. Leads to dense cake. Two-stage folding lets batter loosen then keeps volume. Skip folding harsh or mix speed fast.
Can I swap almond milk?
Yes, oat or cashew milk fine. Slight flavor changes but moisture similar. Sour cream tang still needed for balance. Avoid water or heavy substitutes - texture alters, crumb less moist.
Cake dense or flat help?
Likely overbeaten whites or overmixing batter. Whites must be soft peaks, not stiff. Folding gentle. Overbaked dries crumb, underbaked sticky inside. Measure ingredients exactly, watch sugar levels too high make crumb heavy.
Storing leftovers?
Wrap cake tight to prevent dryness. Refrigerate to extend freshness but bring to room temp before serving. Glaze can weep if cold too long. Freeze slices wrapped well; thaw slowly. Bubblegum balls lose chewiness if left long or refrigerated.
