Bubblegum Cupcakes

Inflate several water balloons and seal them well. Grease the balloons with Crisco and secure them with tape on a toothpick. Add 3 tablespoons of gelatin powder and 6 tablespoons of water into a bowl and stir well until lumps disappear. This will be a thick jelly. Heat approximately 10 seconds at full power in the microwave, add some pink coloring and sparkling powder, then mix well. The jelly should be fluid but not too hot! Tip! It’s very important to prepare the gelatin balloons two days in advance to ensure they are completely dry before use.

Dip the balloons in the gelatin and fix them onto the dummy to let them dry thoroughly. Make sure they do not touch each other. When the gelatin becomes too thick and it is difficult to dip the balloons, heat it briefly again in the microwave. Make as many balloons as needed, plus a few extras in case some break. Let dry for at least a full day, preferably 2 days.

Poke the balloon and gently remove it to keep only the gelatin bubbles. You can trim the edges a little with scissors to improve their appearance. The balloons are now hard but still fragile, so handle with care!

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C with fan).

Prepare 500 g FunCakes cupcake mix according to the package instructions. Place the cupcake liners in the muffin pan and fill them with cupcake batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes then let cool on a rack.

Prepare 200 g FunCakes buttercream mix according to the package instructions. Divide the buttercream into two portions and color one light pink and the other dark pink with the gel.

Fill a piping bag fitted with nozzle no.1M with the two buttercreams and pipe a small rosette on the cupcakes you want to decorate with a gelatin bubble and a pretty swirl on the other cupcakes. Sprinkle a mix of pearls and confetti over the buttercream and carefully place a gelatin bubble on the rosettes. Keep the cupcakes refrigerated until use.