Duckling Delight Pond Cake (Recipe)

Hangry Hanna
4 min readOct 20, 2023

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I hope someone will feel inspired to make their own pond cake!

Please leave feedback in the comments. I want to improve, and I can’t do that unless you tell me what could be better! :)

Ingredients

For the Cake Base:

  1. All-purpose flour: 3 cups
  2. Granulated sugar: 2 cups
  3. Unsalted butter: 1 cup (softened)
  4. Eggs: 4 large
  5. Baking powder: 2 tsp
  6. Vanilla extract: 2 tsp
  7. Milk: 1 cup
  8. Salt: 1/2 tsp

For the Pastel Teal Icing:

  1. Unsalted butter: 1 cup (softened)
  2. Powdered sugar: 4 cups (sifted)
  3. Heavy cream or milk: 3–4 tbsp
  4. Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
  5. Teal food coloring: a few drops (adjust to desired shade)

For the Blue Gelatin Pond:

  1. Blue gelatin or jelly mix: 1 packet (size might vary depending on the brand; follow package instructions)
  2. Water: as per gelatin packet instructions

For the Sugar Ducklings:

  1. Yellow fondant: 200 grams
  2. Orange fondant: 50 grams (for the beaks and feet)
  3. Black edible gel or food coloring: for the eyes

For the Edible Pebbles:

  1. Brown fondant: 50 grams
  2. White fondant: 50 grams
  3. Gray fondant: 50 grams
  4. Blue fondant: 50 grams
  5. Edible luster dust (optional): for a shiny finish on selected pebbles

For the Sugar Water Lily:

  1. White fondant: 30 grams
  2. Yellow fondant: 10 grams

Additional Materials:

  1. Circular wooden tray: to place the cake on
  2. Fondant sculpting tools: for shaping the ducks, pebbles, and water lily
  3. Edible glue or a small amount of water: to attach fondant parts

Instructions

Cake Base:

  1. Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper for easier removal.
  2. Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures there are no lumps and the ingredients are well combined.
  3. Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This might take about 3–5 minutes using an electric mixer. Then, one by one, beat in the eggs, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Combining: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  5. Baking: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pastel Teal Icing:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth.
  2. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating on low speed to incorporate. As the mixture thickens, drizzle in the heavy cream or milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
  3. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Add a few drops of teal food coloring. Mix thoroughly until you achieve a uniform pastel teal color. Adjust the coloring as needed to get the desired shade.

Blue Gelatin Pond:

  1. Prepare the blue gelatin or jelly mix following the package instructions. Typically, this involves boiling water, dissolving the gelatin mix in it, and then adding cold water.
  2. Once mixed, let it cool slightly but do not let it set. You want it to be pourable when adding to the cake.

Sugar Ducklings:

  1. From the yellow fondant, shape small, oval bodies to represent the ducklings. Ensure they are proportionate to the cake size.
  2. Pinch a small amount of orange fondant to shape tiny beaks and feet. Attach these to the ducklings using edible glue or a dab of water.
  3. Use a dotting tool or a toothpick dipped in black edible gel or food coloring to create the eyes for each duckling.

Edible Pebbles:

  1. Pinch small amounts from the brown, white, gray, and blue fondants and shape them into pebble-like structures of varying sizes.
  2. Optionally, brush some of the pebbles with edible luster dust for a shiny finish.

Sugar Water Lily:

  1. Flatten a small portion of white fondant and cut out a flower shape using a cookie cutter or craft it by hand. Create indents or texture with a knife or fondant tool to represent petals.
  2. Shape a tiny amount of yellow fondant into a ball and place it in the center of the flower.

Assembly:

  1. Place one cake layer on the circular wooden tray. Spread a generous amount of the pastel teal icing on top. Then, place the second cake layer on top.
  2. Use a spatula to apply the icing all over the sides and the top of the cake. Aim for a smooth finish.
  3. Before the gelatin sets completely, pour it carefully onto the center of the cake to form the pond. Ensure it doesn’t overflow to the sides.
  4. While the gelatin is still slightly tacky, place the sugar ducklings gently on the surface, positioning them as if they’re swimming.
  5. Around the pond, place the edible pebbles, ensuring they form a natural-looking barrier. Intersperse the water lily among the pebbles, making sure it’s close to the gelatin pond.

Your duck pond cake is now complete! Allow the cake to set for a few hours, especially if you’re in a warm climate, to ensure the gelatin pond and decorations are stable before serving.

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