Mirror Glaze

Learn how to make the easy mirror glaze to complete your beautiful mirror cake! It's not rubbery, perfectly soft, and stays shiny. By knowing how to make it, you can now make various cakes and desserts you may have seen at amazing pastry shops before!

A while ago, I shared how to make a dark chocolate mirror glaze, and this is the white version. white chocolate mirror glaze! The neutral flavor goes well with almost any other flavor - Dark chocolate mousse, fruit mousse, such as strawberry mousse, simple no-bake cheesecake, to matcha desserts... you name it, the combinations are unlimited.

By knowing how to make it, you can now start making beautiful mirror cakes with various colors and designs. Mousse cakes, drip cakes, plated desserts, and more!

Because of that look, it may seem difficult to make, but you may be surprised to know how easy it is. In this tutorial, I'm sharing how to make it step by step.

I think the most difficult part is pouring that glaze on cakes - about the temperature, the movement, and so on. That is why I'm also sharing that part in detail today, sharing my important tips. 

Knowing this glaze recipe really expanded what I can make in terms of designs and menus. And I think the same is going to happen to you. It'll surely give you confidence as a baker/pastry chef!

So, without further ado, let's get started! 💪🏻

📌 Why You'll Love This Recipe

1. Simple recipe: You'll need 6 simple ingredients (One of them is water!) and follow the 5 easy steps. 
2. Soft texture: I've had so many rubbery mirror glazes before, and I've gotta say they do not taste great😣 This recipe makes beautiful yet delicious mirror glaze. It feels soft even when the cake is chilled!
3. It stays shiny: As the name implies, this glaze is as shiny as a mirror! It stays shiny for days, even after storing it in the fridge. 

📌 9 Tips For A Perfect Mirror Glaze Cake

1. Use the right gelatin.

Choosing the right type of gelatin hugely affects the result since it is the only ingredient that firms up the glaze. Specifically, check the "bloom" in gelatin:

"Bloom" refers to the strength of the gelatin. 

• The higher the number is, the thicker the mirror glaze gets. 
• And the lower the number is, the softer the mirror glaze gets. 

For this recipe, use gelatin with bloom 225 - 230. Check the package or do a quick online research to find out what's the number before purchasing gelatin.

The gelatin powder I used this time is Knox gelatin powder (Bloom: 225) which is most widely sold at most grocery stores in the States. You'll need exactly the 2 small envelopes for one batch of the recipe. And the gelatin sheet I recommend is PerfectaGel platinum gelatin sheets. (bloom is 230). It is my all-time favorite gelatin that I use for all kinds of no-bake desserts besides the gelatin powder. 

When you use gelatin sheets or powder with different blooms, you'll need to adjust the amount to get the same consistency.

If this is your first time hearing about the bloom, no worry! Surprisingly, it is not talked about enough, although they are a critical part of making any desserts using gelatins.

2. Bloom gelatin beforehand.

Blooming the gelatin beforehand and letting it completely hydrate before using is important for it to work properly. Not fully hydrated gelatin could lead to loose mirror glaze. That is why this is the first thing we should do when making a mirror glaze. And use icy-cold water to hydrate it fully.

3. Add gelatin while the liquid is hot.

Add the bloomed gelatin while the liquid is still hot to ensure it melts completely. Take your time to check if you don't see any pieces of gelatin in the liquid.

4. Use the right white chocolate.

I used pretty standard white chocolate this time, but I highly recommend getting the best couverture chocolates whenever you can because it makes a huge difference in the taste. My favorite is Valrhona and Cacao Barry white chocolate.

5. Use an immersion blender.

At the very end of the process, blend the liquid with an immersion blender to emulsify the white chocolate completely. Often, you can't emulsify small bits of white chocolate without it. The immersion blender is also a great tool for removing bubbles in the glaze.

6. Chill the cake in the freezer completely.

When your cake is frozen, you can glaze a mirror cake more beautifully, compared to when the cake is chilled in the fridge.

Also, take out the frozen cake from a silicone mold or cake ring beforehand so that you can quickly pour it over a cake by the time the glaze reaches the right temperature. Do not remove the mold before the cake is completely frozen since it leads to an uneven cake surface or unwinded shape.

7. Temperature of the glaze

​The temperature of the glaze is crucial for coating it beautifully over a cake. 

• When it is too warm, it leads to a too-thin layer of glaze. 
• When the temperature is too low, it leads to a thicker layer of glaze, and the surface looks more uneven.

The ideal temperature depends on the freezer, the room temperature, how fast you can move, and so on, but it's usually between 86 - 95ºF (30 - 35ºC). With my freezer, it usually works the best at 91ºF (33ºC).

33ºC feels lukewarm when inserting a finger. (Use a digital thermometer to get the most accurate result.)

Frozen cake + Lukewarm mirror glaze

is the winning combination to coat the mirror glaze beautifully!

I recommend pouring the glaze over a small cake as a test if you can make an extra one so that you can check if the temperature works for you. 

8. Mix the glaze gently.

While letting it cool to the right temperature, do not mix vigorously to prevent it from containing lots of air bubbles - this does not look appealing on a mirror cake! Mix gently with a rubber spatula.

9. Pour the glaze quickly once it reaches the temperature.

I decided to include this one as the last tip because I passed the right temperature SO MANY times while preparing tools, organizing tables, and so on. Prepare the cake and all the tools while waiting for the glaze to cool down.

In case you missed the temperature, heat the glaze again slightly. 

📌 Tips For Mirror Glaze Ingredients

To make a white chocolate mirror glaze, you'll only need six key ingredients: water, sugar, glucose, condensed milk, gelatin, and white chocolate.

• Water: It thins out the glaze to prevent it from getting too thick.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar helps to make the texture softer while also working as a preservative.
• Glucose syrup: Use light corn syrup when you can not get glucose - It works perfectly fine as the alternative.
• Condensed milk: Ensure that it is sweetened condensed milk.
• Unflavored gelatin: Use gelatin powder or sheets, whichever you like. Check the instructions in the steps to see how to use them.
• Icy-cold water: The gelatin needs to be bloomed beforehand. Otherwise, the glaze will not be set properly.
• White chocolate: Dice chocolate if you're using a chocolate bar or chunks. Use good quality chocolate, such as couverture chocolate, to get the best results.
• Food coloring (Optional): I recommend using gel food coloring since it creates bright colors with less amount compared to liquid food coloring.

📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!

Watch this video to learn how to make the white mirror glaze and have a deeper understanding of all.

Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it 😉

📌 5 Steps To Make Mirror Glaze

1. Bloom gelatin.

When using gelatin powder

Sprinkle it in icy-cold water in a small bowl, mix well, and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let it hydrate completely.

When using gelatin sheets

Soak them in icy-cold water for about 10 minutes. 

2. Heat water, sugar, and corn syrup.

Add water, sugar, and corn syrup to a medium-small saucepan. Heat it at medium heat.

Mix it with a rubber spatula while heating, especially toward the end, to prevent the liquid from overfloating.

Remove from the heat once it reaches 217ºF (103ºC). I usually don't use a digital thermometer, but judge by the look instead: Remove from the heat once it starts bubbling hard.

NOTE⚠️: I used the small saucepan, but it almost over floated at the end when I stopped mixing it for seconds! I recommend using a little bit bigger pan to be safe😉

3. Add condensed milk.

Add sweetened condensed milk to the hot liquid and mix until combined. (You could heat it with other liquids in step 2, but I decided to add it here so that I can cool the liquid just slightly before adding the gelatin since some gelatin could lose some of its strength when it's added to boiling-hot liquid.)

4. Add bloomed gelatin.

Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot liquid and mix well until it dissolves completely. (The image on left: gelatin powder. The right: gelatin sheets)

5. Combine it with white chocolate.

Pour the hot liquid over the white chocolate in a large bowl. Mix until combined.

At the end, emulsify the chocolate with a hand blender.

Be careful not to lift it too high while blending it to prevent it from containing lots of air bubbles. Lean it over slightly, like in the image below, instead of holding it straight to remove the bubbles more easily. 

As an option, add food coloring to make different colors.

And done!

Now proceed to the next section to learn how to glaze it over a cake.

📌 How To Glaze A Mirror Cake 

1. Prepare all the tools and a cake. 

Set up all the tools and a cake ready while the glaze is cooling down so that you can quickly pour the glaze over the cake once it reaches the ideal temperature. Preparing it well ahead also gives you more ease and confidence to do it successfully! 

• A wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
• Another baking sheet (lined with plastic wrap)
• Off-set spatula
• Remove the frozen cake from a silicone mold or cake ring and ensure that it is completely frozen. (If it might take a while to freeze a cake completely in your fridge, consider making it a day before.)
• Select a plate or cake board to which you want to transfer the cake.
• (Decorations for the cake)

2. Let the glaze cool.

Let it cool to 86 - 95ºF (30 - 35ºC). The exact temperature depends on the freezer, the room temperature, how fast you can move, and so on. With my freezer, it usually works the best at 91ºF (33ºC).

3. Pour the glaze over a cake.

Once the mirror glaze reaches the temperature, immediately pour a generous amount of the glaze on top of the cake in a circular motion so you can coat the sides of the cake all around. 

Next, immediately stroke the surface of the cake with an offset spatula to drop excess glaze and make it thinner. Move the spatula parallel to the cake to create an even layer. This process also helps glaze over any uncovered spot on the side, if there is one.

Be careful not to scrape off the surface too deep. You'll only need to stroke it slightly.

​4. Transfer a cake.

Lift the wire rack and move it to the second tray. (That is because I don't want the mousse on the bottom to get scratched and go in the leftover glaze in case I want to use it again.)

Wait for seconds until you do not see that the glaze is no longer dripping on the bottom:

Insert an offset spatula under the bottom and move it in a circular motion to cut off the dripped glaze. It'll give you a nice sharp cut on the bottom edge: 

As a final step, transfer the cake onto a plate or cake board!

Check out the video tutorial to see how I transferred the small cakes.

📌 How To Store Mirror Glaze

Pour the graze into an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge or freezer.

• In the fridge: A week
• In the freezer: A few months

You can heat it in the microwave or a water bath whenever you need it. (Use a heat-resistant container.)

Leftover glaze

If no mousse or sponges are mixed in, you can reuse the excess glaze. Remove it with a spatula if there is any.

Wrap the excess glaze with plastic wrap and squeeze it out into a container.

How to store the glazed cake

Store the glazed cake in an airtight container so that the surface does not get dry. You can store it in the fridge for about a few days. 

📌 Variations For Mirror Glaze

Enjoy making various kinds of shiny cakes with different looks using this mirror glaze! Here are some ideas:

• Marbled mirror cakes: Galaxy mirror glaze cakes by marbling black, blue, and purple with metallic color dust, an ocean mirror glaze cake by marbling shades of blue and white, a spring mirror cake by marbling a few pastel colors, and so on.
• Different shapes: A heart-shaped mirror glaze cake is a popular choice for Valentine's Day. You can also make a shiny roll cake using this glaze. Using silicone molds is a great option for creating a variety of unique shapes.
• Drip cakes: You can use a buttercream cake to create a drip cake! Unlike white chocolate ganache, the glaze can stay soft and shiny after being chilled.
• Plated desserts: Customize your fancy plated dessert using the glaze.
• Choux pastry: Use it as a glaze for cream puffs, eclairs, etc. 

📌 FAQ

How much of the glaze is needed to coat an 8-inch cake?

One batch of the recipe is enough to coat an 8-inch cake. 

How much of the glaze do I need to coat a 10-inch cake?

You might be able to coat a 10-inch cake with one batch of the recipe, but I recommend making a little bit more if you are nervous. You can always freeze the leftover glaze for the next use.

How can I make the color of the mirror glaze more pastel? 

You can add white food colorings to make it more opaque, although white chocolate inside the glaze creates a natural pastel color. All the cakes I made for this tutorial are colored without white coloring. 

Can I store the mirror glaze at room temperature?

The glaze eventually starts getting too loose when it's left at room temperature since the gelatin inside slowly starts loosening up, especially when the room temperature is not cooling. Any mousse cake gets softer at room temperature, so I recommend chilling it in the fridge until right before serving.

💬 If you loved this easy mirror glaze recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.