Gelatin Art Guide
How to Make a Jelly Cake
3D Gelatin Art Guide
Clear gelatin, colored injections, and a silicone mold. Here's the full technique for making jelly cakes with 3D flowers inside.
A jelly cake is a clear gelatin dome with 3D designs (usually flowers) injected inside it. You eat it with a spoon. It looks like a snow globe made of dessert.
The technique started in Mexico, where gelatin artists have been making gelatinas artísticas for decades. It spread through Southeast Asia, picked up an ASMR following on YouTube, and blew up on TikTok in 2025. Now it's one of those dessert projects customers keep asking us about because it looks complicated, but the first version is actually pretty doable.
Here's what makes it interesting for home bakers: jelly cakes are no-bake, gluten-free by default, and the supplies are cheap. You don't need an oven. You don't need fondant experience or a turntable. You need gelatin, food coloring, a silicone mold, and a set of needle tools that cost about $10-15 online. The learning curve is in your hands, not your equipment.
Gloria's Cake and Candy Supplies at 11117 Washington Blvd in Culver City stocks unflavored gelatin, gel food coloring in dozens of shades, silicone molds, and the piping supplies you'll need for the finishing touches. We've been helping Westside bakers figure out new techniques since 1972, and jelly cakes are no exception. Call ahead at (323) 289-8807 if you want to confirm what we have in stock before you drive over.
Types of Jelly Cakes
Not all jelly cakes use the same technique. Here are the four main styles.
3D Flower Injection (Gelatin Art)
The one you've seen on TikTok. Petal-shaped needle tools carve cavities inside a set gelatin dome, then colored gelatin is injected to fill each petal. The result is a translucent dome with flowers that look like they're floating inside. This is the technique we cover in the step-by-step below.
Layered Color Jelly
Simpler to make. You pour alternating layers of different-colored gelatin into a mold, letting each layer set before adding the next. No injection tools needed. The cross-section when you slice it shows clean color stripes. Good starting point if the needle technique feels intimidating.
Fruit-Suspended Jelly
Fresh fruit pieces (lychee, strawberry, kiwi, mandarin segments) suspended in a clear or lightly tinted gelatin dome. The fruit "floats" inside. The trick is adding the gelatin in stages so the fruit doesn't all sink to the bottom. Visually impressive, easy to eat, and the fruit actually tastes good.
Coconut Milk Jelly Cake
Uses coconut milk as the opaque base layer with a clear gelatin top. The contrast between the white base and the clear dome makes any colors inside pop harder. Common in Thai and Vietnamese gelatin desserts. Naturally dairy-free if you skip condensed milk.
Jelly Cake Supplies
Everything you need for the 3D flower injection method. Most of this costs less than a bag of fondant.
Knox is the most common brand at grocery stores. You'll need about 4 packets (1 oz total) for a 7-inch dome. Buy extra for your first attempt because you'll use some for test batches of the injection mixture.
Available at Gloria'sMetal needle tips shaped like flower petals, leaves, and circles. They attach to a syringe body. Sold in sets of 10-50 pieces. A basic 10-piece set with 3 petal shapes, 2 leaf shapes, and a few accent shapes is plenty to start. Available online, typically $10-15 for a beginner set.
Gel-based, not liquid. Gel colorings are concentrated, so a tiny amount gives you vivid color without thinning the gelatin mixture. You need at least 3 colors for a basic flower design: one for outer petals, one for inner petals or center, and green for leaves.
Multiple brands at Gloria's (AmeriColor, Chefmaster, Wilton)A 7-inch hemisphere mold is the standard starting size. Silicone is mandatory because you need to peel the mold off the set gelatin without cracking it. Rigid plastic or metal molds won't work. Check the interior is smooth with no texture lines.
Silicone molds available at Gloria'sFor the opaque base layer that sits under the clear dome. Condensed milk gives a sweet, creamy base. Coconut milk gives a lighter, dairy-free option. One 14 oz can of either is enough for a 7-inch mold.
The needle tools screw into a standard syringe body. Most gelatin art tool sets include one. If not, a clean plastic syringe from a pharmacy or craft store works. You'll use this to push colored gelatin through the needle tips into the set base.
Gelatin vs. agar agar: which one to use
Gelatin (animal-based, from collagen) gives you a softer, more jiggly set that's slightly translucent. Agar agar (plant-based, from seaweed) sets firmer and more opaque, and it holds up better in warm rooms. Most jelly cake artists use gelatin for the clear dome because the transparency is the whole point. Some recipes add a small amount of agar agar to the gelatin mixture (about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of liquid) for extra stability without losing clarity.
Food coloring: gel vs. liquid
Liquid food coloring from the grocery store baking aisle will work in a pinch, but you'll need to use a lot of it to get vivid colors, and that extra liquid dilutes the gelatin mixture. Gel food coloring is concentrated. One or two drops per tablespoon of injection gelatin gives you saturated color. For jelly cakes, that concentration matters because you want sharp edges on each petal, not a watercolor blur.
Gloria's stocks AmeriColor, Chefmaster, and Wilton gel colorings in individual colors and sets. If you're making your first jelly cake, a basic set of 8 colors gives you enough range for flowers, leaves, and accents. Ask our staff which shades work best for the specific flower you're trying to make.
How to Make a Jelly Cake (3D Flower Method)
Total time: about 6 hours, mostly waiting for gelatin to set. Active work: about 1 hour.
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Make the clear gelatin base
Sprinkle 4 packets (1 oz) of unflavored gelatin over 1 cup of cold water in a bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This is called blooming, and it keeps the gelatin from clumping when you heat it. Meanwhile, heat 2 cups of water (or lychee juice, or coconut water if you want flavor) with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Don't let it boil. Pour the hot liquid over the bloomed gelatin and stir until completely melted and clear.
If you see any granules floating, keep stirring. Undissolved gelatin creates cloudy spots in the finished dome, and you can't fix them later. -
Pour into the mold and refrigerate
Let the gelatin mixture cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes on the counter. If you pour it into the silicone mold while it's still hot, it can warp a thin mold. Once cooled, pour it into your 7-inch dome mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours until the gelatin is firm all the way through. Poke the center gently. If it springs back and holds its shape, it's ready.
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Prepare your colored injection gelatin
Bloom 1 packet of gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Melt it into 1/2 cup warm water (not boiling). Divide this mixture into small cups or bowls, one per color. Add gel food coloring: 2 drops per tablespoon of gelatin is usually enough for a first pass. Stir each one. These mixtures need to stay liquid while you work, so keep them in a shallow pan of warm water at about 95°F. If a bowl starts to gel, 10 seconds in the microwave brings it back.
Prepare your colors before you start carving. Once you pierce the set gelatin, you want to inject color quickly before the cavities close up. -
Carve petal shapes with needle tools
Keep the gelatin dome in the mold, flat side (open side) facing up. This flat side will become the bottom after you add the milk layer and flip it. Pick a petal-shaped needle tool and push it into the gelatin about 1 to 1.5 inches deep at the center of the dome. Gently wiggle it side to side to widen the cavity, then pull it straight out. Repeat in a circle around that first insertion to form your first ring of petals. Work from the center outward.
For the first flower, keep it simple: 5-6 petals in one ring, then a second ring of slightly larger petals around that. You're sculpting blind, so go slow. Each insertion should be about 1/4 inch apart.
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Inject colored gelatin into the cavities
Fill the syringe with warm colored gelatin (draw it up slowly to avoid air bubbles). Insert the syringe needle into a carved petal cavity. Push the plunger slowly and watch the color spread to fill the shape. Don't overfill. If gelatin leaks out the top of the insertion hole, you've used too much. Move to the next petal.
Use a darker shade for the outer petals and a lighter shade (or a different color) for the inner ring. Inject green gelatin into leaf-shaped cavities around the flower. Refrigerate for 30 minutes between injection rounds to let the colors firm up before you add more details nearby.
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Pour the milk base layer
Bloom 1 packet of gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Melt it, then stir in one 14 oz can of condensed milk (or full-fat coconut milk for dairy-free). Let it cool to room temperature before pouring. If you pour it warm, it will melt the top layer of your decorated gelatin and blur the flowers. Pour it slowly over the flat (open) side of the mold, on top of your injected design. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until the milk layer is completely set.
The milk layer is the base when you flip the cake. Make it thick enough (at least 3/4 inch) so the cake sits flat and stable on a plate. -
Unmold and serve
Peel back the silicone mold carefully, starting from one edge and working your way around. The milk layer is now the flat bottom. The clear dome with your 3D flower design faces up. Place it on a plate and serve chilled. For clean slices, dip a sharp knife in warm water before each cut. The gelatin will give you a satisfying, clean cross-section that shows the flower design from the side.
Common problems and fixes
- Gelatin dome is cloudy, not clear: Either the gelatin wasn't fully dissolved, or the liquid boiled. Gelatin loses clarity above 212°F. Heat gently, stir until no granules remain, and don't let it boil.
- Colors are bleeding into each other: The injection gelatin was too warm, or you didn't wait long enough between injection rounds. Let each round set for 30 minutes before adding adjacent colors.
- Cavities are closing up before you can inject: Work faster, or carve only 3-4 petals at a time before injecting. The gelatin self-heals, especially in warmer rooms.
- Milk layer melted the design: The milk mixture was too warm when you poured it. Let it cool to room temperature (touch the bowl, it should feel neutral, not warm) before pouring.
- Cake won't come out of the mold: Run the outside of the mold under warm (not hot) water for 5-10 seconds to loosen the gelatin. Then peel the silicone back gently.
- Gelatin is too soft and jiggly: You used too much water relative to gelatin. For a firm set that holds its shape when unmolded, use a ratio of 1 packet gelatin per 3/4 cup liquid (not the 1:1 ratio on the Knox box).
Build Your First Jelly Cake Without Guessing
The first fork is simple. If you already have your needle tools, start with gelatin, gel color, and a smooth silicone mold. If you are still figuring out the mold and setup, start with the mold lane first so the rest of the build feels easier.
Gloria's stocks the parts most people need right away: unflavored gelatin, gel food coloring, silicone molds, piping bags, and piping tips. If you call before you come over, we'll tell you what is actually on the shelf and help you avoid buying the wrong coloring or mold size for a first try.
- Need the ingredient run first? Start with our gelatin search and gel food coloring options.
- Need the mold side figured out? Use our silicone mold search and the molds guide if you want help choosing shape and material.
- Need the full candy and decorating setup? Go straight to our candy-making supplies page, then call us if you want a quick reality check before driving over.
Hours
Tuesday – Saturday
10 am – 6 pm
Phone
Best for
First jelly cake supply runs, color matching, mold help, and last-minute project saves
10 minutes from Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood, and Playa Vista. On Washington Blvd between Sepulveda and Overland.
Mistakes That Ruin Jelly Cakes
Boiling the gelatin
Gelatin breaks down above 212°F. If you boil it, the proteins denature and the mixture won't set properly. It also turns cloudy, which defeats the entire purpose of a clear dome. Heat it gently. Dissolve it in hot (not boiling) water. If you're not sure, use a thermometer: stay below 180°F.
Using liquid food coloring instead of gel
Liquid coloring is mostly water. Adding 10-15 drops to get a vivid color dilutes your injection gelatin, making it thinner and harder to control. Gel coloring gives you the same vibrancy with 1-2 drops. The difference is dramatic in jelly cakes because precision matters. Every extra drop of liquid makes the color bleed wider than the carved cavity.
Pouring the milk layer too hot
This is the most common way to destroy an hour of needle work. The milk layer has to be room temperature or cooler when you pour it. If it's warm, it melts the top surface of the gelatin dome and smears the injected colors. Touch the bowl. It should feel neutral, not warm. When in doubt, let it sit another 10 minutes.
Not blooming the gelatin first
Sprinkle the gelatin powder over cold water and let it absorb for 5 minutes before adding heat. If you dump gelatin straight into hot water, it clumps into rubbery lumps that never fully dissolve. Those lumps show up as opaque spots in the finished dome.
Storing the finished cake at room temperature
Gelatin melts above 95°F. In a warm room (or outside in an LA summer), your jelly cake will start losing structure within an hour. Keep it refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Transport it in a cooler with ice packs. If you're bringing it to a party, unmold it on-site.
