Planning my daughter’s 7th birthday I was tasked with what sounded like an impossible feat: to pull together an incredible gymnastics cake for her! We have a tradition over the years, where I make the party cakes (and the kids help!). Yet, as soon as I started Googling for inspiration, I felt very out of my depth! A gymnastics cake wasn’t going to be easy!
So I pulled Cassie in to help with the planning, and by merging some of the inspiration we found online, we came up with a great design – and it was one of the least stressful cakes I’ve done to date! Ready to create your own gymnastics cake? Here’s how!
Gymnastics Cake at a Glance
Difficulty level: Moderate, but completely achievable for beginners
Time required: Approximately 4–5 hours of hands-on time, plus cooling and chilling
Best made: Over two days
Beginner-friendly: Yes! Packet cake mixes, ready-made buttercream and supermarket cakes can make it much easier
Serves: Approximately 20–24 party-sized slices, depending on the size of your cake tins and how generously you cut them
What Can I Prepare the Day Before?
I strongly recommend spreading this gymnastics cake over two days. The day before the party, you can:
- Bake, cool and refrigerate the cake layers.
- Make the buttercream.
- Prepare the brownie balance beam.
- Cut out the gymnast silhouettes.
- Make or organise the cake topper.
- Prepare any fondant decorations and allow them to firm up.
This leaves just the layering, decorating and final assembly for the following day.
Easy Gymnastics Cake Shortcuts
You definitely don’t need to bake every part of this cake from scratch. For an easier version, use two or three same-sized supermarket mud cakes from Coles or Woolworths. Stack them with buttercream between each layer, apply a crumb coat and decorate as normal.
You could also use store-bought buttercream, a ready-made cake topper and black cardstock gymnast silhouettes instead of cutting them from fondant.
Gymnastics Cake Ingredients
- 3 x cakes. Cassie wanted caramel cake, so I just went and bought packet mix. You actually tend to need 2 packet mix per cake tin, and since I created three layers, that was six packet mixes! It’s definitely cheaper to do from scratch, or just use smaller cake tins.
- Brownie: I used a brownie slab for the bar, but you can create this in other ways, more below!).
- 1 packet white fondant
- Buttercream (BIG batch)
- Gold dust (from Coles)
- 1 packet black fondant
- Ribbon (to wrap around the base)
- Kmart cake stand (or choose your own!) + fake flowers and fairy lights to go inside.
- Cake board
- Macarons to decorate (from Woolworths)
- Cardboard (I created a cake topper using my Cricut machine, but you can Google and buy one).
- Skewers, to hold things in place
Making The Balance Beam
The balance beam on top of the cake is definitely the highlight, and it was easy to make!
I used a brownie slab to create the bar (perfect shape!), but you can also make it out of cake (cut to shape), or just use fondant (but this will take a while to dry).
Once the brownie was cut, I covered with buttercream and popped in the fridge to set.
I rolled out white fondant and covered the brownie. I then used the gold dust from Coles and rubbed all over to create the gold effect.
The legs are just fondant! I rolled them into two cylinder shapes and then popped some skewers in to keep their structure and attach to the bottom of the balance beam. So easy and looked great sitting on top!
Making the Gymnastics Cake
- Bake, bake and bake. I normally set aside a day for cake baking (with the kids running around, of course). I make each layer a batch at a time – you can even change up flavours! Once they were baked and had cooled on the bench, I wrapped in cling wrap and then popped in fridge. It’s a good idea to do this all a day ahead of decorating as it helps the cake set and makes it easier to cut and layer.
- Get your cake board ready! Bring the first cake layer from the fridge and pop it top down on the cake board. You might need to cut the top off first to create a more level cake.
- Spread buttercream in the middle and follow up with final two layers. Now do a crumb coat over the entire cake and pop in fridge to set.
- I then followed up with another two layers of white buttercream, setting each layer at a time.
- Finish it off by wrapping the ribbon around the bottom and then you’re ready to have some fun with fondant!
Creating the gymnastic silouhettes
The silhouettes were all Cassie’s idea, and it was a great one! I used my Cricut for this, but you can just as easily print and cut (just a little more time involved). I chose from gymnasts from the Design Studio in Cricut and cut onto cardboard. I did five altogether.
I then rolled out the black fondant to a thickness I was happy with, and placed the cardboard cutouts on top and just traced and cut with a knife.
Voila! It was that easy and really looks great. I just stuck them on one by one, no water needed. They stuck directly to the buttercream.
Cake Topper
Once the cake is ready, I popped on the balance beam. I used a few more skewers to secure it into place and then it was time for the cake topper!
Again, I designed the cake topper myself on the Cricut, but you can use any party store to purchase one.
To finish it off, I added in the macarons and the Kmart cake base on the bottom, filled with fake flowers, leaves and fairy lights.
More Gymnastics Inspiration
Need more tips when it comes to planning that next important occasion? Check out our DIY party planning checklist and get started today!
Gymnastics Cake FAQs
How Do You Make a Gymnastics Cake Without Fondant?
You can easily make a gymnastics cake without fondant. Cover the cake in smooth buttercream and use black cardstock or acrylic gymnast toppers instead of fondant silhouettes. Mount cardstock shapes on cocktail sticks or skewers so the paper does not sit directly against the cake.
For the balance beam, use a brownie slab, rectangular piece of cake or Rice Bubble treat covered in buttercream or melted chocolate. Add macarons, sprinkles, edible glitter or piped buttercream decorations to finish the cake.
What Can I Use for a Balance Beam Cake Topper?
A brownie slab works particularly well because it is already firm and easy to cut into a long rectangular shape. Other options include:
- A rectangular piece of cake.
- A homemade Rice Bubble treat.
- A long chocolate-coated wafer bar.
- A piece of fondant that has been left to dry.
- A non-edible acrylic or cardstock balance beam topper.
Whatever you choose, use food-safe skewers or supports to secure the beam and remove any non-edible pieces before serving the cake.
Can I Make a Gymnastics Cake Using Supermarket Cakes?
Absolutely. Two or three same-sized supermarket mud cakes are an easy substitute for homemade cake layers. Place buttercream between the cakes, trim the tops if necessary and apply a thin crumb coat before adding the final layer of buttercream.
Supermarket cakes are usually quite moist and sturdy, making them a great option for stacking and decorating. They also save a considerable amount of baking and cleaning time.
How Far Ahead Can I Make the Decorations?
Flat fondant silhouettes can generally be prepared two or three days before decorating the cake. Store them flat in a cool, dry place and cover them loosely to protect them from dust. Avoid refrigerating them, as condensation may make the fondant sticky.
Cardstock or acrylic toppers can be prepared weeks ahead. The brownie balance beam can be made the day before and stored in the fridge. Add delicate decorations, such as macarons, shortly before the party so they remain fresh.
How Do You Make Gymnast Silhouettes for a Cake?
Start by choosing simple gymnast silhouette images with clear outlines. You can find the shapes in Cricut Design Space or print suitable templates and cut them from cardboard.
Roll out black fondant, place each cardboard template on top and carefully trace around it with a clean, sharp knife. Remove the excess fondant and allow the silhouettes to firm up before attaching them to the buttercream.
For a fondant-free version, cut the silhouettes from black cardstock and attach them to cocktail sticks or thin skewers to create simple cake toppers
