Wow! Made this adorable last minute Iron Man birthday cake for under $40!
By Erica Fox May 17, 2023
I made this adorable last-minute Ironman cake for under $40 and love how it turned out.
I put it together for my son’s 5th birthday, and it was a hit.
I’m now into making birthday cakes on the cheap after spending years and loads of cash on them.
I’m also pretty good at doing this very last minute which is a gift and a curse.
I came up with this idea about 2 days before my son’s birthday – thank you very much for 2-day shipping!
I pieced it together the day of his birthday celebration in about an hour.
It was so easy because the cake is store-bought and the glove, which looks a little like fondant, is actually a real glove I ordered online.
If you want to make one too for the superhero in your life you’ve come to the right spot. So let’s jump right in!
Piecing together your DIY Iron Man Cake
It’s easy to put this cake together and the best part is that it looks more complicated than it is.
Watch this 1 minute video on making the candy “glass” and putting the birthday cake together.
I ordered the Iron Man glove online for like $25. It doubled as a cake topper AND a gift for my son. I just covered the bottom part in Saran Wrap and pushed it into the cake.
Honestly, the glove/gift was the most expensive part. He was thrilled. It comes with batteries and lights up with a click of a switch so it’s super simple.
If you don’t have a glove like this, I say look around at your kids’ toys and you can probably sanitize it really well and make it work especially if you’re extra, extra last minute.
I’m a big fan of using things I already have in the house. I wanted the glove to look like it’s smashing through a window and coming up from the cake.
I think we achieved it as my son LOVED it. What helps is this glove almost looks like it’s made of fondant. One of my relatives and some of my friends on Facebook and Instagram thought it was actual cake!
If I was that good at baking, I’d definitely quit my part-time news anchoring gig and try to go on Cake Wars!
Adding the Sugar Glass for The Iron Man Cake
Sugar “glass” is cheap, easy to work with, and simple to make. I
The stuff gets really hot though, and can burn you so be extra careful with kids around. Here’s the recipe for our sugar glass.
I used a store-bought cake as my base- my life so easy!
I got the cake on sale for $9.99. It was regularly closer to $20 but it had a crack in the side so it was discounted. I planned on redesigning the look of the cake so the crack didn’t bother me one bit.
The grocery store one worked just fine and I love the price. You can always ask the bakery if they have any discounted ones. If you’re going to redesign it anyway a little imperfection doesn’t matter.
Making the candy glass
I last minute decided to make a candy glass web around a small metal Spider-Man my sister had at her house. I think this would be really cute for a Spider-Man-themed cake with a larger superhero figure as the centerpiece.
I may try that next! To make the web, I waited for the sugar mixture to cool slightly and then started to pull the mixture into long pieces and spun it around the Spider-Man to give it the web look. I did this several times with long thin pieces of the sugar glass. Once the candy starts to cool it hardens fast so you have to be ready to work quickly!
Pin this Iron Man Cake Post and Save it For Later!
I think anytime you can add something that lights up to a cake it takes it to the next level. It just adds a wow factor, and it’s super simple to do. If I had to do this again, I might have chosen a bigger cake or a smaller glove as the glove overpowers a bit here but at the end of the day, doesn’t that embody who Iron Man is anyway?
Conclusion
To make your Iron Man cake truly special, consider adding some interactive elements like a pop-up Iron Man figure or a spinning arc reactor.
Adding some superhero-themed cupcakes or cookies to the party can create a cohesive and themed dessert table. Use edible images or cake toppers featuring other superheroes like the Hulk or Captain America to add a fun and playful touch.
Have fun and be creative with your Iron Man cake design.
Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
