How to Create a Stunning Candle Cake for Special Occasions

An adorable cake, especially one with flickering candles, will elevate any festive atmosphere (a birthday, anniversary, or any memorable event).

Candles are perfect for marking special occasions as they represent light and hope. Gathering around a candle cake to sing celebratory songs promotes connection, and the fun ritual of blowing out the candles adds excitement to the celebration.

Making your own candle cake (instead of buying one from a store) can turn your celebration into a heartfelt experience. Ready to make your celebrations more personal by creating your own candle cakes? This guide will show you how to make delicious-looking candle cakes for your special occasion without baking (using the Méli&Mélo candle cake DIY kit). 

The kit is also a very thoughtful, unique gift to help a special someone light up their special occasion.

The steps for making your own special occasion birthday candle cake that will leave your guests in awe are as follows:

Step 1: Gather materials

Want to create a stunning birthday cake without the stress of baking? Thankfully, you can. Just grab a Méli&Mélo candle cake DIY kit.

These kits contain everything you need to create a realistic-looking cake without baking. The cake will look, feel, and even smell like the real thing (albeit it will not be edible). So, instead of materials like flour, vanilla extract, and white chocolate ganache, you’ll have wax, slime, glues, and the like.

Making a candle cake with the Méli&Mélo candle cake kit is a delightful sensory experience that combines visual appeal, creativity, and a bit of magic. The kit includes everything you need to craft your candle cake, including:

• Candle cake base: This is the mould that shapes and structures your candle cake. It has a hole at the centre of the bottom where the wick will come through. 
• Soy wax: The material you will melt and pour into the candle cake base to create your candle cake.
• Wicks: Strings inserted into the soy candles that will hold the flames.
• Toppings: Fun decorations (like strawberries, birthday signs, and other embellishments) to make your cake even more beautiful.
• Toolkit: Essential tools (like a tweezer, spatula, and whisk) for crafting your cake.
• Video Tutorials: Simple step-by-step guides that will walk you through the whole process of crafting the candle cake.

Step 2: Prepare your workspace

You can craft your stunning candle cakes anywhere—the kitchen, living room, or bedroom. But before you begin, you need to prepare the workspace. Set up a clean, flat surface where you can comfortably work on your cake.

You may want to lay down a protective surface (like newspaper, aluminium foil, or a silicone mat) where you want to work. This will help catch any spills. 

Step 3: Melt the wax

Fetch the soy wax from your candle cake kit, place it in a small saucepan, and melt it. The best way to melt wax for candle cake-making is the double boiler method. 

The double boiler method is all about avoiding direct heat on the wax. To do this, place the wax in a top pot and let this pot sit over a bottom pot with water. Then, place the bottom pot on a stove and turn on the heat. The fire heats the water in the bottom pot, and the steam from the boiling water gently warms the top pot, melting the wax.

You may also melt your wax using a microwave or under direct heat. However, these methods are not recommended as the wax can catch fire. But if you must use these methods, take the following precautions:

• Microwave: Place the wax in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in short bursts (about 30 seconds), and stir after every heating session until the wax is fully melted.
• Direct heat: Place the wax in a small saucepan, place it on a stove, and turn it on. Use very low heat and stir continuously as you heat.

Whatever method you choose, put safety first. Wear heat-resistant gloves, and consider wearing aprons to protect clothing from spills. Melting wax releases fumes, so ensure your workspace is well-ventilated. 

Step 4: Prepare the candle cake base

As your wax is getting ready, prepare your candle cake base so that you can pour the melted wax immediately. You need to work fast because melted wax hardens pretty quickly.

To prepare your candle cake base, take the wick that comes with your Méli&Mélo candle cake kit and pull it through the hole at the bottom of the base. Then, hold the wick upright as you pour.

Step 5: Pour the melted wax

Before pouring the melted wax into the mould, make sure the wick is centred and stable. This is important for an even burn once your candle is complete. The Méli&Mélo kit comes with a tweezer, which you can use to hold each wick upright as you pour to avoid mistakenly getting hot wax on your fingers.

When you’re ready to pour the wax, do so carefully. Pour until the mould is filled to your desired height, with a part of the wick showing at the top.

Creating coloured layers is a great idea for creating stunning cakes. Suppose you want to make a two-layer cake. Pour the melted wax into the candle cake base until it is half-filled. Then, allow the wax to cool slightly. 

Next, mix a colourant (like mica powder) with the remaining melted wax. You may need to heat it again. As you heat, stir the wax with the provided wire whisk to achieve an even colour. Then, gently pour the second layer of melted wax over the first. Pour in a thin stream so it spreads evenly over the top layer. Stop when you reach the desired height, making sure the wick shows at the top. You’ll have one candle cake with two different colours.

Step 6: Allow to cool completely

Let your candle cake cool and harden at room temperature, then remove it from the candle cake base. The cooling time depends on the thickness of your candle cake. The thicker the cake, the longer it’ll take to cool and solidify fully. Prepare to wait a few hours as your cake fully cools and hardens.

Once your candle cake hardens, carefully remove it from the candle cake base and place it on a wire rack. If it feels stuck, don’t force it, as that may destroy the candle cake. Instead, put the candle cake base in a refrigerator for a few minutes. When the material cools, it is easier for the candle cake to pop up. 

After removing the candle from the candle cake base, trim the wick to about ¼ inches above the surface. This helps the candle burn uniformly, preventing tunnelling.

Step 7: Add decorative toppings

It’s now time to decorate your candle cake. An excellent place to start is changing the plain appearance of the cake base. Drizzle melted wax on top of the cake so that some of it drips over the sides. This creates the glossy, rich appearance of “ganache dripping over the sides of a cake.” And this will make your candle cake look more luxurious and inviting.

Let the “drip icing” wax cool a little. Then, start the exciting part - adding the toppings from your kit. Depending on the kit, you’ll find toppings such as faux strawberries, festive signs (like “Happy Birthday”), faux sprinkles, and themed decorations.

Pick one and press it gently into the surface of the soy candles to hold it in place. 

Step 8: Light your candles and celebrate in style

On the day of the special event, bring the candle cake to life by lighting the candles. As the flames flicker to life, take a moment to appreciate your creation.

If you're celebrating with friends or family members, encourage everyone to gather around the cake to share in the excitement. Lasting memories are created when you have everyone singing celebratory songs in the warm glow of the candles. Don’t forget to make a wish, or encourage everyone to, before blowing out the candles, as this adds a fun personal touch to the occasion. 

Also, don’t forget to take pictures. Capture your stunning candle cake creation and all the beautiful smiles. Remember that while your candle cake looks, feels, and smells like a real cake, it is fake. You cannot eat. So, make some treats or food available for people to indulge in.

Takeaway: Create stunning candle cakes with Méli&Mélo candle cake DIY kit

Feel like celebrating a special occasion with a candle cake? Creating your own candle cake can make your special occasion feel more special. When it comes to creating stunning candle cakes without having to bake, Méli&Mélo is the go-to plug. Méli&Mélo DIY candle cake kits can help you create incredible pieces that look, feel, and smell like real candle cakes. 

Our kits are handcrafted in Paris and meet the highest quality and safety standards. We also prioritize eco-friendliness by using recyclable materials for both products and packaging.

Ready to create stunning candle cakes without baking? Or ready to give someone a thoughtful gift to light up their special occasion? Get a Méli&Mélo DIY candle cake kit today!