Fake That Wedding Cake! ( at Least Part of It )

So wedding bells are ringing and you or someone you know would love a big beautiful wedding cake, and your budgets, got you down.

Don't you worry!

With a little imagination and a few products you can create a Faux Wedding Cake for around $ 50.00, which will rival the look of that 5-tier beauty, but without the hefty price tag. Everyone will still be eating a great flavored cake at your celebration, but at a fraction of the cost. Sheet cakes can be made affordable without sacrificing taste. The average full sheet cake, will serve between 40 and 96 at around $50.00.

The average wedding cake will cost $300 - $1500, a lot depends on location, design, and materials.

This cost doesn't usually include cutting charges for the most part.

I know this might seem unusual, a faux wedding cake but this is very trendy lately and there has been lots of chatter about whether or not, this is a good idea or a bad one.

So here's the bad, those attending the wedding may feel slighted or confused, that you chose to showcase a wedding cake that is fake, as the day is long, and your serving them boring, flavorless sheet cakes instead.

Great news is who really cares. The wedding cake in history was a symbol of fortune and fertility and they used to crumble the cake over the brides head. I don't know about you but I don't see, that happening to the brides of today and so change is always good.

Your wedding and budget first starts with you, the one you love and your immediate family. The only concern guests should have is that you have a bright and prosperous future. (Not how much you paid for the cake)

Look at it this way, that cake is a sculpture you created for you special day.

So let's look at a few designs I created, that I hope will not only fool the eye, but also inspire you.

Save hundreds, by constructing a faux cake.

So ask yourself, paper, plastic, glass, fabric, metal, wood, clay, or organic, what will it be?

Step 1: Supplies

First your cake design. ( Remember it's your day ,so make it your way )

Foam ( EPS , recycled foam , sheet foam , or pre-cut cake forms. pre-cut foam for this ible, $25.00 for 5 pieces. 6",8",10", 12",14" rounds.

Fake Icing ( plaster ) I used shaper sheet plaster from Woodland Scenics .

Fabric

Wall paper

Paints

Gel medium,design paste,spackle

Gum-paste flowers

Glue, Hot glue

Double stick tape

Rhinestone sheet

Beads

Trim Ribbon

Flowers ( fresh or silk )

Pastry tips (optional)

Whatever your design needs.

Turntable

This ible will show 5 different looks,with a break down,for each design. The cost depends on your own personal savings.

Step 2: Preporation

This design idea lets you decide how much money you want to spend on real cake and faux cake.

For this ible we will be using pre-cut cake dummies. The cost for 5 tiers (6", 8", 10", 12", 14”) and 4" thick was only $25.00 and that included shipping. Lots of supplies on line.

You can buy many different shapes and only what you need. They can be made from foam salvage, if you want to save even more.

We will be constructing a 5-tier design first then 4 tier. Pillars can be used for more height and a different look. These cakes are stacked cakes.

Lets say you want to be able to cut from the cake for pictures, or maybe you want to stay with some tradition and save the top tier to be eaten on your first anniversary no problem. Just replace a layer with a real one from the bakery. All you need to do is show them your design.

You can cut a small piece of foam out of the back of a layer, decorate the rest of the cakes then, line the area for the real cake with butcher paper, and now you can have the cake cutting part of the ceremony.

Lets begin.

You will need a clean area with all your tools and supplies. Put on some music, have some snacks remember make this, one of your memories.

The base icing will be done on only the cakes that require it, but for this instructable I have based ice all the pieces so I can show the different combinations.

Step 3: Base Icing

Layout some paper to work on. You will take tape and stick your foam to your turntable.

Mix your plaster as directed, keeping it a little thicker like icing, with angled spatula began to spread it out.

You can use joint compound or Spackle for your icing; I prefer a harder plaster material.

After it is covered, take you straight edge and began turning the cake while you hold the scraper to the side of the cake dummy. Scraping as you turn. (Sorry no picture, no free hands.)

Keep this up till it is smooth as you can get. Note: we will sand after everything is dry, to get a very smooth finish, if our design requires. Tapping the bottom will help level as well.

Repeat process for all the layers that need it.

Let them dry completely before sanding.

Then paint the color you want. White is used on a view designs, then soft pink pearl, and Tiffany box blue.

I show a picture of texture, this can be done with lots of different things. Some wedding cakes are modeled in this way.

A disposable pastry bag and tips can be used, just like real cake decorating to add ruffles, swags, etc, molds for casting plaster shapes.

Endless possibilities.

Step 4: Design 1 ( Sophisticated Gem )

This bottom layer is a 14" x 4" thick round.

Covered with navy blue textured rose fabric, when we use fabric on this layer it not only creates a unique look but it tricks the brain into thinking the remaining layers are cake.

These types of materials can be glued or sewn, then glued or taped into place. I just hot glued this one for demo.

You trace the circle and add a 1/4 " all the way around, this will be folded down to create a clean edge. Lie on top of foam, begin gluing around the edge.

Next take the circumference measurement and the height measurement which is 4" and add 1/4 " extra around the whole strip.

Fold the edge in a little, wrap and glue around the sides of the foam, and then the bottom.

Base is finished.

This is by fare the easiest step.

The ribbon just gets wrapped and a little hot glue to hold in the back. There really is no need to glue all the way around because the ribbon is sitting on a straight edge. You just pull tight and add glue to other end and stick. The rhinestone sheet is one of the best creations of its time. This sheet is created with a soft plastic that has a faceted surface and then a metallic foil back that then has adhesive back. This allows you to stick it to what ever you want. It looks like real gems. I continued to wrap trim on each layer, finishing up the design.

Topped it with wedding couple and then took Gum paste flowers and hot glued them to the sides Gum-paste flowers come in colors but can also be airbrushed. You can cut them apart as well to create custom clusters.

Take some colored ribbon and create little loop cluster and glue behind the flowers this will show separation from the cake. (Not white on white)

Step 5: Design 2 ( Refresh )

This design is a very popular one it is clean and bright.

Place the ribbon around the base of each layer tack glue in the back.

For the flowers, start with the greens; cut them and hot glue into place.

Next you want to place on the large flowers, don’t over think it. Just do what looks good to you.

After those flowers are in place it is time to add the filler flowers and greens, just add a little glue and tuck into place behind and in front of large flowers. If it doesn't look good change it.

That's it. Wedding cake anyone.

Step 6: Design 3 ( Whisper Softly )

The steps are petty much all the same. This design cost $50.00 trim was 1/2 off. Gum-paste cost $18.00

Other items I had from previous projects.

I mixed pink paint with pearl and painted the layers in an angle.

This one uses metal trim, another great item that really makes a statement.

Step 7: Design 4 ( Retro Flash )

This is a Tiffany blue beauty. I used a nice blue color to paint all the layers, then with my Silhouette Cameo, I sized and cutout a modern design for the trim. The paper was a pearl card-stock.

Weed and glue into place around the edge of 2 layers.

Then use the rhinestone sheet, cut a 3 row and a 4 row. Use the 3 rows for the top layer and the 4 for the 3rd. layer. You will need to match up the ends to create pieces long enough to go around each layer.

Next I used a gum-paste bow, with a little piece of added Rhinestone. Glue into place.

Done!!!

Remember paper is a great material, because it comes in so many styles and can be cut in so many ways.

Step 8: Design 5 : ( Steel My Heart )

This one is so simple. Wallpaper comes in so many patterns, it’s amazing. The new textured or dimensional ones are top notch.

This wallpaper is one I used in our house. The cool thing is when you spray paint it the back paper part stays matte finish and the raised, stays shinny. (Looks cool)

Works great with lots of paints and techniques.

I just took the foam piece and traced it then added a little extra for folding down sides. This was done for the side pieces to.

Dbl stick tape or hot glue holds just fine. Then I sprayed it with metallic spray paint and let dry.

Cut strips to place on Tiffany box blue painted cakes, and add ribbon for finishing touches.