Learn how easy it is to make your own faux cake (for any occasion) using supplies you already have around your house!

Raise your hand if you love cake!

My hand is up because I LOVE sheet cakes, party cakes, and basically any type of cake that is covered with frosting!

Now, even though I love cake with all my heart, that doesn’t mean that I want to spend all day in the kitchen baking a real cake when it comes to seasonal decorating. So, to solve all of our problems (if you are like me), today I will be showing you how easy it is to make a faux cake for any season!

WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT IS A FAUX CAKE?

If you have never heard of a faux cake, let me explain.

A faux cake (also known as a dummy cake) is a fake cake made from styrofoam discs. These styrofoam discs are decorated with materials like fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments, to make the whole thing look like a real cake. Then, once the faux cake is created, it can be used as a display cake for photos or as part of your decor.

The cool thing about these cakes (from a ”decor perspective”) is that they don’t melt, they last forever, and they can be made for a fraction of the cost when compared to a real cake. Plus, faux items (like cakes, cupcakes, coffee, etc.) are becoming more popular when it comes to tablescapes and decorating!

So if you are wanting to learn how to make your own faux cake, check out my tutorial below which is PERFECT for beginner faux cake artists! {FTC Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission from purchases with no cost to you.}

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Floral Foam Discs – they come in a variety of sizes
• Lightweight spackling
• Acrylic Paint – color of choice
• Mixing Bowl
• Disposable Spatula
• Plastic knife
• Assorted faux florals and greenery
• Hot glue gun

HOW TO MAKE A FAUX CAKE:

BUILDING YOUR CAKE:

Step 1: Grab one of your floral foam discs and lay it flat on your table. Then apply a bit of hot glue to the middle and place another floral foam disc on top.

Keep repeating this step until your cake is as tall as you want it.

CREATING YOUR FROSTING:

Step 2: Transfer a good amount of your lightweight spackling into a mixing bowl and grab your disposable spatula.

Note: The mixing bowl and spatula that you are using in steps 2-4, should only be used for crafting purposes. If you don’t have an extra bowl or spatula around for this project, I recommend going to the Dollar Tree, where you can get these items for really cheap.

Step 3: Add 3-4 tablespoons of your chosen paint color to the spackling. Then fold in your paint color like you would if you were folding cake batter.

Note: Depending on the color you want for your cake, you may need to add more paint to your spackling (or add more spackling if the color is too dark).

FROSTING YOUR CAKE:

Step 4: Using a plastic knife, begin to cover your cake with globs of your spackling.

While doing this, don’t worry about getting a smooth finish. The texture of the spackling actually makes it look more like real frosting, which is the cool thing about this project! Also, don’t worry about the top tier being perfect because we will be decorating it in steps 5 and 6.

Once you are done frosting your cake, set it aside to dry in a warm area for 24-48 hours.

Tips: Do you want to add decorative swirls to your cake design? Simply put some of your spackling into a disposable pastry bag and use it as you normally would! This adds even more texture to your cake and makes it look even more real!

DECORATING YOUR CAKE:

NOTE: For this cake, I wanted it to have a floral look so it could be used for both spring and summer decor. However, depending on the season you are making your cake for, you can easily change the decorations!

Step 5: To create the stem arches (or “bunny ears”), hot glue two 4” pieces of greenery stems to a point. Once the hot glue is dry, add the bunny ears to the top of your cake by using the wire in the greenery to punch through the foam.

Step 6: To add flowers to the top of the cake, simply remove the main stem from the flower. Then use the nub left behind to punch through the foam of the cake (like in step 5).

Once you are happy with the look of your cake, you are ready to display it!

LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL CAKE DECORATING TIPS? THEN CHECK OUT OUR DIY CAKE TOPPER: PAPER FLOWERS!