How To Make a Faux Cake

Have you ever wanted to know how to make a faux cake?

This project is perfect for someone who is planning a photoshoot and maybe doesn’t want to spring for the expensive three-tiered cake.

Maybe you are planning a wedding, outdoor tablescape photo, or birthday photo shoot.

A fun project that is not only affordable, it is pretty easy for the most inexperienced DIY-er to do. 

Check out the DIY on my blog.

*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Worx Tools. All opinions are my own. 

I learned this technique last year when I was scrambling to find a baker for a fall outdoor tablescape photo shoot I was doing.

So I decided to create my own faux beautiful cake instead!

I am so excited to show you how this one turned out.

How To Make a Faux Cake Materials on table

Materials

  • Styrofoam Rounds
  • Hot Glue
  • Styrofoam Glue
  • Foam Brush
  • Lightweight Spackling
  • Plastic Putty Knife
  • Cake Decorations
  • Cake Stand (Optional for Staging)
  • Acrylic Paint: White, Yellow, Orange

You can choose to substitute brands or craft supplies when necessary.

Your Cake Rounds

How To Make a Faux Cake foam rounds

I purchase a set of 4 Styrofoam rounds off of Amazon, but you can pick these up at any craft store.

You can also choose any size or shape for your cake rounds, there are so many options.

Applying the Joint Compound

How To Make a Faux Cake: Bucket of joint compound, opened with spackling tool on table with faux cake iced behind it.
Bucket of joint compound, opened with spackling tool on table with faux cake iced behind it.

Use the All Purpose Joint compound and apply to the styrofoam forms with a spackling knife.

Let Them Dry

How To Make a Faux Cake Spackled drying on table

Allow your cakes to completely dry. I only needed three cakes for this project, so I will just save one for a rainy day! 

*Side Note: If you find holes or areas that need repairing, apply another layer of joint compound and let it dry before painting.

You will see a slight color change between wet and dry areas. I allow to dry overnight.

Gather Paint Sprayer Materials

How To Make a Faux Cake Iworx Tool paint airbrush tool with paint on table

I am so excited that I have the new Maker X Dremel style tool from Worx Tools to use to airbrush this faux cake. 

Paint Your Cakes

How To Make a Faux Cake: Three painted cakes on table one orange, one white, one yellow

We wanted to decorate this faux cake for Halloween to look like a piece of candy corn. So each tier was a different color. 

*Side Note: Even if you want to leave your cake white, I would recommend applying 1-2 coats of white paint. Just to give it a brighter, cleaner looking finish. The joint compound does dry white, but it is very dull.

Also if you want to do a naked cake then I recommend painting your ake with a tan or brown paint before you spackle.

You will lightly coat the cake with spackling, not full coverage.

Glue Your Cakes Together

How To Make a Faux Cake Faux tiered cakes on table with tacky glue in front on them

Use the Styrofoam Glue to glue your cake forms together.

Make sure they are centered when you place each tier.

I prefer to do this after spackling the cake it is easier to do each cake separately in my opinion. 

You could do before you paint totally your preference.

Glue Faux Cakes Together
Faux Tiered Cake candy corn look

Let’s Decorate

Faux cake on table with decorations sitting by its side

Time to Decorate the cake! We used candy corn,  fall florals, and some acorns we found at the park.

Using a glue gun to glue candy corn candy to faux cake


Just dab a bit of hot glue on the bottom of the candy. 

Press candy corn to side of faux cake with glue on it to stay in place

Press the candy on to the cake for just a few seconds each.

We decided to just go along the top two tiers of the cake. 

Candy Corn Cake
Candy Corn Around Cake

Just continue adding candy or decor around your entire cake tiers.

Use a toothpick to make hole then push florals into top of cake

We used a toothpick to make some small holes at the top of the cake for the florals to be inserted into. 

Acorns on cake

At this point we wanted to add a few florals and acorns to the top and side of the cake to balance it out. 

Be sure to check out our fun outdoor fall tablescape post!

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How To Make a Faux Cake
  1. sarah says:

    hi! would the spackle crack if i try to add lots of fresh flowers onto the cake? looking to spackle a dummy cake for my wedding to save cost as i will be serving sheet cake. wondering how the cake will hold up to adding flowers. any input would be GREATLY appreciated!

    • Wendy Zock says:

      Mine hasn’t really cracked. Just a few little spots which look like the icing. Just be sure to add flowers before it completely dries.

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I love a good DIY project, and helping people create warm and cozy spaces in their homes. So if your someone who is ok with me being a hot mess express, a legging wearing, top bun sporting, kind of girl, then let's be best friends! You can never have enough friends right? I am a natural born nurturer, who always leads with my heart. I have learned it is ok to say no sometimes! My advice to you, take chances, in the end, you will regret the chances you did not take. 

my name is wendy

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