How to Make a Fake Cake (2024)

I love that vintage cakes are making a comeback! I thought I’d embrace the trend and teach you how to make a fake cake. This decorative piece is cute AND can be used to store jewelry. It’s made with spackle instead of frosting so it can harden and be used forever. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make one.

inspiration

I was recently shopping and saw the cutest little heart shaped box that looked like a fake cake! It was $46 and though I loved it, it was tiny and I figured I could make the same thing for much less.

I love how vintage looking cakes with the frilly frosting are make a come back! Might as well create something more permanent than a cake to appreciate the look. So that’s why I’m making this DIY fake cake jewelry box!

If you’d rather buy this than make it, here’s a link to a similar box.

how to make a fake cake

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it onYouTube here. It’d mean so much if you’d watch the video! I’m trying to get better at my video skills so I can grow my YouTube channel. If you have a few minutes to watch this and/or subscribe, I’d so appreciate it.

SUPPLIES

step 1- prep

Start by removing any existing hardware or decorations on the jewelry box that might interfere with your design.

Fill the holes from the clasp on the front of the jewelry box with spackle. I won’t be putting mine back on since it takes away from the cake look in my opinion. Note, I did this step, but it’ll naturally happen in the next step so it can be skipped.

Note- I’m using wood jewelry boxes for these so they can be functional storage. Paper mâché boxes would work too. I’ve also seen people make fake cakes with styrofoam or cardboard if they’re for display only. So you can use whatever makes sense for you!

step 2- frost the fake cake

Next, use spackle to create a base of frosting on the jewelry boxes.

Place parchment paper on the work surface. This prevents the spackle from drying to the table top or lazy Susan as it dries.

Use a putty knife or a spatula to apply spackle to the top surface of the jewelry box. Spread it in a thick, uneven layer to mimic the texture of cake icing. Use the baking spatulato frost the sides as well for a more realistic look. Apply the plain spackle for a white frosting look.

Alternatively, mix lightweight spackle (about 3/4 cup) with a squirt of acrylic paint to change the color. Mix the paint in a cup or on a disposable plate with a popsicle stickor baking spatula until the color is uniform to get the faux frosting the color of your choice. Add more paint to get more color if needed. Add more spackle to lighten the color if needed.

I suggest applying the spackle to the lid of the jewelry box separately from the bottom portion so they don’t get stuck to each other.

Surprisingly, I found it tricky to get the Patch-N-Paint spackle to stick to the box. Pressing hard and starting from the edges and working into the middle helps to get it to adhere. The good news is that frosting a box is easier than a cake because it’s rigid and there are no crumbs to worry about.

Tip- to get the “frosting” smoother on the cake, clean the spatula after applying the spackle to the surface of the cake. Use the clean spatula to smooth the “icing.” That’ll help the spackle lay nice and flat.

Let the cake dry completely before moving onto the next step. This can take up to 12-24 hours depending on where you live. By letting it dry, the spackle hardens completely so that it’s easy to add the decorative layer without damaging the base layer of “frosting.”

step 3- fill the icing bag

And now, move onto decorating the faux cake. Choose the color of the frosting. If needed, follow the instructions from the last step to color more frosting. Or leave it plain to keep it white.

Next, prep the frosting bag. I’m using disposable piping bags.For these, just put the tip inside the bag and push it to the top. Then mark where it hits about 1/3 of the way from the top.

Cut the bag at that point and then push the tip so it comes out the end of the bag. A ziplock bag also works too.

To put the frosting in the pastry bag, open up the bottom and fold it over to make a cuff. Put your hand inside.

Use the spatula to scoop the spackle into the bag. Wipe it against your thumb to get the spackle to drop in the bag.

Now that the spackle is in the bag, push it into the top or narrow part of the bag.

step 4- practice

Cut a piece of parchment and have it under each cake. The cake can dry on the parchment and be removed later. This prevents spackle from getting in the work surface.

I am personally a little rusty with my cake piping skills.

To prep, I practiced on a board that shows the icing patterns.

On a real cake, I also practiced my piping skills. I was in a hurry so it was rough, but still good to try out.

I also watched lots of YouTube videos to watch different piping methods. Here’s a YouTube video I suggest on piping techniques for a vintage cake-

step 5-pipe on the designs onto the cake

Now that the prep and practice is done, time for the fun part! Piping on the designs!

Use the filled piping bag to create designs on the cake. A large star shaped piping tip (Wilton 1M) is great for making the borders on the top and bottom of the cake.

To make the shell design, press the tip onto the cake. Squeeze out spackle, move the tip backward, then loop back on where you just added icing. Touch the tip onto the cake and repeat the back and forth motion all the way around the cake.

It also works nicely to use a lazy Susanto decorate the cake so it can be rotated to get all sides of the cake.

Once that’s on, go next to that large shell border and do a smaller border (on both the top of the cake and on the side). A small star piping tip (Wilton 18) is perfect for this.

Tip- I found the spackle doesn’t really want to stick to the cake. Make sure to push the top of the icing tip to the cake so it attaches to the cake for each section of the icing.

A round shaped piping tip (Wilton 3)works nicely for creating swags of frosting on the sides. Marking where the strings will start and end helps to make a more even look.

Squeeze the spackle out of the round tip at the starting point of the swag. Push more frosting out of the bag while pulling the tip in a U shape. Touch the piping tip back onto the cake where the swag ends. If needed, gently touch the string-line onto the cake so it adheres to it.

Make sure to clean the icing tip when frosting the cake. If the tip is dirty, it’ll spread extra spackle all over the cake and create a sloppy look.

To make the frosting to be piped on another color, add acrylic paint to the spackle, mix it, and put it in a piping bag.

Another nice option is the ruffle tip (Wilton 104) works nicely for a frilly detail.

Wiggle the piping bag back and forth while applying it to get a ruffle look. This works nice on borders and can be used for swags too.

Tip- it can make your hand tired to hold the piping bag closed and push out the icing. It works nicely to twist the bottom of the bag closed so you don’t have to use your hand strength to keep it closet too.

Using the different tips and layering on lots of frosting makes for a really nicely decorated faux vintage looking cake.

step 6-finishing touches

Finally, finish the cake by adding some decorative elements onto the icing. This really finishes it off so it looks like a decorated cake!

It’s best to add the decorative elements while the spackle frosting is still wet. I am using Faux Cherrieson the top of the cake after frosting a base with the large star tip (Wilton 1M) for them to sit in.

Another option is to put pearl sprinkles in the frosting as a little accent. I added these to the top of a cake in a heart pattern. They also work nicely to add on the borders as well.

To add a sprinkle look, these pastel FunFetti sprinkles are fun too! Or Faux strawberrieswould really cute too! Make sure to not use real sprinkles on the cake. Why? They will start to disinergrate when they are pushed into the spackle.

Using realbirthday candleswill work though!

I’m also using Paperclay Modeling Claythat I customized the color color by adding acrylic paint to it and kneading the color in. Then I take the clay and press it into a siliconebow mold. The clay can be pushed out of the mold to give it a bow shape.

It dries pretty fast and then can be pressed into the wet spackle as decoration on the cake. This is a great option if you’re not great at making shapes with the piping tips, but want to add some fun details.

I also am using a few molds from this cameo mold set. These work great for the top of the cake. Use wet spackle to adhere it to the cake. I like to paint the details white to make them stand out and look like a vintage cameo.

My grandma made some roses. She wanted me to have them. I thought this would be the perfect occasion to use them!

Let the cake dry for 24-48 hours before handling it. The bigger shell border will take the longest to dry. Once it’s dry, remove the parchment paper from underneath the cake.

Reattach any hardware if you’d like so that the jewelry box portion of the project has a hinge to easily open and close. I actually didn’t do this because I didn’t want to disturb the frosting. It still opens- the whole top just comes off now.

after

I have to tell you- I throughly enjoyed the process of making these cakes! And they turned out so cute!

Icing them is a great combination of repetitive work and creative touches. So it’s not too demanding, but very rewarding because the cakes come out really nicely!

I had fun switching up the colors I used and adding different details. The little bows are super cute- it’s really a charming project.

And these definitely look good enough to eat! But they will last forever!

Even after frosting, they still open up to hold jewelry.

I think they’d also be cute in a kitchen as a prop too!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make a fake cake. It was so fun for me to do!

FAQ

How do you clean the cakes? Make sure to be careful when cleaning the faux cakes. Since the spackle can break down when in contact with water, its best to dust them with a dry cloth to prevent any damage to the cakes!

How long will they last? They are very durable and should last forever! Because the lightweight spackle is used to make them, they end up not weighing much.

Will the clay crack you made the bows with? No, I used Paperclay Modeling Clayfor these. It was actually leftover clay from my Wedgewood Ornaments. Those didn’t crack so I’m guessing these won’t either.

How long does it take to make? Each cake probably takes 15 minutes or less to frost the base layer. I let that dry overnight. Then, it took me about 45 minutes to apply the decorative frosting. So a total of 1 hour active time per cake.

Do you need prior experience frosting cakes to make this? No- with watching tutorials and practicing, a beginner could make this. The process is forgiving because you can scrap off the frosting and start again if you don’t like it. I’ve frosted many cakes so I have experience. Though it’s been years ago, it came back pretty easily and was fun to do.

What are the basic steps of how to make a fake cake?

Use lightweight spackle to “frost” a thin layer on a base (it can be a box or styrofoam).
Let that dry overnight
Use the spackle in a piping back with a piping tip to add “frosting” details.
Add decorative elements like fake sprinkles, faux fruit, and cute shapes while the spackle is still wet.
Let the cake dry overnight

price breakdown

Let’s look at the cost for how to make a fake cake! In total, I spent $57 on supplies. The original cake I wanted was $46, but that was for one and the $57 includes supplies to create 5. The Jewelry box- Heart Shaped (set of 3)cost $12. TheJewelry box- Round (set of 2)cost $13. The Lightweight Spacklecost $12. I needed 2 packs for a total of $24. And the Faux Cherriescost $8

I already had theAcrylic paint, Piping Bags, Piping Tips, and Baking Spatulaon hand.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this project! It was so fun to make the little cakes and now I have them as decoration and to hold jewelry. This is a fun beginner project and would be a great craft to do with friends- maybe for a Galentines party! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make a fake cake. Please let me know if you have questions in the comments.

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