To decorate a pre iced cake for dds 16th and refuse to pay £80 for a themed cake?!

[Dewdrops1]

So it’s dd’s 16th birthday and quotes on birthday cakes coming in at £80 or there about 😳 completely appreciate time and cost involved but it’s just out of my price range (and I’ve left it too late!)

So…..do you think I’d be able to decorate a pre iced shop cake and make it look acceptable (I’m not very good at baking so unable to make own!)?

any ideas on how I’d go about doing this in 2 days and pass it off as a ‘professional’ looking cake😂 was thinking black/gold decoration and possibly getting two different size cakes to put on top of each other, no idea how I’d go about doing that mind!

Honest opinions greatly appreciated.

All the big supermarkets sell cake decorations, you can buy all sorts, letters, numbers, flowers, icing in a tube for writing and sticking decorations on, champagne bottles etc, all edible.
Plus you could look in somewhere like Hobbycraft for decorations or ribbon to wrap around it.
My DM (now passed) and I decorated a plain shop bought cake for dds 18th, we made a right pigs ear of it (if it wasn't nailed down we stuck it on the cake!)
Dd absolutely loved it, we never told her that we bought the actual cake, she thought we made it all from scratch, she was over the moon that we "made" her a cake as DM and I weren't known for our baking skills.
Dd and I still laugh about it now

You could order a personalised photo rice paper topper, they're good for novelty value?

Omg I love this! Brilliant 😂 also fresh strawberries on a chocolate cake with a topper! Fab idea!

It’s only for family do 15/20 but ideally don’t want it to look too small.

My DD and I decorated a shop bought cake for her 9th Birthday. Cat topper from Etsy, cake and extra sprinkles from Morrisons.

How about this sainsbury one? Sprinkles could be scraped off, or covered with white chocolate drip. Add some flowers and a 16 sparkler candle? https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-rainbow-layer-cake-taste-the-difference-685g

Maybe this topper ? On Amazon prime! DKBT Personalised Cake Decorations 16th Happy Birthday Cake Toppers Glitter Cupcake Topper for Girls Boys Party Supplies for Black Theme Birthday Party Anniversary https://amzn.eu/d/8nj6gb1

Or this one? Gyufise 1Pc Sweet Teenager 16 Cake Topper Glitter 16th Birthday Cake Pick for Cheers to 16 Years Old 16th Birthday Party Cake Decorations Supplies Gold https://amzn.eu/d/4Il2b30

@Dewdrops1 this is the one I did using the ball thingys

I'm a home baker, do make birthday cakes and made own wedding cake. Would definitely buy a cake and decorate if I was you! Amazon also do pre made fondant things if you need?

You could try something like this. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293328736672?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=7101533165274578&mkcid=2&itemid=293328736672&targetid=4585169654799835&device=m&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=412354547&mkgroupid=1305120599331881&rlsatarget=pla-4585169654799835&abcId=9300541&merchantid=87779&msclkid=94e658ec20891f0936303e9cb839ddee
I would only put it on the top and then buy some very wide black and gold ribbon to stick round the edge of the cake. You can but gold lustre balls from Sainsburys or gold spray to add some glam as well.

This can be picked up in store at M&S
You could add cake topper or those ball things. It's £30 serves 16
They do a chocolate version too.

This is a great looking (and tasting) cake from M&S which you could decorate up with a fancy topper from Amazon and some colour matching chocolates/sweets.

Any local cafe type places that sell cakes?
Maybe ask on a local FB group to see if anyone knows anywhere.

I recently ordered a personalised acrylic cake topper from someone local on FB and it make the cake look great and I collected it the same day.

like this

There’s a professional baker on Instagram that does exactly this, called Anges de Sucre. She is an excellent baker, but also shows you how to pimp up supermarket cake for fun.

there is a highlight on her Insta stories with all the tips you need. You can buy premade frosting, water it down so it’s spreadable and can be used to sandwich cakes together.

Buy a super market cake as suggested.

Put lots of favourite chocolate on. Maltesers always work. You can get coloured spray for cakes. I'm useless at cakes but made buttercream which is easy enough to spread and you can cover shit bits with decorations

@Shrimpshapednuggets

I'd agree except with the vegan gluten free chocolate cake which was actually delicious, you couldn't tell. Highly rate Sainsbury's for that if you have the need

I've done a couple of m&s ones with amazon toppers for my son, obviously too young and little boy-ish for you, but you can still make it look special without too much skill needed.

I love the idea of the strawberries and those ball decorations.

M&S do nice cakes with some basic icing blobs around the top. I add macarons, mini meringues, big gold sugar ball things, fudge pieces, a dribble edge etc and a happy birthday topper, depending on the colours / theme I'm aiming for. It looks fab.

I would order a cake from Costco, 48 hours notice and you will have a delicious personalised cake serving up to 48 people for £16.49. My kids and their friends always want Costco birthday cakes.

Make a chocolate cake, slather in chocolate buttercream then edge it with kitkats or matchmakers and the pile loads of chocolate on top!

Really easy.

In an Aldi can generally but you can't beat an M and S or a Waitrose cake. Just get one of those as I highly doubt your child will be bothered.

I’d get an M&S one. I used to have a cake business after self teaching but it took a LOT of practice and freebies!😂

The bottom right halloween cake was my first ever and the others my progress pieces.

The green one is a relatively easy one to do if you get some naked cakes. You don’t even need to cover it all in buttercream - you could go for the semi naked look where you just put the icing on amd scrape some off. Then get the balls off Amazon.

I'm just here to admire the cakes... wishing I could eat them🤣😋

Please come back and put the finished product on OP I'm invested to see what you come up with now