Decorating a cake can be super-easy and stress-free, so celebrate life's special occasions, no matter how small, with a festive decorated cake. No need for piping bags and sugar flowers: All of these ideas can be done in minutes using supermarket staples, and they’re as much fun to make as they are to eat. Use them as a jumping-off point to pique your imagination and to discover easy cake decorating ideas from your own supermarket aisles.
By Jackie Alpers
What You'll Need
All measurements are for a 2-layer, 8-inch round cake. The toppings are available at most supermarkets, and the amount of them needed to decorate the cake will vary depending on the size of the cake used. You can make your own cake or use a store-bought mix, but do frost the cake yourself, because the frosting needs to be wet so that the toppings stick to it. Don't worry too much about technique. Use a butter knife and slather the frosting on in any way that works for you.
Rock Candy Circus Cake
You will need: approximately 16 rock candy sticks and one 2 1/4-ounce box of animal crackers. Firmly press the sticks of rock candy into the surface of a freshly iced cake. You can find rock candy at World Market or Amazon.com or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can even make your own. Spread a little frosting onto the back of the rock candy if you are having a hard time getting the sticks to stay in place.
Add the Animals
Poke animal crackers into the frosting around the edge of the cake between the sticks. Apply a tiny bit of extra frosting to the bottom of the animal crackers if they are not standing up straight. You can also lean them against the back of the rock candy sticks for extra support.
Chocolate-Dipped Waffles (Fudge Puppies) Cake
You will need: 1 box of mini waffles, 1 cup of chocolate chips melted in a small bowl in the microwave for 1 minute, multicolored jimmies, whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Lightly toast the waffles according to package directions. Let cool, then dip halfway into the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with colored jimmies and let dry completely on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Tilt the freshly frosted cake slightly to sprinkle additional jimmies over the surface of the cake, or mix the jimmies into the icing before frosting. Press the mini dipped waffles (which are also known as Fudge Puppies at fairs and carnivals) into the surface of the cake, leaving the same amount of space between each waffle. Top with whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
Whipped Cream and Waffle Cake
If you really want to go all out with this, you can cover the whole cake with Fudge Puppies and whipped cream! The waffles in this photo were dipped in white chocolate.
Malted Milk Ball Cake
You will need: one 12-ounce carton of malted milk balls, food coloring spray, edible stars (optional). Apply a thick layer of chocolate frosting to the cake. Then, starting at the bottom, gently press malted milk balls into the surface of the cake. Stop after two rows for a simple rim, or cover the entire cake.
Add Some Sparkle
To take this cake over the top and add some extra glamour and sparkle, use edible spray glitter such as Color Mist Food Color Spray by Wilton to tint the cake gold, and then toss on some silver edible stars, also made by Wilton.
Doughnut Cake
You will need: 8 doughnuts, sprinkles (optional). Press full-size frosted doughnuts around the perimeter of the freshly frosted cake. (These doughnuts came with the sprinkles already on them.) Decorate top of cake with additional sprinkles in coordinating colors.
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Cake
You will need: sweet premade kettle corn (or make your own), pretzels. Gently press the popcorn into the surface of the cake to make a pretty rim.
Plus Pretzels
You can stop there, or accent with a few pretzels.
Go Crazy with Pretzel Decor
Or, add even more pretzels ...
Kettle Corn Cake
And, if you really want a fun, crazy-looking cake, cover the entire thing with sweet popcorn! You will need: about 6 cups of popped sweet popcorn, such as kettle corn (about one 7-ounce bag from the grocery store), with 1/4 cup colored nonpareils mixed in. Press the popcorn into the sides of a freshly frosted cake to coat, and mound even more popcorn on top. Sprinkle on more nonpareils if desired.
