Wedding cakes are expensive, right?! Understandably so. The cost of butter and eggs are atrocious. Not to mention the hours upon hours upon hours it takes to decorate multi-tier cakes (wedding cake cost is more labor than ingredients).
If an ornate wedding cake is not in the budget or you’re just not a fan or cake, but still want to capture that traditional cake cutting moment, I’ve got you covered!
Interested in spending no more than $20-$30* to make this happen? Here’s how:
- Visit your local grocery store and check their pre-made cake cooler for a simple single-tier cake. In my area, Kroger stores sell a brand from a former local restaurant chain called Bill Knapps. Their single-tier vanilla cake is $11.99*.
- Not seeing what you need in the pre-made cooler? Visit the bakery and order a 6” round cake. Ask for NO piping and NO writing. I advise not letting them know its for a wedding, or you may experience that magical “wedding” price increase. When I was teaching myself how to decorate cakes, I ordered these frequently to practice on (quicker than baking a cake every time!) and no one ever batted an eye.
- Purchase a few single stem flowers to either cascade down the side or bunch at the base of the cake off to one side. Sales at Michael’s/JoAnn/Hobby Lobby are my go-to for this. I can usually get everything I need for $6 or so dollars during sales. The wooden flowers work, too! If using real flowers, do your research. A few types (lilies, especially) are toxic and should touch anything consumable.
- Trim the flower stems and arrange in any way you’d like!
- Add your topper if you have one.
- Wa-la! Cheap wedding cake for cutting! You can always pair this with sheet cakes from Sam’s/Costco that are hidden in the kitchen or prep space and cut out of view of guests, then passed around.
*Fine print: your geographic location may determine how cheap you can buy your 6” cake for. New York City rates are going to be vastly different from a small town in my home state.
Check out my TikTok @weducationworkshops tutorial video for the completed look!
Helping YOU say ‘I-DO’,
Your WedUcator