A bride wants a three tier cake with only the top being cake, the bottom two being styrofoam dummies. Has anyone ever done this? Can you tell a huge difference in the real and fake tiers? Any tips would be appreciated.

(If anyone is wondering why she wants this: She said she wants her grandmother to make a sheet cake and she wants to be able to cut the top tier for pictures.)

Thanks!

I don't think anyone would be able to tell, as long as she doesn't cut into it! I try to avoid doing false tiers, not because I don't make as much money on them, but because it takes just as much time, effort and creativity to decorate them as real cake tiers. After all, isn't your time worth more than the flour and sugar you use to bake the cakes?

But if the bride wants something that isn't too intricate, perhaps you could consider it, but personally, I just try to convince them that a real cake is always better than having a styrofoam one. (More delicious too.)

Hiya

I did this for my borther's wedding. the bride wanted 3 tiers, but it was quite a small do. You cannot tell the difference between the fake and the real cake

I'd be much more worried about having gramma's cake there with mine. Are you insured? What if there's a problem with gramma's cake, but the person who gets sick decides to sue you and your insurance?

What if gramma's cake just plain sucks and you get a bad rep?

No, you shouldn't see much, if any, difference between dummy tiers and cake tiers. Quite a few couples go this route when they have a very small wedding but still want a lovely, traditional wedding cake.

Remember that dummy cakes take nearly as much time, effort, and money to make as actual cake. Don't give those away. I charge 80% of the cost of edible cake for dummies (i.e. a $100 cake would be $80 as a dummy). You're still using the same icing, the same flowers/ribbon/decorations, and the same labor as a real cake.

Maybe her Grandma makes the best sheet cakes in the world and that's what she wants at her wedding, but I'd also keep in mind that she may think she can get a $20 3 tier masterpiece from you and have Grandma make the eatin' cakes for free....