Would you use an artificial display wedding cake?

[amorey]

My MIL is retiring from her wedding cake business due to the stress and crummy hours. She was one of the top cake designers in the area and her cakes have been in national magazines. Her cakes cost $2,000 and up.

She would like to use her skills, even though she’s not going to be baking anymore. She’s wondering if people would by artificial display cakes. You’d get the fake version of a $2,500 cake for $250, including shipping. You’d have the fake cake out at your reception and then serve sheet cakes. She’s thinking her customers would be brides looking to save money or who live in areas where there aren’t wedding cake designers.

Here’s an example (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5620106319&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1).

Would you consider doing something like that? Or is this a totally crazy idea?

[tlew12778]

I am pretty sure most couples would want at least one real layer so they can have the traditional cake cutting.

One of the caterers with whom I met actually does fake layers. I don't know why... perhaps for small weddings who want a large cake for the visual effect.

[Kinetic]

That example is really a beautiful cake.

I think it's a good idea, but I am not sure how to go about the traditional cake-cutting at the reception. Most weddings (including my own) had the bride and groom make a little show out of cutting the first piece of cake, and feeding it to each other.

If you skipped this part, you can easily roll away the fake cake, and return with slices to the guests. I wouldn't try to pretend to cut into the fake cake.

Personally, I wouldn't do this. I would get a small wedding cake to cut into, and supplement with sheet cake. But there maybe couples that might.

[DianaFaye]

We used a real cake and I probably would never have thought twice about having a fake cake and still wouldn't. That said, I know in Canada, that fake cake usage is very much a regional and cultural thing. So, I think it would be a business worth starting as long as the fake cake worked out cheaper than a real one.

My real cake was $250 CAD for a ginormous cake and it was gorgeous. It also includes a replica for our anniversary free of charge. :)

That cake in the link is gorgeous!

[shaqangel]

i'm not sure if i would do a whole cake that was fake. i've heard of soem people who do at least one layer of real cake for the cake cutting. what about for couples who want a top layer for their first anniversary...will she make them one to keep?

that sample is gorgeous.

[nic]

I don't think I'd buy one for the reasons posted above but if the bride and groom didn't mind skipping the traditional cake cutting, I think it's a great idea.

[DianaFaye]

I've seen full on fake cakes and what they do for the cake cutting is fake the picture of the bride and groom cutting. (You usually don't see the actual cutting in the pics anyways) and there is a slice of cake hidden for the couple to take a piece and feed eachother if they wish.

In fake cakes, it's usually only a very small area of one layer that is real if you have the real slicing, not a whole layer. At least here that's the way they do it.

[Happy1]

It's a gorgeous picture but my question is, what do you do with the fake cake afterwards? I know if it's small enough you can keep it in your house but we just don't have the room. It's a neat idea if you can do it.

Nikki :D

[MandyMaloo]

It's a beautiful cake...your MIL is very talented. However, I don't think I would ever use a fake cake. If I'm going to pay the money, I'd rather have a real cake. Also, I think Happy1 has a great point...that beautiful cake would just end up in the garbage at the end of the night!

I wish your MIL luck though...I'm sure there is someone out there who is looking for something like this! Good luck to her!

[GeekGirl]

Uh, you resell the beautiful cake on eBay. Or you donate it to a charitable organization and get the tax write off. There are ways to recoup your losses. Which is more than you can say about eating a $2500 cake!!

If we weren't having such a small wedding, and if we weren't having cheesecake, I'd definitely consider something like this. And the best part is, especially for outdoor receptions in the summertime, the cake won't melt or get droopy!

[paiger]

We had a fake first layer/cake topper that I made since we had cupcakes for our cake. I think if you were having a small wedding while wanting the statement of a bigger cake and could use a real cake layer with it, it seems like a neat idea. Cake tables are usually a focal point at a reception, so having it look nice the whole night would be a plus. If it was going to be a local area, your MIL could do it like a 'rental'. That might not work, but it just came to my mind.

[ejs]

[QUOTE=GeekGirl]Uh, you resell the beautiful cake on eBay. Or you donate it to a charitable organization and get the tax write off. There are ways to recoup your losses.QUOTE]

Help me with this: what charitable organization would want a fake cake? And why?

[Myra]

If it was going to be a local area, your MIL could do it like a 'rental'. That might not work, but it just came to my mind.

I can't see paying that much for a fake cake then paying for a real sheet cake. But maybe she could sell them to wedding planners or reception halls, who could offer it to brides for rent.

[SusieQ]

I've seen full on fake cakes and what they do for the cake cutting is fake the picture of the bride and groom cutting. (You usually don't see the actual cutting in the pics anyways) and there is a slice of cake hidden for the couple to take a piece and feed eachother if they wish.

In fake cakes, it's usually only a very small area of one layer that is real if you have the real slicing, not a whole layer. At least here that's the way they do it.

I have seen this also. The bride and groom just cut into a little peice of cake that was hidden and the way they were positioned you could not tell at all. The only thing I found wierd was that when they started serving the wedding cake the fake one just stayed out on display. I don't think anyone noticed or payed much attention other than myself and possibly any other hawk-eyed engaged girls who were paying attention to every little detail. I think it would have made more sense for the fake cake to be carted off into the back so that people at least got the idea that it was real.

I think for myself the only way that I'd do this is if I was dying to have a really intricate and expensive cake which I couldn't afford, otherwise I'd just get the real thing.

ETA: Also if the fake cake is frosted with real ingredients how could you resell it? wouldn't the layer of frosting or fondant go bad or look at cracked?

[JayJay]

I would purchase one of those cakes! Our wedding cake WAS a fake cake. No one even knew the difference. The bottom two layers were foam, and the top one is our anniversary cake, that's in our freezer now! Here's a pic:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d709b3127cce94045b52098e00000016108cZs3DhyQ
We got lots of compliments about our cake, on how elegantly simple it was! I would reccommend this to ANYONE!

[Larissa]

I wouldn't do it. I could easily use that $250 for a real cake to feed several people. I understand the concept of having a fake layer or two (like Mrs. Jackson), but to have the whole cake fake? If you want the look of the real, large cake then you'd probably want to get pictures of the cutting and feeding it to each other as well, which you couldn't do with the fake cake.

[ejs]

MrsJackson, what did you do with the fake cake after your wedding?

We had a very small wedding and had a small cake. I think it would have looked odd if we had a large cake (real or fake) on the cake table that looked like it could serve 100 people when we only had 30 guests.

[DianaFaye]

ETA: Also if the fake cake is frosted with real ingredients how could you resell it? wouldn't the layer of frosting or fondant go bad or look at cracked?

I think the fake cakes would all be fondant covered and in that case, it's basically just sugar and water from my knowledge and that stuff keeps forever!

[amorey]

Thanks for all the responses!

These cakes would be 100% artificial with no actual cake. They’d get packed up and shipped nationwide.

Diana Faye is correct, they last forever. The fondant won’t go bad or crack as long as you’re not rough with the cake.

[Amira]

It's an interesting idea. I'm sure that there are some people who would be interested in having a beautifully decorated cake at a cheeper cost, but personally, I would rather have a full real cake (even if it didn't look as pretty).

[Whitters20]

I don't think I would want a cake that was entirely fake. Maybe fake but with a layer to do a real cake cutting. I have heard of brides getting fake cakes to save money because sheet cake is cheaper. But my grandmother makes wedding cakes and all the labor goes in to the icing. So, she wouldn't necessarily charge very much less because baking the cake is the easy part. It's the decorating that is time consuming. (She doesn't use fondant) $250 seems like a pretty good price though. I'm sure there are some people out there who would like the idea, it's just not for me.

[sublime311]

While I was planning my wedding, a magazine I read said using a faux cake was a super easy way to save money. My four tier cake was $450 and I could have easily saved $200 by using a fake cake along with sheet cake in the back. If price isn't a big deal, the $200 is nothing, but for a bride on a budget $200 can buy a lot!!

[SusieQ]

I think the fake cakes would all be fondant covered and in that case, it's basically just sugar and water from my knowledge and that stuff keeps forever!


Oh okay, I didn't realize that stuff would last so long.

[Ilovemygeek]

I probably would not use an artificial cake, but I can see why some brides would choose to. That money can make a big difference to a lot of brides.

[JayJay]

MrsJackson, what did you do with the fake cake after your wedding?

We stripped down the cake, and threw the bottom layers in the trash. (It wasn't as pretty when we took the anniversary layer off the top.) But I didn't feel bad wasting it because it was just foam! (And I got to keep the top layer.)
Our cake ended up costing about $75.00. It didn't cost us, but my aunt made it, so it cost her. (her gift to us.)
I like the idea of these cakes, because they're inexpensive, and in my opinion, still very pretty.

[Sposa06]

Honestly, I just don't see how it would be practical. The people who would be concerned about the showiness of having a big, impressive wedding cake likely wouldn't want to skip out on the ceremony of cake-cutting.

People for whom an actual full-sized wedding cake is prohibitively expensive probably don't have the money to spend $250 on something that they can't use, especially since they'll still need to put money toward an actual, edible cake.

[JayJay]

Honestly, I just don't see how it would be practical. The people who would be concerned about the showiness of having a big, impressive wedding cake likely wouldn't want to skip out on the ceremony of cake-cutting.

People for whom an actual full-sized wedding cake is prohibitively expensive probably don't have the money to spend $250 on something that they can't use, especially since they'll still need to put money toward an actual, edible cake.


You don't necessarily have to skip out on the cake cutting. DH and I did it. We just didn't use the cake. We put a smaller cake behind the one that was used as a display and cut it. Then we did the feeding each other cake thing with that.
I can understand why some people wouldn't want to buy a $250 dollar fake cake, then have to buy real cake for their guests to eat. In our situation, my aunt made all the cakes for us, and I didn't have to worry about it. Maybe that's why I think it's an alright idea. I don't know.
But, I'm not saying that this is great for everyone. I had NO problems with it what-so-ever. Some people might think it's a waste, but it worked out great for us. To each her own!

[ambula704]

I am actually doing something like this in my June 06 wedding. My cake lady is going to decorate a faux cake and then will make sheet cakes for us to serve. I was really torn because I am ultra traditional, but then we talked about how much better the cakes would be because they would be more moist, etc. She makes the real cakes as small 2 layer cakes so that when they are cut they dont really look like sheet cake, does that make sense? Then she makes a mini cake to replicate our top layer for our anniversary. Her designs are great and she said its alot less stress and she can do more with the designs if she is decorating styrofoam because she can take her time, etc. But when you want your cake to be super fresh, you have to make it the night before and then decorate it before the reception. Sometimes that means you have to sacrifice small details. (according to her)
Anyway, I am happy about my decision. I am saving lots of money AND getting a beautiful cake for my pictures. Finally, my guests will taste very delicious cake and never know the difference!

PS. I did go to one baker that said it was just as expensive to have a fake cake because its the icing and time that she decorates it that she is charging me for. However, the lady that I am having do my cake doesnt do it that way.

[MidwesternGal]

I would have done a fake cake if there was an option for that where I'm from. I wanted a super elaborate cake, and loooooved the look that fondant gives it, but couldn't afford a fancy cake--a lot of times, the faciest cakes in MY area were at specialized bakeries, where you are also paying for the "special recipie".

However, I found a gal who decorated that makes it from a box mix (and trust me, no one knew!) and so basically I paid for supplies and labor for decorating buttercream frosting (4 tiered stacked with 2, 2-tiered side cakes and 4 sheet cakes. . . feeds 280 and we paid like, $300!!!).

Depending on the area you live in and the look you want, it very well could be cheaper to do a fake tiered cake (even if you throw it away) and then serve sheet cakes to everyone. Even though you're throwing your tiered cake away. . . . if you end up saving a couple hundred by doing it that way, then you're actually NOT thowing the money away, since a more expensive cake would have just gotten eaten and disappeared as well.

[la_bride_2004]

My friend who got married at a world-famous hotel ($$$$) used a fake cake- she got it from a place that made them for movie/tv studios!

Turned out, the hotel wanted $8 per slice just to CUT a cake (and put on plates), which did not include the cost of the cake itself. However, they had lovely little pastries, petit fours, and sorbet included in the cost of the plated dinner, so she just went with that and had the cake for display!