Turn your average supermarket cake into a showstopper with this simple trick!

We’ve all been there. Family or friends suddenly announce they’ll be coming over, or have the impromptu decision to hold a last-minute celebration.

And then there’s us, grasping at straws on what to whip up in such a short span of time..

Don’t worry, members, we've got you covered. Today, we'll explore how to take your ordinary supermarket-bought mud cake and transform it into something truly spectacular.

And the best bit? No actual baking is required!


Recycling iconic 'shape cakes' that bring waves of fun to parties, this clever technique demands only a few basic ingredients, creativity, and your favourite store-bought cake. You don’t have to be a star baker to create a real showstopper.


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You can try some tricks to turn your supermarket cakes into wonderful creations. Credit: @tigga_mac/Instagram


Now, you might be asking, where should I start? A reliable platform for inspiration is social media, rife with step-by-step tutorials to get you started. So sit down with a cuppa, peruse the virtual shelves for ideas, and prepare to shock everyone with your newfound pastry prowess.

The best part of this DIY bakery adventure is the fun of decorating. After all, that’s where the magic truly happens. However, before we get to the delightful details, let's ensure you're well-stocked on homemade buttercream icing, which is crucial to this enterprise.


Here's a good old-fashioned recipe for your reference:

Buttercream icing:
  • 250g butter - softened (but not melted!)
  • 3 cups icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Method:​
1. In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, whip the butter until it's pale and fluffy. Don't be shy here, and continue beating until it's undeniably light while scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. The fluffier, the better.​
2. Gradually add the icing sugar, half a cup at a time. Beat well between each addition so the sugar is well incorporated into the butter.​
3. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time and beat them in until you have a creamy and luxurious mix.​
4. Now's the time to express your inner artist by adding colour or flavour as desired. Get ready to swath your cake in this glorious concoction!​

Pro Tip: This icing can be made in advance and stored in airtight containers for up to a week. Warm it up in the microwave in 10-second spurts when ready to use again, stopping short of melting.


Once the icing is done, move on to the next step: preparing the cake! Are you feeling inspired? Why not try out the magical unicorn cake idea?

Here's the lowdown:

You'll need a mud cake, two batches of buttercream frosting (one white and one coloured), a black fondant, ready-to-use toppers for the horn and ears, and a sprinkle of creativity.

For the mud cake, you have different options. ALDI offers the cheapest one for $4, which New Idea Food’s Food Director Barbara Northwood recommends.

You can also purchase one from Woolworths and Coles for $4.80. But if you can’t find one, you may also opt for Green's Cake Mix Chocolate Mud 530g.

Accomplished cake artist Tigga Maccormack, renowned for breathing new life into supermarket cakes, won us over with her Unicorn Cake. And now it's your turn to recreate the magic at home!


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Tigga Maccormack shared her technique of turning a supermarket cake into a beautiful Unicorn Cake. Credit: @tigga_mac/TikTok


Follow these simple steps:

1. First, slice the cake into two semicircles, but note to mould one slightly smaller. Keep hold of the trimmed corners to craft the unicorn's ears. From the rest of that piece, sculpt a small, endearing semicircle for the unicorn's nose.​
2. Using your freshly whipped buttercream as glue, you can start building your unicorn. Stand the larger semi-circle upright on its edge, then place the smaller piece towards the front, also standing upright to form the nose.​
3. Start icing with white buttercream, not forgetting to attach the horn and ear toppers on top.​
4. Time to use that fondant! Use it to create the unicorn's eyes and nostrils.​
5. Lastly, pipe the coloured buttercream to create a voluminous mane. This will bring your masterpiece to life!​

You can watch Tigga’s tutorial here:



Key Takeaways

  • Supermarket cake tricks involve transforming store-bought cakes into impressive treats without baking from scratch.
  • Key components of these hacks include the use of pre-made or homemade buttercream for
    decorating and creating basic cakes, like the mud cake, into unique designs.
  • A popular cake artist, Tigga Maccormack, is known for demonstrating effective
    supermarket cake techniques, such as the unicorn cake.
  • The unicorn cake hack involves slicing and arranging a mud cake into a unicorn shape, icing with buttercream frosting, and using store-bought fondant for decorative details.

So take heart, dear friends, because whether it's for a grandchild's birthday bash, an evening with the book club, or even to satisfy that impromptu craving, turning a simple mud cake into anything but simple is genuinely a piece of cake.

What do you think of this trick, members? Are you willing to try it at your next party? Let us know in the comments below!
 
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I am definitely Not a cake decorator…but my nephew asked me to do his 21st birthday cake..
Four store purchased mud cakes, sandwich together with buttercream, skim coat on the outside, paper decorations and Ferraro Rocher chocolates…very impressed with my effort, although there is a little lean towards the top. He was extremely happy 😃
 

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I am definitely Not a cake decorator…but my nephew asked me to do his 21st birthday cake..
Four store purchased mud cakes, sandwich to get her with buttercream, skim coat on the outside, paper decorations and forerro rocher chocolates…very impressed with my effort, although there is a little lean towards the top. He was extremely happy
That looks absolutely gorgeous!
 
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Reactions: Gsr
Many, many years ago - back in the groovy 60s, I was in London as an au-pair - studying English was the excuse, having a ball away from strict parents was the real reason.

One of the boys of the family I was with, celebrated his 13th birthday and was a huge Dr Who fan.

So I used a couple of pre-baked cakes and decorated it as a Dalek, using Smarties and a couple of sticks of sugar.

"Exterminate!" "Exterminate!"

Huuuuuge success with him and all his friends. Not much later, I was asked to make another Dalek cake for a friend of his.
 
Here are a few cakes I made and one is a cheat cake , the others were from scratch , not hard to make the cake from scratch although I will make it a day before icing

Let your imagination go wild .

Screenshot_20230922_181113_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20230922_181023_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20230922_180916_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20230922_180906_Gallery.jpg

The chocolate one was for my sons 21st

The Mickey n Minnie were for my granddaughter and grandsons first birthday.

The other 2 was for my daughters 21st and sons 40th , we combined them as they were only a few days apart

And these we also made for my sons 21st .

Screenshot_20230922_181730_Gallery.jpg
 
Years ago I learnt cake decorating at tafe where we learnt to make fancy lacework, flowers, leaves etc. everything was made in white and we then painted them with food colouring in different shades . It was very time consuming. We also made our almond meal icing which went on the cakes first, and our royal icing which was the top layer. My father in law made me a fine sieve for the icing sugar, and made me different shapes of cake boards, heart shapes, round, square. He used wooden cotton reels cut in half for the feet under the bottom boards. I made the cakes as well as decorated them for family weddings, birthdays, engagements, christenings etc. Before I stopped decorating cakes I could buy almond and royal icing that just had to be rolled out, and all sorts and colours of decorations for every sort of cake. Made decorating much easier. I also made special design birthday cakes for my kids for every birthday. Now my sons partner makes and decorates absolutely wonderful cakes for special occasions and for the grandkids birthdays every year, so I no longer do any. I learnt cake decorating with the purpose of being able to make the wedding cakes for every family wedding as it was an expense my family could not afford or justify.
 
Years ago I learnt cake decorating at tafe where we learnt to make fancy lacework, flowers, leaves etc. everything was made in white and we then painted them with food colouring in different shades . It was very time consuming. We also made our almond meal icing which went on the cakes first, and our royal icing which was the top layer. My father in law made me a fine sieve for the icing sugar, and made me different shapes of cake boards, heart shapes, round, square. He used wooden cotton reels cut in half for the feet under the bottom boards. I made the cakes as well as decorated them for family weddings, birthdays, engagements, christenings etc. Before I stopped decorating cakes I could buy almond and royal icing that just had to be rolled out, and all sorts and colours of decorations for every sort of cake. Made decorating much easier. I also made special design birthday cakes for my kids for every birthday. Now my sons partner makes and decorates absolutely wonderful cakes for special occasions and for the grandkids birthdays every year, so I no longer do any. I learnt cake decorating with the purpose of being able to make the wedding cakes for every family wedding as it was an expense my family could not afford or justify.
I too did family and friends wedding cakes . I would make either one, two or three layers and it was always fruit cake that I had Marinated for at least a month.
I also did the first layer of almond meal then royal icing.
I only had this discussion with my daughter yesterday .
The trend now is to have the top layer of cake in a chocolate, vanilla ect the other layers are not real cakes .
My daughter gets married in 2 weeks and is having 3 layers of real cake but 99 % of wedding cakes are nolonger real
 

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