These days, debut cakes come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price ranges, too. If you're working on a tight budget and you want an affordable cake for your debut, see our ideas below.
Decorate your own cake
Instead of ordering a cake in a design that complements your theme, order a plain one, and dress up the confection yourself! Lace, brooches, or even fresh flowers are just some of the materials you can easily find to decorate your cake. A minimalist design is also a good option.Leave the rest of the cake bare, and just buy a playful topper that jives with your theme. You'll save on your cake, plus you'll be showcasing your creativity as well—talk about multitasking!
Prefer buttercream to fondant
Fondant is a popular choice for icing on debut cakes, but it's not the most affordable option. A yummy—and cheaper—alternative to fondant is buttercream icing, which also works well with a variety of cake flavors. Buttercream isn't advisable for outdoor or humid venues though, as the icing will melt.
Incorporate faux layers
A towering cake is surely a showstopper. For the same wow factor on the cheap, incorporate faux layers into your cake. The bottom layer can be the only edible portion, and the rest of the cake can be Styrofoam covered in icing—your guests won't be able to tell the difference. A lot of cake suppliers offer this option to their clients.
Serve cupcakes or sheet cakes
If you want your guests to partake in dessert but you can't afford a cake with all-edible layers, you can have a mock cake for the party. The cake will just be for show--you can give out cupcakes to guests so they can still have their dessert (the cupcakes can also double as your debut favors). Another option is to serve sheet cakes in the same flavor as your cake. Sheet cakes are usually single-layer cakes baked in a flat rectangular pan, and are cheaper than the round multi-layered confections.
Opt for satellite cakes
A multi-flavored cake may cost more, but not if you opt for several round cakes that are commercially available. Display the cakes on a nice stand so they look extra-special for your party. Not only are the commercial cakes cheaper than custom-made cakes, but serving the commercial cakes as satellite cakes would also allow you to offer several different flavors for your guests to enjoy. Yum, right?
From The Candy Bulletin Community
