Grocery store cakes are great, but if you want a more original, finished look without the hefty price tag, add a few of your own personal touches. No baking needed!
Tip: If you feel bad about messing up a grocery baker’s design, order a plain frosted cake so there’s no scraping involved.
1. Place single flower stems in straws and stick them through the top of a cake.

Via PopSugar
All you need is a bouquet of flowers, a plain store-bought cake, drinking straws, tape, and parchment or wax paper. Place a piece of wax or parchment paper over the icing on top and cut stems to fit through shortened drinking straws (cut straws or fold over and tape the opposite open end). Voila!
Get more instructions here.
2. Add toys and crushed cookies to a plain sheet cake.

Via Morgan Crane
3. Place citrus slices on a chocolate or fruit flavored cake.

Via Minted
Lemons and limes would look just as stunning.
4. Scrape the icing off the sides to make a naked cake.

Via Lemon Thistle
Using a spatula, just scrape off the icing one layer at a time.
5. Add sprinkles and a homemade topper made with skewers, ribbon, and tulle.

Via The 36th Avenue
6. Use lollipops as a topper.

Via Today’s Parent
7. Or, push entire lollipop sticks through a plain cake.

Via Minted
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8. Scrape the flowers off a pink or white cake and stick circus animal cookies all over it.

Via Studio DIY
9. Use icing, candy, marshmallows, and wooden skewers to create an anti-gravity cake.
Use extra icing as glue to stick candy onto a pre-made store-bought cake and two wooden skewers. A marshmallow will help keep the skewers together in the candy bag hovering above.
Get directions here.
10. Toss fresh fruit in simple syrup.

Via BHG
The simple syrup will add shine and help the fruit stay in place.
Try this simple syrup recipe.
11. Scrape off the balloon or flower design, then add fresh flowers and ribbon to a sheet cake.
Transform a birthday sheet cake into a contemporary wedding cake easily with these instructions.
12. Place a stencil on top of a cake and add sprinkles everywhere else.

Via We Heart It
When you remove the stencil, you’re left with a cute cutout design.
13. Create a chevron design with Hershey’s Kisses.

Via Real Simple
Scrap the extra frosting off the edges, create a chevron design with a butter knife as guide, then cover the whole cake with Kisses.
14. Blow up water balloons and attach them to skewers.

Via Design Megillah
15. Cover the whole cake in candy.
Pipe ready-made frosting to use as glue.
16. Add sprinkled donuts to the sides of a round cake.

Via Food Network
Unless the cake was just frosted and still pliable, you may need to use ready-make frosting to help adhere the donuts onto the cake.
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