I am a home based cake decorator, and my cakes are made from scratch with home recipes, and the decorations are all edible, just like most of the decorators here. I have been seeing a lot of local bakeries that make beautifuly decorated cakes, using styrofoam, cut to shape and painted. Unfortunately most of these cakes are NOT tasty at all. I was thinking that I should maybe start using styrofoam decorations, but keeping my tasty special recipes.
I was wondering if anyone felt the same thing, or if my way of thinking is right for my business.
Thanks a lot.

Don't do it! If they want styrofoam let them go to the other bakeries. I am only a hobby baker but I usually tell my friends, "If it's not edible, I probably won't make it." I pride myself on being completely edible (except for structural issues) & I think that is what makes you stand out from the crowd. Don't conform! Just Say No!

I think you'll find the styrofoam cakes are like that so they will keep for display. I wouldnt want a cake with styrofoam on it, If I pay all that time for your labour and you just stick some decorations on it from Michaels I would feel jipped.

Wait, let me see if I understand, you are saying that the actual decorations are styrofoam? Because I know of styro used as the actual cake just to decorate but not the decorations on the cake. If this is the case it would be harder to cut the styro into small decorations than make them from GP or fondant

Thank you for your replies. I know that having an "all edible" cake stands out. I never thought of making fake cake layers, or using styro to make the cake thicker, I meant to make the extra decorations with painted styro. I'll try to find a picture to post, to show you what I meant.


ok I found one. the bottom is cake, the dress and the towers are styro.

Yeah, I would have to agree. I don't see the point in using a bunch of styro items on a sheet cake. I even feel the same way about using rkt and cake. Last time I saw a cake boss, buddy had to make a beer boot. He had his assistant make it out of rkt and then just placed it on a round cake. I thought what? It's just a round cake with a decoration on it.

I try to make as much as I can out of edible items. Like that cake you posted, that dress could have easily been made out of cake. There are cake pans to do that! But the rest of it?

As Jen of cakewrecks would say, "Just cram some more plastic flotsam on there, that'll make 'em happy!"

You are right about the dress, I would have made it all cake. I have made rkt shapes before, but they seem to "sink" a little inside the cake, and no matter how smooth you make them, they will still have bumps.
I know it's harder to make shapes in styro, but I just wanted to see if someone thought they same way as I did.

Support the RKT items with cardboard and dowels.

At least the RKT stuff is edible.

I'm ALWAYS disappointed when I see a lovely cake to find out that part of it is styrofoam. There is a tutorial online where this wonderful baker decorates a dog cake for her dad's birthday (I just remember it) and it's a lifesize cake of her dad's dog. The body is all cake but they she carves the head out of styrofoam...I was so disappointed...

I think the tutorial was made by Elisa Strauss..The cake was for her Dad's birthday...I understand that sometimes for structure issues you have to make something non cake but like Rose_N_Crantz stated that episode of Cakeboss she is referring to...I would be hard pressed to pay $1000.00 for a boot made of RKT and not cake....it would kinds make me feel a bit jipped for my money.

I agree with all the comments - I take pride in knowing that everything on my cakes can be eaten. But sometimes, in trying to work with clients and their budgets, you have to use styrofoam and other non-edibles.

Thank you for the replies, I think after all your negative remarks about styrofoam, I think I should be proud with the "all edible" cakes I make.
Lee15: I understand what you mean by the customer's budget, but for me, making the shapes out of cake is a lot easier than cutting and painting styrofoam.