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The Pancake Princess

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DIY Cake Stand

by erika 15 Comments

I resisted buying a cake stand for the longest time, which is actually pretty dumb in retrospect since they cost like $10—not the most expensive kitchen accessory.

DIY Cake Stand // The Pancake Princess

Similarly to how I resisted buying a whisk for the longest time, I’m not saying it makes sense. It’s just a weird, cheap quirk of mine. (But psst did I mention that my awesome brewmaster friend gave me his whisk after reading my post?? He is the best. I’ve been whisking so many things since, you don’t even KNOW.)

Anyway, last year, I finally made my own DIY cake stand—for photography purposes only. I’m just sorry it took me so long to share, because this is so easy, it doesn’t even count as a craft. It’s just a method.

All you need is:

Any type of plate
A candle holder (I found a few types at Goodwill. Try Walmart, Ross, or thrift shops.)

Take the plate of cake. Put it on top of the candle holder. Take lots of pictures.

DIY Cake Stand // The Pancake Princess

DIY Cake Stand // The Pancake Princess

For an actual, functional cake stand, check out this tutorial (same concept, prettier vintage look). If you have a hot glue gun, glue away! My roommate gave me an actual cake stand for my birthday (pictured here) which was pretty much the best day ever, but I still use this solution when I want to have a different colored-plate as the backdrop. Not to mention it’s a breeze to break down and store.

Just make sure everything is balanced properly when rearranging for shots and such. No one wants to cry over spilled cake.

Now go make a delicious cake to go with your photogenic cake stand!

Momofuku Apple Pie Cake (pictured)

Banana Layer Cake with Marzipan and Chocolate Glaze

bananalayercake

This super fudgy chocolate chickpea cake:

chocolatechickpea

oliveoilcookies

Also: cookies and cupcakes look awesome on cake stands. Try these super easy, no-butter-creaming-required olive oil chocolate chip cookies:

Stovetop Banana Bread Bites

stovetopbananacookies

Pumpkin-pie stuffed chocolate cupcakes:

pumpkincupcake

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  1. Kelly

    November 9, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    So glad you got a whisk and love this idea for a cake stand Erika. I have one pink and one green cake stand only because they were on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 each but I still need a white one which never seems to go on sale! Now I don’t need to wait, thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  2. rika@vm

    November 8, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Haha, what a coincidence. I saw a cake stand about 50% off on Crate & Barrel and my partner asked, “How often do you make cakes?!” LOL. Brilliant idea, love it!

    Reply
  3. Choc Chip Uru

    November 5, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    This is such a cool idea, it looks gorgeous 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  4. Alex @ Cookie Dough Katzen

    November 5, 2013 at 11:02 am

    I love the cupcake picture with the stand in the background. So chic!

    Reply
  5. Two Red Bowls

    November 5, 2013 at 10:39 am

    Lol I LOVE THIS!!! Knowing me, I’d knock it over and have cake everywhere (see also, flipping cakes, see also, everything I do in life). But I am obsessed with tricks like these. It really gets me how easy it is to sink money into props and things like that, so absolutely love this and your thrifty spirit. Thanks for this, Erika! 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      November 5, 2013 at 11:56 am

      I know, it is SO easy to just keep dropping $5 or $15 on props because you’re like, “it’s a plate, I’ll definitely use it!” And then if you’re like me, you get too lazy to even pull them out of the cupboard when the time comes to photograph food…but anyway. Yes, I didn’t want to point this out but if you look at the banana layer cake, you can definitely see that the candle holder is not centered. I think cake tiltage definitely happened that day…but really, I think it’s pretty hazard-free as long as you don’t try to slice the cake on the stand! 🙂

      Reply
  6. The Vegan 8

    November 5, 2013 at 7:07 am

    I love this Erika! I did the same thing for my Halloween display recipe. It’s amazing how easy it is and so helpful for people who don’t realize. Also, you can get creative on patterns and colors. I want some cake now!!!

    Reply
  7. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes

    November 5, 2013 at 6:04 am

    I love the idea of using a candle holder. I’ve been wanting to make one forever too, but the ones I saw involved a cup, so it didn’t look as neat as this one. It’s wonderful Erika!

    Reply
    • erika

      November 5, 2013 at 11:57 am

      Thanks so much Paula! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

    November 4, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    1. Thank GOD you finally have a whisk!

    2. I LOVE THIS CAKESTAND! Awesome that it’s diy!

    Reply
  9. Kammie @ Sensual Appeal

    November 4, 2013 at 5:50 pm

    This is actually so awesome. I, too, resist buying stuff that I don’t think are totally necessary. Cake stand being one of them. Definitely not necessary. I love this – and I can totally make it myself without spending the $10 😉 Right for me!

    Reply

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New year, new profile pic surrounded by cookies ✨

For those of you who like to plan, here’s a very tentative guide to what I’m envisioning for this year’s bake offs (if the world doesn’t blow up). Thank you, as always, for your constant enthusiasm and support for the bake offs! 💕💕💕 

🍪Jan: lemon poppy muffins, Levain choc/pb cookies?
🍪 Feb: cream cheese kolaches, loft house copycat cookies, flourless chocolate cake?
🍪 March: carrot cake
🍪 April: liege waffles??
🍪 May: tres leches
🍪 June: key lime pie 
🍪 July: tiramisu
🍪 August: oatmeal cookies
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Thankful for another year of bake offs with you gu Thankful for another year of bake offs with you guys! Loving the appreciation for the coffee cake, blueberry muffin, pecan pie, gingerbread and Levain cookie bake offs (more Levain to come in 2021 hopefully!) 🎊💕

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THANK YOU for all of your support, your kind comments, your reviewing of different recipes and your spreading of joy through baked goods this past year. Thanks to my tasters for their critical tasting and hilarious comments. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year 💕
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