Store-bought cakes might be a quick and easy dessert, but they don't have to be boring!
10 Things You Can Do to Dress Up a Grocery Store Cake
There’s no need to spend $50+ or order weeks in advance to get a cake that looks extra-special, says Vanessa Beaty, a blogger at DIY & Crafts. Start with a plain ol’ cake from the supermarket bakery (or even from Costco) and it won’t take long to create a completely unique dessert that’s sure to impress your guests.
Here’s what to do…
![Delicious cake with fruit and berries decoration on wooden table](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/shutterstock_523551682.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Add Fresh Fruit
It’s so easy and will instantly dress up any cake. You don’t even need that much fruit or that much time. Just choose any brightly-colored fruit…and away you go! (That said, we do happen to think this Berry Nectarine Salad would look berry good on top of any chocolate store-bought cake.)
![Gummy bear cake](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-06-at-1.59.23-PM.png?fit=700%2C700)
Grab the Gummy Bears
You can cover the whole cake with Haribo Gold Bears as one Instagram baker did. But we think it would look just as adora-bear if you were to use the bears more sporadically, as gummy accents.
![Cake with its sides covered in Kit Kat bars](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-06-at-2.02.02-PM.png?fit=700%2C700)
Go Wild with Candy
Surround your cake with Kit-Kat bars, and even you won’t recognize your store-bought cake. You can cover the base with cake pops (minus the sticks), or surround yours with anything you’d like. Like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups…. Yum!
![Cake with lollipop decorations](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_7264.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Pop in Some Lollipops
Blogger Melanie Blodget came up with an amazing idea for decorating any plain frosted cake: simply poke multi-colored Dum Dum Pops around the perimeter for literal “pops” of color.
![Chocolate cake with caramel and popcorn](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/shutterstock_274542998.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Go Crazy With Caramel Corn
This one’s fairly simple. Pick up caramel sauce and caramel corn—and you’re in business! (No guests will be able to resist eating handfuls of popcorn off the top of the cake, though.)
![Chocolate cake with ganache](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-06-at-2.06.47-PM.png?fit=700%2C700)
Cover the Cake in Ganache
Cover your cake in ganache, a smooth, easily pourable mixture of melted chocolate and heavy cream. You can pour it over a cake and have the whole thing beautifully coated in moments.
![Close up of homemade rich chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting decorated with baked doughnuts with confetti glaze on a white cake stand on a wooden background.](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/shutterstock_653772730.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Don’t Forget the Doughnuts
Make any chocolate cake even more chocolate-y by topping it with chocolate glazed doughnuts. The rainbow sprinkles are a nice touch, too. Find all the best doughnut shops across the USA right here.
![Cool cookies poking out of the top of a pink cake](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-06-at-2.09.39-PM.png?fit=700%2C700)
Use Your Favorite Cookies
You know those super-soft frosted cookies you can find in the supermarket (conveniently close to the store-bought cake you’re about to decorate)? Just pop ’em atop your cake, and customize away!
![Birthday cake with sprinkles](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/shutterstock_180759287.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Sprinkle the Joy
How to make a plain ol’ grocery store cake look instantly joyful? Just take a handful of rainbow sprinkles and press them gently into the sides of a frosted cake.
For the sprinkle-obsessed, you’ll need to check out our most fun rainbow sprinkle recipes.
![Delicious birthday cake on table on light background](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/shutterstock_241975828.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Sweeten the Deal with Fondant
It might look like master-level cake decorating, but you’ve got this. You can order edible fondant from Etsy, which comes in easy-to-stick shapes (like these colorful stars) or in ready-made cake toppers (like this outer spaced-themed cake topper). People will think you’re a pro!