Parenting

$5 cake hack takes the Internet by storm

Gone are the days of slaving over a complicated birthday cake recipe.

Long gone are the days parents must endure the stress that is creating the perfect birthday cake (with the whopping price tag to boot). 

A Facebook group created for frugal mums and dads, Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks, is dedicated to showing off how to create a unique, creative and fun cake ideas using the $5 cakes available at supermarkets. 

Newcastle mother Jodi Bell created the Facebook page back in March 2018, when she wanted ideas for her daughter’s birthday cake.

‘The page is a place people can come and find ideas and tips on how to make a hack in their own home,’ she told Better Homes and Gardens.

The group now boasts over 50,000 members, and new ideas are posted daily! 

Using sponge and mud cakes from Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, parents really have proved a little creativity goes a long way. 

Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)
Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)

The group members share everything including the best tips and tricks, so even cake ‘newbies’ can create something that looks incredible. 

Better Homes and Gardens even rounded up the seven best tips shared so far to the page. 

  1. Pop the cake in the freezer before decorating as it makes it easier to ice.
  2. Do a crumb coat first. Then pop it back in freezer before icing.
  3. If you’re using the Betty Crocker icing, whip it first.
  4. Use a sauce bottle to create drips down the side of the cake.
  5. Use a 30cm plastic ruler instead of an expensive cake decorating tool.
  6. Make sure the buttercream isn’t too runny because the cakes can slide.
  7. Leave yourself at least a few hours to assemble the cake – if not the day before. It always takes longer than you think.
Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)
Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)

The group even points out incredible cost-effective cake decorating tools and embellishments to make your cake as unique as possible.

Big W, Kmart and Aldi all stock an amazing range of products that can be used for cake decoration – including plastic rulers that can be used as an icing smoother and sauce bottles to create a simple drip effect. 

Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)
Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)
Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks
(Credit: Woolies/Coles Mudcake Hacks)

The opportunities are endless! 

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