Whether you’re planning a wedding, birthday, anniversary or another important celebration, the cake is almost always the centrepiece! You will have thought about the flavour, the ingredients and how many it will feed, but have you thought about how to display it to its best?
Cake separators are a fantastic idea for taking your cake to the next level...literally! They come in all shapes and sizes, from flat plates with twisted rods, to large empty cases that can be filled with anything you desire. They will work on both single and multi-tiered cakes, adding colour and interest to your baked masterpiece.
Most separators are hollow so can be filled from the inside, you can also decorate the outside and in between the layers, if you have made a multi layer cake. Here are 7 fab ideas to fill your separators, that are easy to achieve for maximum results!
1 - Leaves and Pine Cones
This is a great idea for a celebration taking place in the autumn. Collect these on a dry day, when the colours have just turned to beautiful browns, golds and reds. The leaves can be air dried and pressed with an iron if required and make sure you choose clean pine cones that are in good condition. Arrange them inside your separator and close the lid to keep them looking fresh. The Square Stand Separator Display Box is perfect for this theme. This is also a great idea for a winter themed cake, simply cover the leaves and cones with a white or silver craft spray to add a beautiful frosty look.
2 - Flowers
This is great for an event with a colour scheme, as you can use either fresh or fake flowers to match it. You can use flowers to fill space in between tall pillars, placed neatly around the outside of the tubes. If you have a box shaped separator you can be a little more creative! Cut the stems down to a minimum and arrange them inside the separator with the blooms displaying outwards. Add in some delicate white flower sprays if you feel it needs a second colour or texture. Alternatively use one big flower, sitting it on top of some craft gel or water to give it height. A Tapered Tower Hollow Cake Separator will show it off perfectly! You can also use handfuls of petals rather than the whole flower, mixing colours and types of bloom, or keeping it simple with one elegant colour.
3 - LED String Lights
These days you can buy string lights in any shape or colour. They usually come in fairly short lengths, which will make it much easier to arrange inside or outside of your separator. If they are battery operated, ensure that you add fresh batteries before the event and keep a couple of spare ones in your bag, just in case! Also make sure that you hide the battery pack inside your separator, with carefully placed lights or with some petals around the base. Keep it elegant with a simply string of small LED bulbs or make it fun with a string of themed lights, such as pineapples or unicorns!
4 - Coloured Water
This is another great idea if you have a colour scheme that you would like to match. Our cake separators are watertight, so are great for this. Add a few drops of food colouring or a water based paint to the liquid, give it a stir and seal with the separator lid - easy! You could also try this with a gel based product instead of water, available from any good crafting shop.
5 - Crystals or Decorative Stones
You can find beautiful fake crystals at most craft or homewares shops, available in many different colours, shapes and sizes. Add a few for an understated look, or fill to the brim for a separator which really has the wow factor! A Triple Tube Separator will work especially well for this. Use one style of coloured crystals for an elegant look, or mix them up for a fun, glitzy look. Decorative stones will also work really well or fake pearls, which would look great at a wedding or 18th birthday!
6 - Glitter
Glitter comes in an assortment of different colours, so it should be easy to match to your party colour scheme. This is a great effect for a children’s cake in particular, with a bright and sparkly finish that they will love. Simply fill your separator tubes or box with glitter for an easy option. Alternatively, lightly brush the outside of the pillars with a clear icing sugar paste and sprinkle over the top with your glitter. Do this before the cake is ready to display and allow the glitter to set and dry, to ensure that nothing inedible falls onto the food!
7 - Icing
In the same way as glitter, you can customise your icing colour to suit the theme of the party or cake. Decorate the outside of your separator pillars using a liquid icing and a paintbrush or use pre-made tubes of icing which you can use to draw directly onto the acrylic. This method will allow you to be extra creative, with the option to write names or draw small pictures if you have an artistic flair! The Solid Four Pillar Separator will give you a totally blank canvas to work on.
Whatever the occasion, personalising your cake using separators is a great finishing touch that has the real ability to impress your guests. Give our ideas a try or experiment with your own. Send us a photo of your results, we’d love to see them!
