Need a party cake in a hurry? We’ve got you! At Sweet Pea Parties, we love a clever shortcut — and a supermarket cake glow-up is one of our favourite quick decorating hacks. With a little buttercream, edible icing images and themed sprinkles, you can transform a simple store-bought cake into a custom masterpiece.
For this makeover, we created a bold Super Hero themed cake — perfect for birthdays and action-packed celebrations!
Why Start with a Supermarket Cake?
✔ Saves time
✔ Budget-friendly
✔ Perfect base for decorating
✔ No baking required
All you need are a few decorating essentials and a little creativity.
What You’ll Need
- Round cake board
- 2 or 3 store-bought round cakes (we used 3 Chocolate Mud Cakes from Woolworths)
- Buttercream (pre-made or homemade)
- Food colouring (we used Chefmaster Neon Brite Blue)
- Edible icing image sheet (Super Hero theme)
- Super Hero themed sprinkles
- Palette knife or spatula
- Cake scraper (optional for smooth finish)
Step-by-Step Super Hero Cake Glow-Up
1. Stack & Fill
Place your first cake on a cake board. Place a dollop of buttercream on the board first to keep in place.
Spread a generous layer of buttercream on top, then stack the second cake on top to create height. This instantly makes your cake look more impressive!
Repeat for third layer if required.
2. Crumb Coat
Apply a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake to seal in crumbs. Don’t worry about perfection here — this is just the base layer. Chill briefly if you have time to help it firm up.
3. Colour & Ice
Colour your buttercream with blue food colouring for that classic Super Hero sky vibe.
Cover the entire cake with your blue buttercream and smooth with a scraper or spatula. Straight edges are optional, but they'll instantly elevate the look (and make it easier to apply images).
4. Add Edible Icing Images
Carefully cut out your Super Hero edible icing images from the sheet. Gently press them onto the buttercream around the sides and top of the cake. The buttercream helps them stick beautifully.
Pro tip: If your buttercream has formed a crust, lightly brush the backs of the images with water so they will stick. Take care not to get water on the image as the ink will bleed.
5. Finish with Sprinkles
Time for the fun part! Add Super Hero themed sprinkles around the top edge and base of the cake for colour, texture and that extra wow factor.
This step ties everything together and gives your cake a professional finish in minutes.
The Result?
A bold, colourful Super Hero celebration cake that looks custom-made — but took a fraction of the time.
Perfect for:
- Last-minute birthday parties
- Busy parents
- DIY party planners
- Anyone who wants maximum impact with minimal stress
Want to try your own cake glow-up? Explore our range of edible icing images, themed sprinkles and decorating essentials to get started.
See our video on TikTok
