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Ever asked anyone if they’ve used Replica Surfaces for cake photos? This was the question I had when I was feverishly researching whether or not these high-quality backdrops were worth the investment. Sure, I’ve used vinyl backdrops in the past. And my current set up off a generic white wall (or the random bush outside my kitchen window) + a sequined tablecloth certainly wasn’t a bad set up for cakes.
I really wanted something to give me more versatility and options, though. As I recently told a fellow small business owner, I’m really, really good at duct taping solutions together.
I’m also a toddler mom and really, really tired. So if there’s an easier way to do things and it’s going to provide a better outcome? Well. That’s the mindset I’ve found myself in lately.
When Christina Jones came over to take my brand photos, she brought some of her Replica Surfaces and that was all it took to convince me they were worth the cost. I also use Color Joy Stock for my stock photos, and there’s a few photos there that I’ve only recently realized were photographed on Replica Surfaces. Seriously, they looked so real. And I only know they’re backdrops because I recognize the specific patterns now.
I recently picked up some Replica Surfaces myself when they dropped some limited edition designs. Their Black Friday sale is coming up if you want to get some for yourself!
I’m typically styling Sugar Flowers, which are pretty small. My largest flower is around 5″ wide.
Cakes however are much larger, and I wondered how big you could go with the 2ft x 2ft boards.
So, I styled up some cakes (with Sugar Flowers, because, duh)
One Tier Cake Styling
First up is a 1 tier cake that’s about 4″ tall on a low cake stand. This set-up of two replica surfaces in an L-shape included one for the background and one for the ”table”
This combo of replica surfaces works really well for small cakes.
I also added some more cake stands and small cakes in the background to give the photo a little more pizzaz!
Two Tier Cake Styling
Then we’ve got a 2-tier cake, though these tiers are 5″ each, and this cake is also on a low stand.
this was my favorite photo to take. i think the green of the succulents seriously pops against all the warm tones from the cake, cake stand, and backdrops
Three Tier Cake Styling
Finally, I tested out a 3-tier cake (total of 12″ tall) on a tall cake stand, bringing the total height to 16″
This is a very small 3 tier cake. 4”, 6”, and 8” wide tiers with a total cake height of 13” plus the cake stand. I probably wouldn’t go any bigger than the 3 tier cake, especially with a cake stand. If you did a small 4-tier cake (like 4/6/8/10) you could probably pull it off but the angles would be tricky.
My (very amateur, beginner) opinion is that Replica Surfaces work best for one and two tier cakes. Three tiers is a stretch but it’s certainly still doable.
At this point, I did not attempt to style a four tier cake against the Replica Surface backdrop.
Close-Up Cake Styling
These guys work great for close up shots though! Both with flowers on the cake, and styling the flowers in other ways, like I did with this magnolia.
I use the word “styling” loosely because this is still a skill I’m new at, and need some improvement with! This RS blog post has a lot of great ideas for product styling that I put in my back pocket. And this blog about composition has some nifty tricks for adding more depth/texture/interest to your photos. I’ll report back if I think my photos have gotten any better!
2023 Update
Replica Surfaces has extra large versions now! The XL surfaces are longer on one side and you can use the horizontally or vertically. I haven’t grabbed one yet (I’m making a wishlist though, of course!) but I definitely love the vertical option for photographing taller cakes!
Final Review: Replica Surfaces for Cake Artists
So, do I think RS is worth it for cake artists?
Yes. Yes yes yes.
I’ve tried a ton of backdrops over the years. Everything from vinyl backdrops I’ve collected on etsy, to cheap (aka terrible) knock-offs on Amazon and this company right here has nailed it.
Trying to get your dummy styrofoam cakes to look as good as your new Replica Surfaces backdrop?
There’s a blog post for that —
I think part of what makes the Replica Surfaces so good— other than the rigid and durable design (that’s also spill proof whaaaat)— is the quality of the images they print for their designs. The backdrops are all oh-so-slightly out of focus, which makes taking iPhone photos legitimately the easiest thing freaking ever
Okay here’s what I love from this photo above. In addition to fixing the lighting (thank you, Lightroom presets from Color Joy Stock!) I also used the touch-up feature to remove the stands (those light green “L” shaped things in the back) because as the cakes got bigger, I needed to “zoom” out (aka step farther back) to show the full cake in detail.
It’s fair to say I am not a professional photographer, and while I’ve gotten a lot of milage out of my one-day beginner DSLR photography workshop and spent many years of trial and error with an iphone, i can safely say that Replica Surfaces are great for cakes and easy photography!
If you liked this blog post, check out my downloadable free guide of
my favorite sugar flower + cake decorating toolkit
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means I get a small commission if you purchase through my link. However, I make it a point to only share tools and resources I truly love and use.
