Why You Should Know How to Make A Dummy Cake (DIY)
Have you ever seen a stunningly decorated cake at an event or even in a photo that looked too beautiful and elaborate to be real? Well, it may not have been. Instead, it may have been a “dummy” cake. Dummy cakes are decorated like a real cake, but made from foam, meaning they’re not actually edible. Dummy cakes are often used for photoshoots and displays, where the cake will need to stay perfect for long periods of time. Dummy cakes are also sometimes used as the elaborately decorated top tiers of a large cake for events to provide a show-stopping centerpiece.
While you might think that dummy cakes are quicker to make, easier to decorate, and cheaper to buy, there are actually a lot of common misconceptions about dummy cakes that, if you’re going to make one, you should definitely know. Whether you’re a home baking pro who would like to offer dummy cakes, but don’t know where to start, or new to baking and looking to learn, here, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about how to make a dummy cake, from the materials to the process and beyond.
What Is a Dummy Cake?
A dummy cake is a faux cake that’s made of styrofoam and then fully decorated like a cake. Some dummy cakes are covered in a layer of fondant, others are frosted with buttercream or other frostings like royal icing, and many are decorated with edible decorations like sugar flowers, chocolate shards, and the like.
Because a dummy cake is a fake cake, it’s well suited for use in displays and photoshoots. It won’t spoil like a real cake would and holds up better due to the styrofoam base.
What Are Dummy Cakes Used For?
Dummy cakes can be used for lots of different reasons at lots of different events. Here’s what you should know:
They Last Longer: Because they’re not real cakes made of, well, cake, dummy cakes can be on display longer even in more extreme temperatures. If you need to display a cake for hours on end, a dummy cake might be a better fit than setting out a real cake. These display pieces will look great for the entire event.
They’re Great for Practice: If you’re learning how to decorate cakes or are trying to master new techniques, using a dummy cake instead of a real cake is a great way to practice your piping skills or cover a cake with fondant without having to use the ingredients and spend the time making a real cake. Cake decorators also use them to be creative and try new designs.
They Stay Perfect: In addition to lasting for a long time while on display, dummy cakes can also continue to look perfect even when you move them around. They can also be a lot easier to move around because styrofoam generally isn’t as heavy and delicate as real cake.
They make a great show-stopper even if your guest count is low: If you need to serve 100 people but want an 8-tier cake, which would normally feed about 400 people, you can opt to make a portion of your cake fake in order to not waste food.
The Materials You’ll Need to Make a Dummy Cake
Ready to take the plunge and make a dummy cake of your very own? Here’s what you’ll need:
Foam Cake Dummies (in various sizes): Purchase your foam cake tiers in various sizes from a cake supply company. If you’re making a dummy cake for a specific order or event, you’ll, of course, want to order the sizes you’ll need, but if you’re just making a dummy cake to practice, you can select whichever sizes you’d like. Consider 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch rounds.
Fondant, Buttercream, or Royal Icing: Because you’re going to decorate your dummy cake like it’s a real cake, you’ll need fondant, buttercream, or royal icing. Make sure you have enough to cover each tier. If you’re using fondant, you should roll it thinly so that it covers each dummy tier smoothly. If you’re using buttercream, make sure you spread it smoothly so that it looks like a real cake when you’re done. Buttercream will spoil, so that is a short-term option, where royal icing and fondant will last forever! Or almost forever.
Icing Tools: Depending on the decorations you’re planning to use, you’ll need some tools to help you accomplish the look you’re going for. If you’re using fondant, you’ll need a fondant smoother, while if you’re using buttercream, an offset spatula and cake scraper should help you create smooth, clean lines on your dummy cake.
Edible Decorations (optional): If you’d like to decorate your dummy cake with edible decorations like edible pearls, sugar flours, edible gold dust, and the like, you’ll want to make sure to plan for it when you’re gathering your supplies.
Cake Board: Usually made from a strong, stiff cardboard, cake boards provide structure and stability to the bottom of your cake. Use this as the base for your dummy cake.
Piping Tips & Bags, Palette Knife, and the like (optional): If you’re planning on creating elaborate frosting decorations on your dummy cake, don’t forget to grab the tools you'll need.
How to Make a Dummy Cake
1. Establish Your Finished Design
Before you get started on creating your dummy cake, you want to make sure you know what you want the finished dummy cake to look like. This helps you determine what the size and shape of the cake should be, making it easier for you to ensure you order the right supplies.
At the bakery, this is a whole team effort. I bring in my fondant decorators to make sure they have a role in the design: to see what they are interested in, what techniques they want to practice or new trends they want to play with. We will scour inspo photos for days! Then we choose our sizes and I buy the styrofoam shapes from Guild Craft Foam. I think they’re the best for unique and custom sizes.
2. Prep the Dummy Tiers
Once you have your dummies, make sure they’re ready to use. Ordering your dummies to the exact sizes you'll need is better than cutting them, if possible, because cutting them doesn’t come out as perfectly as when you order them (you want sharp edges).
Once they’re the right size and shape, make sure they’re clean and smooth. If needed, you can lightly sand down your styrofoam dummy tiers with fine-grit sandpaper before moving on. When they’re smooth, wipe them down to make sure they’re clean and ready to use.
Ready to start? Use a little bit of royal icing to attach the bottom tier to your cake board to keep it in place. Now you’re ready to go.
3. Cover the Dummy Cake
If using fondant:
Roll your fondant out thin (about ⅛-inch thick). While you can roll one large piece and drape it over the entire dummy cake, we find that it’s easier to “panel” the cake rounds instead. First cover the top of the dummy in a circle, then cover the sides in a long rectangle.
We apply the fondant to the dummies using an adhering material like Crisco or piping gel to make sure the fondant sticks to the foam. You do want to make sure it's not adhered too strongly because ideally you’ll eventually strip the dummy and reuse the individual tiers in the future.
Smooth the fondant with your hands and a fondant smoother to make sure you have a smooth, even finish, working from the top to the bottom to avoid air bubbles.
Once the dummy cake is covered, carefully trim off any extra fondant with a sharp knife.
Then, stack the tiers and adhere them together.
If using buttercream:
Spread a thin crumb coat over the dummy cake. This functions like a crumb coat on a real cake and helps cover any imperfections in the foam base.
Chill down the dummy cake in the fridge for a few minutes to let the buttercream layer set. Then, apply a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth it with a cake scraper until the surface is smooth and even.
4. Put The Dummy Tiers Together
If you're making a multi-tier cake, it’s time to stack the tiers. Use royal icing or even wooden dowel rods to adhere the tiers to one another and add stability. Make sure everything is stacked correctly before you decorate, just like you would with a real cake. We like to then seal our seams with royal icing so no gaps appear in between each tier.
5. Decorate the Dummy Cake
You can decorate a dummy cake just as you would a real cake. Pipe on intricate and elaborate designs, add sugar flowers, stencil a design, the possibilities are endless. We will typically make sugar flowers by hand from scratch.
6. Finish Your Dummy Cake
Once you’ve decorated the dummy cake, make sure you give the cake plenty of time for the icing to dry or set. After that happens, you’ll be able to move the cake around, photograph it, or put it out on display.
We use ours for photoshoots, magazine features, and display for our wedding cake tasting area.
FAQs
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If you keep your dummy cake out of direct sunlight and dust-free, it should stay looking fresh and beautiful for a long time (potentially even years).
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Because they're display cakes, dummy cakes can absolutely be reused in the future. Carefully scrape off any buttercream, remove the fondant and decorations, and wipe the foam clean with a bit of hot water and a clean cloth. Then, you’ll be ready to decorate your dummy cake with your newest great ideas.
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Dummy cakes can definitely look like real cakes. Make sure to decorate the dummy cake using the same techniques and care you use when decorating real cakes and you’ll love how the finished product turns out.
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The decor skill level with a dummy cake is usually much more intricate, involved, and time-consuming than with a real traditional buttercream cake. A very common misconception is that it is easier or cheaper and it is very much not. We charge the same price for dummy cakes as we do for real cakes.
Knowing how to make a dummy cake is a useful skill whether you’re a professional pastry chef or just looking to practice or learn new skills. Because they hold up well, photograph beautifully, and are the perfect canvas for creativity, dummy cakes are a great option whether your big day is personal or professional.
Mastering dummy cakes takes time and lots and lots of practice. There is a lot of trial and error about what works best and what works fastest. There are a lot of times when we have to redo things because they don’t meet our standards of excellence, which is very much part of the process.
