please help. i guess i need cake dummy 101. i will be using a real cake on bottom and then the rest dummy. ist attempt. do i use styrofoam and do i icing it as i would a cake before adding fondant? what about dowl rods there will be 4 layers. and is there a secret to cutting the dummy? thank you for all your help. bsharp

You need dowels in the real cake only. Why are you cutting a dummy?

I thought maybe I read that wrong.

Are you cutting the dummy to make it smaller before you decorate it?

Are you using sheets of styrofoam? Is there a reason why your not buying an actual "cake dummy"?

I have to use the sheets because we don't have dummys premade here. I use the size of pan that I want the board then with a hot flat head screwdriver I go around the pan. I have gas stove so I just stick the screwdriver tip in the flame and melt the styrofoam. It stinks but it's better than cutting with a knife!

Okay, like I said cake dummy 101... I have never done this before. I was only guessing to use styrofoam. I was going to buy the round styrofoam from craft store and cut it (or whatever I need to do) I am going to attempt topsy turvy cake. This is what she wants. She picked out a design but she don't need that much cake. I wasn't sure how to do this. Does this make sense? So, can I buy this type of dummy or can I make it? And do I icing it like I would a cake before I put fondant over it, Yall are wonderful for helping out. Thank You. Betty

If you are going to buy the dummy at the craft store, they should have a topsy turvy dummy. Just get the sizes that you need for the cake (like 6", 8", etc.) If they don't have them, unfortunatly you're going to have to cut it. As for covering it, you ice it and cover it the same way you would a regular cake. The fondant needs a glue or something for it to stick to.