I want to get more practice with designing cakes and taking pics for my portfolio but don't want to spend a bunch of time making cakes just to throw them away.

So, do you think getting cake dummies would be my best bet? How do I go about using them? Do I use buttercream like a crumb coat and cover with fondant? Can you take the decorations off and reuse?

Let me know how you use yours and how helpful it is for you.

Thanks,

Lisa

Dummies are great for practice. You can place the fondant right on the dummy without frosting....I spritz mine with water to make the fondant stick, but I've seen people use piping gel and shortening, as well.

When I'm finished I usually stick the dummy in the dishwasher. All that sugar based stuff just washes right off!

Some decorators cover their dummies in plastic wrap first. Depends on your preference.

Cake dummies are an excellent way to practice but they can get pricey. If you want to practice buttercream, flip the cake pan over and pipe on it. I do that with the decorator icing (shortening and powdered sugar) then scrape it off and reuse. Hope that helps some! Oh and Welcome to Cake Central!!