While I am waiting for my kitchen to be inspected, I am hoping to "practice" some designs using cake dummies. Does anyone have any advice or tips concerning them? I saw someone say to cover them in press n seal for easy cleanup... do I buttercream them first? I was just hoping to use fondant...

Break down the upper edge and side edges (square foam) with a rolling pin, your hand, counter top, sandpaper -any will do. If you don't the sharp edges wil rip the fondant. Lightly wet the foam with water and place on a towel while you roll out your fondant. If you make the foam too wet, the water will eat throught the fondant or even cause the fondant to ferment. Just dry the foam off a bit to prevent this. Place the fondant on the foam and continue as if you were using real cake.

My cake dummies have never been sanded or broken down on the edges and I have never had a problem with them. First, I cover them in Crisco and then I put the fondant/buttercream on them. One of my last weddings wanted the hexagon shaped cake (many sharp and distinctive edges) with three of the five layers as dummies... Not one problem with them. I have reused them again and again and no breakdown. They have gone through the commercial dishwasher, etc. and they look brand new. The icing comes off easily with the under layer of Crisco, plus the Crisco also gives body to the dummy prior to the application of the final product.

I ordered my cake dummies from that place in Texas that advertises on _Bay and got one of each size and shape. They were and still are awesome with no flaws whatsoever... and I use them quite a bit. Have fun with them!

i use the press n seal on the dummies that i use buttercream on.. it works fabulous... i use mist of water on dummies that i cover with fondant.. sometimes a lite layer of piping gel.. then the fondant.. some people use lite coat of crisco on dummy and then cover with fondant... i have tried all these ways.. hth... the press n seal is the name brand, can,t think of it right now.. not the cheaper brand.. tried that.. wouldn,t stick to the dummy like i like ..