I plan on making a cake dummy covered in either buttercream or royal icing for a cake competition in january. The only issue is we are going to be gone for a week to see family for christmas and the competition is Jan 8th. We get back in town 9 days before the competition. So I am wondering if I can decorate the week before we go out of town and the cake still be okay? Do you recommend buttercream or royal icing? I have heard royal icing holds up better for longer. However, I have never made royal icing before, Does it have the same consistency as buttercream? Does anyone have a good recipe for Royal Icing?

Last weekend I through out the demo cakes I made for the 2009 convention, so they were over a year old. They were in a box so they were protected from dirt and dust. My pink fondant had faded some, but that color tends to do that. My sun and moon looked just like it did when I made it.

So yes you can make it a few weeks before hand.

If you haven't worked with royal icing, I wouldn't try it for a competition cake, unless you want to practice with it ahead of time. Buttercream is perfectly fine to use on a dummy cake, it will dry hard and hold up well.

I've had a couple of dummies for years.

years. I had some 3 and 4 years old and they had traveled to a couple or 3 bridal shows over the years too.

So a cake dummy covered in decorations can last for years without looking bad or going bad?

Yep! Purple is nortious for fading or turning blue so I'd avoid that color or get some Crystal Color powder colors as they don't fade. Pink can sometimes bleach out. I'd just keep it out of sunlight and florescent lights if possible.

Thank you all for the help! I now feel relieved that I can do the cake and still enjoy my vacation

Yep, go for it!