I got hired by a local bakery and they want me to make several dummy cakes in "my style" for the shop. So I went to the shop yesterday, picked up supplies including a 20lb bucket of Satin Ice. I've never used it before but it seemed to have a nice consistency right off. I covered my cake and in no time, it started cracking.

When I woke up this morning, my grill had cracks all around the top edge and the fondant is actually stretching and sliding ever so slowly down the cake. I

I used a foam circle, covered with royal, let it sit just a bit, then covered with Satin Ice. I rolled the SI with a little shortening and it seemed fine when I first put it on.

Should I have used piping gel or something on the icing before covering? I have a ton more to do but don't want them all turning out cracked and droopy. I'm sooo disappointed. This is my first project for the bakery and I wanted it to be perfect.

Did you sand off the top edge of the dummy? If you leave it a sharp edge on there it will cause your issue.

You can also put a stocking on a curling iron and use that heated covered instrument to melt down the edge--my girlfriend told me that --I've never tried that one--I use sandpaper.

And and and--I don't use royal icing--I just run my dummy under the faucet and shake off the excess and slap on the (already rolled out) fondant. Some people use a brush to brush on water or a mister.

edited to say--maybe she put a knee sock over the curling iron--but anyhow she covered it with some kind of footwear and she really liked the way it smoothed--obviously much less mess this way--but I just head out the back door and sand away.

Hope you get this resolved--but won't the bakery then be using your designs to get orders?? So you're selling them your designs too?

I agree with K8s last point - in Oz we just use a light mist of water before putting fondant onto a dummy.

It sounds like you might have had a reaction with your RI and fondant...and the result was a bit slimy?

I kind of anwsered your question referencing the way I do it without the royal rather than starting out where you were. You did let the royal set up right?

So here's what I should have asked first--did you have a sharp edge on your royal icing? It needs to be rounded is my ultimate point.

Another great way to sand down the sharp edge, (rather than the stocking-clad curling iron, which I just learned of 20 seconds ago) is to sand it with a piece of the hard, sparkly type of styrofoam. Like what you'd find at the craft store. Works great!

I'm actually working at the bakery to decorate. They want to offer more detailed cakes which is why they hired me. But they don't have any on display, hence the dummy cakes.

I'm gonna try sanding down the edge of the next dummy and misting and just applying fondant like you said. Sounds MUCH easier!

-Stacey

I have dummy cakes coming on Friday, do you sand the edges smooth or make them "cureved over", like the contoured pans. Hope everything works out for ya at the bakery, sounds like youll be great, and that they will appreciate your designs and your efforts. GL

I roll the edge of my dummy across the table edge to soften the edge.

I'm also going to try dummies for the first time. If you just wet the foam and then cover it can you take it off later and reuse it? If not, do you cover it in saran wrap first and then ice it before the fondant? TIA

Deb-your tag line LOL!!
My husband JUST told me that joke this morning. How funny (ironic) that I just saw it again.

Karizkakes - I've had it hanging in my office for forever and it pertains to so many people I know, unfortunately!! It's a classic!

Softening the edge doesn't give a contoured look (unless you keep sanding away!) It just rounds it off enough so the fondant doesn't rip. You can still work out a pretty sharp edge with your fondant smoothers.

Satin Ice can be kind of soft and stretchy sometimes, as you found out! Since it is a dummy and not for eating, why don't you use Wilton's???

I'm guessing that the royal was dry enough that the Satin Ice had nothing to grab onto.

I sand the top edge just enough to prevent it from cutting the fondant. I also never use straight SI on dummies (cost and softness issues), so if I can't use all Wilton for the dummy, I mix at least 50/50 Wilton & SI. It just works better. On a cake that will be eaten, I only use 1/3 Wilton to 2/3 SI (great taste, great workability).

What are you rolling on? If it's PS or CS, that may have caused the cracking. A smear of crisco on vinyl works best.

I no longer wet dummies because if they get overly warm, the areas over the most water will melt away. Instead, I massage the dummy with a nice coating of crisco. The fondant goes on soooooo smoothly doing this.

Better luck on the others.

HTH
Rae

i couldn't get my plastic wrap to sit smoothly enough on my dummy cake so like evior does i just lightly sprinkle it with water and then put the fondant straight on and it works fine. In reguards to the sharp sides i just soften them with my fondant smooth to compress them.

BakesCakes -What a brillante idea - rub Crisco over the dummie - brillante

we live and learn everyday on here -

http://www.taylorfoam.com/taylorfoam_com/cakedummies/item.nhtml?profile=cakedummies&UID=114

these are nice maybe for next time....already contoured! and not a bad price

i just tried poured fondant on a dummy cake - I did not sand the edges (wish I had seen this thread before!) It actually looked fabulous. Unfortunately the bride wants one tier quilted and the poured fondant doesn't really work for that, so back to the drawing board (AFTER I sand my edges!)

Wilton for dummies, first. Dummies from Tay lor Foam, take out the spaces. Quite reasonable, and you can order them....already rounded. They're called contour tops. Very cool.

I just got my dummies and was having the same problem. Now that I've started wetting them first, it's been much better. Someone suggested using crisco, will try that next time.

I brushed my last dummy tier with piping gel and did not sand the edges because I needed pretty sharp edges and covered it with SI after nuking it for about 30 seconds (for a large amount to cover a 18" square dummy with the corners cut off). Used no crisco, PS or CS, and with no cracking, tearing or elephant skin. Also, used sugarshacks method of rolling the SI on the mat and then flipping it over and using the side facing the mat as the top of the fondant. Worked like a charm!

HTH's
Pam