Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Please could someone help me…

I would like to make some dummy cakes to build up a portfolio of pictures, but obviously keep the cost down as much as pos.

What is the best way to ice a polystyrene cake? Is it necessary to ganache first to make the icing stick? Or what is best to use, perhaps something cheaper? If I use ganache or buttercream etc, how long could I display in a shop for? (Will it start to smell after a while?!)

And yet another question.. is there any way I can re-use sugarpaste from a dummy cake for another dummy cake?

Thank you very much – your expertise is appreciated from a keen beginner!

Hi, you can ice straight onto the dummy, just dampen it will cooled boiled water and you are good to go.
I have a dummy with fondant from last July and still is okay. You can also use cheaper fondant instead (supermarket) of your good quality fondant and will keep the cost down.
I have also heard that the dummies can be reused, I think you can wash the fondant off, rather than using a utensil.
I am sure you will get more answers, but good luck.
Jackie

Hi goldengoose25

If you want to diplay for a long period dummy is the way to go. They don’t cost a fortune and can be used over and over again as you build up your portfolio. Paul recommends http://www.dummiesdirect.co.uk/dummiesdirect/index.html They’re a great company, good fast service and will also make bespoke dummies.
Easiest way to decorate is get the roll edge rather than sharp edged dummies. I just wet mine with a little water, roll out the icing and cover. I use cheap Asda sugarpaste, it only costs a couple of pounds for a kilo and ideal for dummies. There’s no need to ganache, in some of the tutorials Paul is seen using trex as the adhesive, he smears the trex on the dummy and covers with sugar paste, see it here http://www.cakeflix.com/carousel-cake-lesson-3-icing-the-cake
Sugar paste dries hard once used on dummies and can’t be reused, it won’t knead back up. Now you’ve brought this up I’ll give it a go. I have to strip down some of mine and I’ll see if there is a way of recycling.
Now that would be good! but don’t hold your breath.
I don’t think it would be very expensive to use real cakes to furnish a shop window. They will eventually begin to smell but will last for quite a while. The sugarpaste encapsulates and preserves the cake from smelling but of course it would be inedible. I don’t really know anyone who displays real cakes in shop windows as show pieces. Sugar paste on dummies will eventually begin to fade from natural light and should be protected from direct sunlight by rotating positions with other displays in the shop.
I’m sure members who have display cakes will be able to offer their advice.

OK, thank you for both answers – this site is absolutely great!!

MIWL – just about the cheap ASDA sugarpaste. I presume this can also be coloured. I have used the ASDA sugarpaste before and was fine to work with. Have also used Renshaw’s and didn’t notice much difference, but I haven’t had much experience. What is the difference please – is the ASDA OK to use on actual cakes – will it look or taste inferior / will the customer know any difference?

Thank you!

The Asda sugar paste is great for dummies and for real cake. I have more problems with stretching and breaking with other pastes, not so with Asda. It can be coloured in the normal way and makes really good gumpaste. I know some of our members use it all the time and have always given good feed back. The cheaper sugarpastes don’t have any fancy ingredients in them but work in exactly the same way. Here’s a review, it doesn’t include the Asda brand http://www.amandamacleod.co.uk/blog/sugarpaste-review/9228/
I don’t think the cheaper brands look any different once on the cake. The only thing you need to look at is the smell and handling. Asda smells like sugar, no extra flavours like vanilla. It does handle well, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using it on celebration cakes. Most people don’t eat the icing anyway so I doubt very much if anyone would notice the taste.
I use Satin Ice for real cake and find that’s the one which works best for me.

Just as an after thought…the Asda brand of fondant is made by Renshaws for Asda…I found out from a chap who works for Renshaws.

I re-use cake dummies. I just take off as much decoration as possible and then put them in a sink of hot water and push them under a few times. After a couple of minutes the edges will have softened and you can slide a palette knife under the icing and it will break off in big sections. Just be careful not to take chunks out of the polystyrene, although if that happens you could fill it with a blob of ganache before re-covering. I brush my dummies with edible glue made from tylo and water to attach the sugarpaste but give me a real cake anyday!!

Interesting that Renshaws make for Asda yet the two sugar pastes behave and smell quite differently.
I find Reshaws regal ice way too soft to work and certain colours smell very strongly of vinegar. I used to use it for budget cake but now I’ve stopped using it altogether because of the problems it gave me.

I use Asda brand for all my kids cakes…I prefer it to Renshaw which I find to be more liable to crack and tear, especially the red. Have tried Tesco and Dr Oetker brands and don’t like it at all……so I use Asda for models , boards and kids cakes and Covapaste for celebration cakes……more expensive but fab to work with.

https://www.lollipopcakesupplies.com.au/article/can-polystyrene-cake-dummies-be-washed-in-the-dishwasher

We hAve reused dummy’s over and over for display cakes in the shop where I work.I have heard that once bulk of the sugarpaste had been removed that the dummy can be put in the dish washer but not tried this myself !

We hAve reused dummy’s over and over for display cakes in the shop where I work.I have heard that once bulk of the sugarpaste had been removed that the dummy can be put in the dish washer but not tried this myself !