Cake Dummies

We Cut Cake Dummies in many sizes and shapes

Tradition + Technology

Cake Dummies are decorated styrofoam blocks of all shapes and sizes. Using a cake dummy can set the stage for creating a gorgeous masterpiece of a cake. The most commonly used cake dummies are round or square shaped. They can be ordered to the exact specifications you need for your project. The most common height for each cake dummy tier is 3 or 4 inches. Modern box style cakes are often 6 or 8 inches tall. Using real cake for these box styles would require multiple layers of real cake and much trimming. The use of cake dummies makes creating these cakes a breeze.

Cake dummies are excellent for the beginning cake decorator to practice on. They cost less than real cake and much more uniform to work with. There is no need to crumb seal as with real cake or trim to size. Dowels are not required with foam dummies, unless using combined with real cakes. Often the real cake will be the top tier, so no dowel needed. Brides often want a big showy centerpiece, but don’t want to serve cake to their guests. Wedding cakes can be made weeks in advance of the wedding using dummies. Real cake needs to be frozen or made the day of the event.

Elaborate decorating for competitions or displays can be accomplished by using cake dummies. Most commercial bakeries use cake dummies for creating their countertop displays.

If kept out of direct sunlight, display cakes can last for years.

Frosting Cake Dummies

Cake dummies are frosted the same way real cake is. Place the dummy on a cake plate and secure in place using double side sticky tape or hot glue. You can use buttercream, royal icing or fondant. Buttercream is applied just like real cake. Great news, no crumb sealing. Just apply the buttercream and smooth as you would on a regular cake. Royal icing goes on the same way as buttercream. Then smooth with warm water or texture as desired. Fondant requires a little extra inspection.

To use fondant with cake dummies inspect the surface for any nix or imperfection. If stacking 2 dummies together to make a taller cake, the seam between cakes must be covered with royal icing. Use royal icing to cover any nix, or seams and then smooth. You will not need to put royal icing all over the cake, just over the imperfections and seams. Let the royal icing dry for 20 minutes. Then you can roll out your fondant and apply as usual. Hint: apply a little water with a wide brush to help the fondant stick to the dummy.

Most cake decorators like the sharp edges of the Styrofoam dummies. If you prefer a more rounded edge simply use a rolling pin to smooth out the edge.

Reusing Cake Dummies

To reuse your cake dummies, scrape off the frosting and then wash the foam with dish soap and water. The fondant or royal icing usually removes easily. Buttercream may leave a little grease due to the butter. Make sure to let the foam dummies dry completely before storing away until next time.

Features and Benefits

Cake dummies are reusable – make sure they are thoroughly washed and dried.
Cake dummies are lightweight – this is very nice when working wi th larger cakes.
They can be stored for future use.
They can be pinned, glued, cut, shaped, painted, sanded, and sculpted.
They come pre-cut to your specified size – many sizes and shapes to choose from.
Cake dummies are made from 2 pound EPS white foam.
Cake dummies come with smooth straight surfaces and edges.
Ability to apply all advanced decorations including frostings, fondant, modeling paste, and chocolate.
Easy to apply cake toppers or artificial flower heads.
Cake dummies are very cost effective, as low as $6.99 for a single tier.
Special finishes can be applied such as rope, string, ribbon, lace, greenery and many others. Your imagination is your only limit!

Pricing of Cake Dummies

Typical pricing will range from $7 for a single tier cake dummy to as much as $45 for a 6-tier set. WhiteClouds has attractive pricing with quantity discounts. We accept checks, wire transfers, American Express, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, and PayPal.

Common Questions & Answers

Are dummy cakes reuseable?
Yes, they do need to be thoroughly washed, cleaned, and dried before storing.
How much does a dummy cake cost?
Typical pricing will range from $7 for a single tier to as much as $45 for a 6-tier set of cake dummies.
What is the material used?
Our cake dummies are made from 2 pound EPS (expanded polystyrene) white foam.
Can you cut dummy cakes?
Yes. They can be cut with a sharp knife. If you are doing extensive sculpting or shaping, a hot-wire foam cutter is the best tool to use.
How do you stack a dummy cake on a real cake?
You need to put dowels in the real cake to hold up the dummy cake. It is better to put the real cake on the top and use the dummy cakes for the base.
Do you need to put dowels in a dummy cake?
No. Our foam dummy cakes are very strong and don’t need any additional support.
How long do dummy cakes last?
If you use royal frosting, you can get months and even years of use. Many store displays use dummy cakes for months at a time. You need to make sure they are not in direct sun-light.
Are most wedding cakes fake?
Most are fake. Some are partially fake and partially real. If you want part of the cake eaten, then one of layers/tiers should be made from a real cake. You can also make a smaller sheet cake to serve guests without destroying the fake cake.
How do you put real flowers on a fake cake?
You can use a nail, ice pick, rose nail, or something sharp to make a hole in the foam. Then insert the flowers stem into the foam. You can do this over and over if you want a dense looking flowery cake.
How do make rounded edges of a dummy cake?
Use a rolling pin to round out the edges. If you want to make significant rounded edges it might be easier to start with a sharp knife carving away the edge, then use a rolling pin for the final rounding out.
Can you cover cake dummies with buttercream?
Yes. Buttercream is a bit harder to clean off the dummie cake tiers than royal icing or fondant.
Can you cover cake dummies with fondant?
Yes. You need to make sure you patch any imperfections, holes, chips, or seams in the foam dummy with royal icing.
Can you cover cake dummies with royal icing?
Yes. This is the preferred method. Royal icing applies easily.
How far in advance can you cover a dummy cake in fondant.
These can be created weeks in advance and then stored in a refrigerator.