Cake dummies are reusable materials shaped like baked cakes used for displays, demonstrations, and learning. They save time and money for bakeries and are good for practicing cake decorating techniques. Different materials can be used depending on the purpose, and artificial frosting is recommended for extended display periods.
Cake dummies are typically pieces of some type of Styrofoam, plastic, or other reusable material shaped like baked cakes. There are three basic uses for different types of mannequins: as displays, as demonstration models, or as learning tools. Displays and demo models are often used professionally to show clients a design that needs approval, all without the expense of baking a cake. Dummy cakes are also good cake templates for someone learning cake decorating techniques. How you plan to use the cake dummy will help you decide which one might be best for you.
Bakeries often use cake mannequins to have items on display without the need to bake actual cakes. Display cakes often sit out for weeks or months without refrigeration; a real cake would eventually mold and break. Cake mannequins are typically made from materials designed to resist mold and rot so that the finished cake screens can be used indefinitely, saving time and money in a bakery.
A cake mannequin can also mean big savings for a bakery that needs to show a drawing for approval. This is becoming common in bakeries that sell expensive designs, such as those common in wedding cakes. Many brides prefer to see their chosen design on a real cake rather than in a photo before deciding it is the right one for their wedding. A cake dummy allows cake designers to decorate a mock cake that should look like the finished product instead of creating two full wedding cakes for one order.
People who decorate cakes typically need a lot of practice to get good at it. Baking a new cake for each practice session could quickly become expensive and wasteful. New techniques can cost much less to practice on a cake dummy that can be cleaned and used over and over again.
A dummy made of an easy-to-clean material, such as plastic and some hard foams, can make it easy to use many times. Foam display cakes may be best for a more realistic look to showcase a baker’s skills or present a design for customer approval. Plastic and other materials may not accept a layer of icing as well as foam, but they may be better for simply practicing a design. Almost any type of material can be made to work in most situations.
Artificial cakes that will be on display for an extended period of time should probably be frosted with artificial frosting, which can typically be purchased in large tubs and colored the same way as real frosting. A fake cake might not mold, but eventually mold could grow on the real icing. Dummy cakes can usually be purchased in almost any size or shape you need, from large cake pies to cupcakes. If you only need an occasional mock cake, you might try turning your pan upside down and practicing on the bottom as a finished cake to see if it meets your needs.
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