Styling A Wedding Cake Dummy: Tips For Beginners

Dummy wedding cakes are made from styrofoam discs and decorated with fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments to make them look like real cakes. They can be decorated with sugar flowers, which should be pre-assembled into bouquets before being added to the cake. It's important to angle the holes towards the middle of the cake to ensure stability, and to knock out any excess styrofoam bits before inserting the smoothie straws.

How to make a faux cake look real

Styrofoam discs are the base for a faux wedding cake. To make the cake look real, it needs to be decorated with materials like fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments.

To decorate a faux wedding cake, you can use sugar flowers. It's a good idea to preassemble little bouquets of flowers before you start putting them onto the cake. Smaller flowers and leaves are less likely to break when added in a group to the arrangements. By creating bigger groupings, the flowers feel more stable when inserted into the cake.

If you want to cover the joints and any dents or lines on the dummy, you can use royal icing in the same way as you prepare the blocks for frosting. Some cake decorators like to smooth the edges of the dummies before covering with fondant. This will give the fake cakes a slightly rounded edge. To smooth the sides, you can use your rolling pin and rub it on the edges to make it rounded before covering with fondant.

When drilling holes in the cake, angle them towards the middle of the cake to make it the most stable.

Using sugar flowers to decorate

Dummy wedding cakes are made from styrofoam discs and decorated with materials like fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments, to make the whole thing look like a real cake.

If you're using sugar flowers to decorate, it's a good idea to plan out your design in advance. Sketching your design on paper or on an iPad can help you to visualise it. It's also a good idea to preassemble little bouquets of flowers before you start putting them onto the cake. Smaller flowers and leaves are less likely to break when you're adding them to the cake, and by creating bigger groupings, the flowers will feel more stable and safer when inserted into the cake.

When you're drilling holes for the flowers, angle them towards the middle of the cake to make it more stable. If you have too many straws stuck right into the edge of the cake, they might compromise the structural integrity. After drilling the holes, knock out as much of the excess styrofoam as you can over a bin. Cut the straws to the depth of the hole, or just a little bit shorter.

Some cake decorators like to smooth the edges of the dummy cakes before covering them with fondant. This will give the fake cakes a slightly rounded edge. To smooth the sides, you can use a rolling pin and rub it on the edges to make them rounded before covering with fondant.

Covering joints and dents with royal icing

Dummy wedding cakes are made from styrofoam discs and decorated with materials like fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments, to make the whole thing look like a real cake.

To cover joints and dents with royal icing, follow the same steps as you would when preparing the blocks for frosting. Smooth the edges of the dummies before covering with fondant to give the fake cake a slightly rounded edge. Use a rolling pin to rub the edges and make them rounded.

If you're using sugar flowers to decorate your dummy cake, it's a good idea to preassemble little bouquets of flowers before you start putting them onto the cake. Smaller flowers and leaves are less likely to break when added in a group to the arrangements. By creating bigger groupings, the flowers feel more stable and safer when inserted into the cake.

When drilling holes for the flowers, angle them towards the middle of the dummy cake. This way, the cake will be the most stable. If you have too many straws stuck right into the edge of the cake, they might compromise the structural integrity. Knock out as much of the excess styrofoam bits as you can over a trash can. Cut the straws to the depth of the hole, or just a little bit shorter.

Smoothing the edges of the cake

Dummy wedding cakes are made from styrofoam discs and decorated with materials like fondant, spackling, joint compound, and other embellishments, to make the whole thing look like a real cake.

Some cake decorators like to smooth the edges of the dummies before covering with fondant. This will give the fake cakes a slightly rounded edge. To do this, use your rolling pin and rub it on the edges to make them rounded before covering with fondant.

If you are using sugar flowers to decorate your cake, it's a good idea to preassemble little bouquets of flowers before you start putting them onto the cake. This is a good way to ensure that the smaller flowers and leaves are less likely to break when adding them in a group to the arrangements. By creating bigger groupings, the flowers feel more stable and safer when inserted into the cake.

If you are using straws to support the weight of the cake, be sure to angle your holes toward the middle of your dummy cake. This way, the cake will be the most stable. If you have too many straws stuck right into the edge of the cake, they might compromise the structural integrity. After drilling the holes, knock out as much of the excess styrofoam bits as you can over the trash can. Cut the straws to the depth of the hole, or just a little bit shorter.

Planning your design in advance

Start by sketching your ideas on paper or a digital drawing tablet. This will help you visualise your design and make any necessary adjustments before you begin decorating. Consider the overall theme or colour palette of your wedding and try to incorporate those elements into your cake design.

If you plan to use sugar flowers or other embellishments, create pre-assembled bouquets or groupings. This will not only make the process faster when you start decorating, but it will also ensure that your arrangements are stable and secure. Smaller flowers, leaves, and blossoms are ideal for adding detail and filling in any gaps.

To achieve a smooth and polished look, you may want to smooth the edges of your dummy cake before covering it with fondant. This can be done using a rolling pin to create a slightly rounded edge. Cover any joints, dents, or lines on the dummy with royal icing before applying the fondant for a seamless finish.

Additionally, if you're creating a tiered cake, remember to use dowel rods or straws to support the weight of each tier and ensure the structural integrity of your cake. Angle the holes towards the middle of the cake to avoid compromising its stability.

By planning your design in advance and following these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating a stunning dummy wedding cake that will impress your guests.

Frequently asked questions