Hello everyone, I was just wondering if I was going to make practice cakes what would I cover them in first if I was to use buttercream frosting? Do you use the styrofoam cakes that I see in our local cake store or do you use something entirely different? I would love to make practice cakes but I'm just not sure where to begin. Thanks for any helpful info....

I have solid styrofoam dummies and I cover them with glad press n seal. Some people cover those with just plastic wrap and I learned just the other day that someone on here covers them with that shrink wrap stuff, where you have to heat it, but she said to be careful with the heat or you'll have a styrofoam puddle.

There's many options out there, just use onethat works for you.

Good LUck!!

I do make some practice cakes with styrofoam dummies (I'm the shrink wrap lady mentioned above.) But, I also do tons of practice cakes with real cake. I think it's important to know how your recipe behaves. Cake mix (or scratch ingredients) is cheap. I've thought that I had found "my" recipe only to try it a few more times and discover that it's not consistent...or that I didn't like it as much as I thought I did. It's not a crime to scrape large quantities of cake into the disposal. Just write it off to "science."

thanks for the replies ... i think i will try the glad press n seal only because sometimes waiting an hour for a cake to bake drives me crazy

I just got my Dallas foam stuff in too! (Which reminds me I need to go share the wealth with my mom. )

I will definately pick up some glad press n seal, thanks for the idea. While any cakes I actually put out will probably be buttercream, I will probably do most of my practice in wilton's basic white with regular Crisco vs alpine. (Also leaving out the flavorings since the icing would not be eaten.) While a good point is raised here about knowing the many nuances of the cake or in this case the icing that you'll be using, all that butter and the extracts adds up. I'm already making my husband cry with the cake decorating bug I've caught, heheh.

Hmm... I wonder if I should actually warn him? Or get a good laugh when he comes in dumbfounded after trying to sneak off with a piece of dummy cake...

I am with you, I like to practice on real cakes. I have a terrible time with the strofoam because it so light and slides all over the place!

I do want to make some perm. dummy cakes..out of spakle or royal icing or something. Just haven't had time to do it yet.