I really want to practice cake decorating a lot more. But it is getting to costly for me to keep making cakes. My family is also getting tired of eating cake. 
I would also like to practice making tiered cakes as I have never made nor attempted to make one yet. 
Is a dummy cake a good investment or waste of money?
What is the best kind to get? styrofoam or the molded rubber kind?
Can you reuse the styrofoam dummy cakes?
I have no idea and any input would br greatly appreciated.. Thanks in advance for your help! 
I have purchased the styrofoam ones several times from www.taylorfoam.com. They always get here quickly and they have great service too. I've never used the rubber ones either. As for making a tiered cake, the dummies would be great practice decorating one, but you really need to do a few using real cake to get a good feel for assembling them. They can be tricky sometimes.
Okay, thanks ya'll
I'll definately make some real ones but need to give the family a break on cakes for a couple of weeks...lol Guess I could make one and take it the kids school... 
Do you happen to know the shipping price for the cake dummies?
Does taylor foam make odd sized dummies? I only see even sizes and you have to buy the whole set? Am I seeing that right?
D allas F oam is cheaper.. their round set 6/8/10/12/14 is $12.00 compared to Taylor Foam at $14.25, and while D allas F oam's shipping is a little higher for this particular set, it is still cheaper in the end buy about $0.40 and you can get odd sizes, different heights, and you can purchase them separately.
Does taylor foam make odd sized dummies? I only see even sizes and you have to buy the whole set? Am I seeing that right?
I think they do only sell even # sizes, but I'm not sure about that. There's an email on the site that you can click on and ask, I suppose. As for the individuals, if you look on the left of the screen under the "cake dummy sets" tab there's an "individual cake dummies" tab to order single ones.
I didn't do a lot of price comparisons before I purchased from them, so there may be other places cheaper. This was just where I purchased mine from a few times and was pleased with them.
I use BC on my dummies ... straight on the stryrofoam. No treating, no saran, no nothing. They clean up fine. They don't need doweled. I just use BC icing to 'glue' them together. I have some dummie sthat are 2 years old and they've been to bridal shows and other events. I can pick them up by grabbing the top tier and they don't come apart.
How long does the BC last on dummies--or should I ask how long do you leave the BC on the dummies before you wipe them clean and start over? Indy, when you say you have some that are 2 yrs. old, do they still have the original BC on them from 2 yrs. ago? Sounds like a dumb question now that I've typed it!
yep, same bc. My icing, when put on cakes, will crust well and stay nice and soft under the crusting. When I put it on styrofoam, it turns hard as concrete. Exposure to lighting may fade some of hte colors, but most have held up just great. Had one large white cake that when I put it in the window, it got some yellow spots on it ... but as it continued to sit in the window, it faded back to white! 
So it will last literally forever.
I hate putting BC on dummies.. they slip and slide all over the place. I just slap some fondant on them. Rub them with a little crisco and put the fondant on as you would any other cake.
Ok folks, I just ordered my cake dummies. I got a round set and a square set. I can't wait to get them. I'm going to have so much fun!!
Just to be sure, I don't have to use dowels in them just plain old buttercream with hold them together? Then I can wipe them down and use them again when ever I'm ready?
Does anyone use these to practice putting the tiers together? I think I might also want to use them for practice. Will it ruin them to use dowels in them?
I hate putting BC on dummies.. they slip and slide all over the place. I just slap some fondant on them. Rub them with a little crisco and put the fondant on as you would any other cake.
I have a small, square wedding cake this weekend. The cake is 6/10 and I did a 4" square for the top tier, bcause they wanted 3 tiers.
YOu probably heard me cussing all the way to your house before I got that sucker iced and smoothed!
Thank you so much for posting this. I do have a question however...to those who have posted to this...
Is it Ummm...how do I put this...cheating? I guess to practice doing fondant work on dummy cakes? I just found out about them like 10 minutes ago and looked up the subject on the forum I think my family would truly love me if they didn't have to eat any more cake as well! I know all my inlaws are turning cake away at this point!
However something doesn't feel right about skipping a whole lot of time and going straight to fondant! Do a lot of people do this? Also is the BC vs crisco just a preference or really just better over all? (seems like skipping a whole other process! haha I hand make everything including fondant!)
I would really like an option to making a cake however so I can focus more on the look and things I have yet to do (like gumpaste) than taking 6 hours to make cake to put it all on!
I have a problem with people using the word "cheating" on here.
"Cheating" implies an immoral or illegal activity. Writing the test answers on your wrist when you are being graded for your knowledge, is cheating. If you were being judged on how well you cover a REAL cake and you used a fake cake, that's cheating. To use the tools available to help you enhance your skills .....?????? Not sure how that's "cheating".
I think it's very logical to master the fondant itself first ... how to roll it, how to apply it, how to smooth it, etc ..... and then take the next step up by using those newly learned skills and upgrade it to being able to do all of that on a real cake.
I have a problem with people using the word "cheating" on here.
"Cheating" implies an immoral or illegal activity. Writing the test answers on your wrist when you are being graded for your knowledge, is cheating. If you were being judged on how well you cover a REAL cake and you used a fake cake, that's cheating. To use the tools available to help you enhance your skills .....?????? Not sure how that's "cheating".
I think it's very logical to master the fondant itself first ... how to roll it, how to apply it, how to smooth it, etc ..... and then take the next step up by using those newly learned skills and upgrade it to being able to do all of that on a real cake.
Sorry just lack of a better word I didn't know what to really say. In your opinion would you use cakes you've 'made' with the dummy cakes in your portfolio? I'm trying to build mine up but not sure what peoples ideas are on making a portfolio with dummy cakes.
In your opinion would you use cakes you've 'made' with the dummy cakes in your portfolio? I'm trying to build mine up but not sure what peoples ideas are on making a portfolio with dummy cakes.
If you go thru my pics, you'll find quite a few cakes made from dummies! 
Yippie!!!!! I got my cake dummies in the mail today.. I can't wait to get started.....
I love to practice on dummy cakes!
When I was attending the Wilton Classes I would make real cakes and decorate them. My mother-in-law was still with us at the time. She was like a small child and would wait at the door when I got home from class and would greet me with "can we eat the cake now?". When I switched to taking dummies to class she was soooo sad!!
I like the fact you can scrape it all off and start all over again if you mess it up!!
I use BC on my dummies ... straight on the stryrofoam. No treating, no saran, no nothing. They clean up fine. They don't need doweled. I just use BC icing to 'glue' them together. I have some dummie sthat are 2 years old and they've been to bridal shows and other events. I can pick them up by grabbing the top tier and they don't come apart.
Maybe this is a stupid questions but when you say you use BC (buttercream) It's with all shortening right? no actual butter.
I love CC for all the advice. Wouldn't be where I am without it!!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%