I made a 3 tiered cake dummy about 6-8 months ago for display and I am having a problem with it and not sure what it is. I have recently found a few small holes in the bottom tier that look like they were drilled out but it is only in the fondant part and they are not very deep. Does anyone know what it might be. Thanks.

Here is a picture of it if that helps.

Is the display cake in an easily accessible location? It almost looks like someone took a fingernail to the fondant and scooped some off.

A couple of questions:

Did the dummy have any holes in it before covering? If so, were they filled with shortening or royal before covering?

What was under the fondant?

What type of fondant was it?

Where was the cake stored?

Was it ever displayed in an area where people could touch it?

Did you "find" the pieces, or any piles of "dust" near the spots and/or cake?

My first reaction to the damage was that it was insect damage. Ants will eat in circles like that............

Rae

Ants will eat in circles but never that big (wicked small). It's either pockets of air that burst - or - my best guess is a poking with a finger from someone in your house who will probably remain anonymous.

That looks like the work of a small child to me. Do you have any of them on the premises?

It is up high on my a pretty glass shelf so it couldn't be people touching it. As far as ants or other insects, I have never seen any or any sign of them and again it is so high up it would take them forever to get to it. I used marshmallow fondant and put a very thin layer of buttercream under it just to stick the fondant. Should I have shellacked it? I did not find any pieces or dust they just appeared one day and are gradually getting a bit bigger but they are only on the bottom tier. I know I was not happy with the smoothness of the fondant and I think there were a few air bubbles (I did get rid of most of the big ones I saw with a needle). I am just at a loss as to what they are. Thanks for the input.

Hmmmm....maybe a reaction between the MMF and an air pocket or moisture in the BC....

Any chance that there is some shafts of sunlight that are being focused on spots of the cake at various times of the day, melting the same spots repeatedly and making them larger? If so, that should change slowly over time.

I'd definitely move it and see what happens.

I store my dummies in cardboard boxes that aren't totally sealed. I don't shellack them. And, I just massage some crisco onto the dummy before placing my fondant--no BC.

HTH
Rae

I do have big windows up high that let a lot of light in and 2 skylights almost right above the dummy cake but the spots are on the opposite side of the windows so I don't think that is the problem. Good to know about the crisco, I am about to make a few more dummies so will try that instead. Luckily they are on the side so people won't see them but was just very curious about them.

I know this is an old thread but those holes are lizard bites. I know because I caught them once eating my toppers and leaving those pretty, perfect round holes.