
I need to make alot of cake dummies this week. My store has VERY hot, VERY bright windows, so I'm worried about them lasting. I was going to use regular Satin Ice for the fondant ones...do they make fake fondant?...And PermaFrost for the "buttercream" cakes. Has anyone used the PermaIce? It's very expensive...Is there something at the hardware store (spackle, maybe?) that would work cheaper?
I'm new to the dummy thing, so any suggestions to increase the durability & life of the dummies would be greatly appreciated.

I have dummies from two years ago covered in Satin Ice. The one problem you will have is colors fading. Regardleess any cake will fade if given the chance. Pinks and purples fade the most.
You can use powder color to get a loger lasting color but if it is in sunlight there really is no complete fix.

I tried Perma-ice once and never again. It was difficult for me to work with, but maybe you will have better luck. It is quite like spakle but extremely thick. I wasn't able to get a smooth appearance on my dummies and eventually ended up just covering them in Satin Ice. I have had the same dummies for 2 and 3 years and still looking good.

I've used all of this stuff. The perma ice is ok. It is VERY tricky to use. It says not to add water but I did add quite a bit till it was soft enough to work then even more water sprayed with a bottle to get it smooth. Then at the same time you have to be fast enough to get it done before it starts setting up.
You can use lightweight spakling from the hardware store. Water it down to help it for spreading. It's still tricky to use but less than half the cost for perma ice. Ask the ckerk to open the bucket and make sure the one you are getting is white. Some of the spaklings are grey. You can color them with acrylic paint (if I remember right). Work with it just like royal icing, keep all bags , bowls, tips etc. covered with a damp towel.
If you find it difficult to hond the dummies .... Make a board that you can place on top of your turn table with 3 nails sticking up from the bottom so you cna drive the dummies down on them. Little less rolling around when you are trying to ice them. Let them dry a bit before you remove them.
Good luck!
Korkyo

I guess I would prefer spackle (my bakery is across from a hardware store, so it easy to get and SO much cheaper...Perma Ice is $50 for a small bucket, and I need to make 10 wedding cake dummies!!).
I was concerned that it would be impossible to clean out of the piping tips...and, even if we wash the tips after, that seems really unsanitary to use them again on food. Can you pipe borders with spackle?
Moydear77: That's great to hear about the Satin Ice! Did you put a coating or sealant over the Satin Ice to keep it from drying out, cracking, or yellowing? (I got scared by one of my vendors who told me horror stories about finding ants inside her Satin Ice cake dummies!, but I think that was rare.)


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