Hi friends!
I have a treat for you! I’m going to show you how to remove fondant from a cake dummy!! – and with a video tutorial to boot!! Plus, BONUS!! – You get to see my crazy kids help me take apart a few cakes!! – it’s that easy!
I created 16 cakes for my last two Craftsy classes (Phew!) and am now ready to dismantle most of them (after 6 months of my house being filled with cakes!). I have a VERY very easy and quick way to take the fondant (and modeling chocolate) off your cake dummies without hurting your dummies or your fingers. It’s SO easy I have my kids show you how!!
Here you go! Ready for wild and crazy?!?!
So, a few things to remember…
1. Coat your dummies with vegetable shortening (Crisco) before covering with fondant. That’s all you need! – no water, piping gel, royal icing, buttercream, etc. This technique won’t work if you do that. The fondant will stick to the vegetable shortening so you won’t need anything else…promise!
2. When you are ready to dismantle your cake, microwave your dummy for only 5 SECONDS! – if you do it longer, it’ll melt your dummy…seriously…I know! Also, make sure there’s NO metal on your cake (like a left over wire)…it will explode! Haha! Again…I know from experience!
3. If you have a seam, start there. Flip your cake over and take a palette knife and slide it CAREFULLY between the fondant and dummy. Don’t force it…make sure it’s straight so you don’t damage your dummy. Pull straight away from the cake to make a seam.
4. Slide your hand back behind it like Easton does and your fondant will come right off!! Yippie!!
All done!
Can you tell my kids were a little excited and all wanted to get their hands on it!! LOL!! Maybe next time I’ll just have one in the shot!
Thanks for looking!! Help me pass on this video and post it to your Facebook page! – since I don’t have one anymore!! LOL!!
**If you want to know how I created this cow hide texture or gradient fondant with the metallic mermaid scales, check out my Craftsy class, “The Clean & Simple Cake Design: Playful Textures“. Here’s a 50% off link!!! – click HERE.
Love your kids in the video! So sweet!
But it was hard for me to watch getting your beautiful cakes distroyed! I think I would’ve kept them forever!! LOL!
Thanks for the tutorial.
Blessings from Austria,
Iris
kills me to see all that beauty go to waste. I wish there were a way to recycle it. I know…wallpaper! (JK) Thanks Jessica.
That is such a cute video tutorial. ? Kids do make things more fun. I bought your Elegant Techniques class and I can’t wait to try what I learned using dummy cakes so this is very timely.
Btw, if I want to make a double barrel out of the dummies, how do you attach two 4″ tall dummies and how do you cover them without visible seams in the middle?
Also, do you soften the top edges of the dummies to get those sharp, clean edges? My fondant tends to rip at those edges.
Thanks Jessica! ?
I hope you enjoy the class!! Yay!!
I usually buy my dummy cakes already made into double barrel height instead of gluing two together. You can glue two together as long as the decorations will cover the seam. I would use ganache or royal icing to fill in the seam…depending on what color your fondant is. If you want to smooth the fondant finish then I would suggest buying a dummy cake that’s already 8 inches tall. Have fun!!!
Thanks for the tip, Jessica!
Do you always panel wrap a dummy cake?
I tend to get more tears in my fondant using dummy cakes at the edges compared to a ganached cake. I was wondering if I should make the edges rounded a bit but still use your upside-down technique for achieving sharp, clean edges.
Hi Jessica, where do you purchase your double barrel cake dummy? Thank you!
For a double barrel dummy I glue my dummy cakes together and then use royal icing to hide the seam. Works great!
Is there anything you can do with the fondant that you removed from he cake dummy!
Adorable kids, I want them for my creations. Good trick Jessica, thank you learned a lot, keep it up! Kisses from Argentina! p / d: excuse my English!
Oh you’re so sweet! Thank you!!!!
I’m planning to make some display cakes and this is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing this helpful tip. (you have such lovely kids. It’s sweet to see that they also love what you do.)
I love all your classes at Craftsy and can’t wait to try some of your awesome techniques that I’ve learnt!
So thank you
Thank you Chloe!! Glad you’ve enjoyed the classes!! Blessings this new year!
Hi, i am keen to start a portfolio so want to use a dummy to get a picture. Am I able to get a picture then reuse the fondant quickly before it dries? Or will it dry to quickly? Trying to do it cheaply and not waste products
It depends on how fast you can be! If you can get the fondant on and snap a pic and take it off and rework it, awesome! – but it will depend on the type of fondant. The best to use for this is the Carma Massa Tropica. It’s a little spendy but you have TONS of time to work with it! Another idea and what I’ve done in the past is decorated half the cake with one pattern, then the other half with another pattern (as long as the pattern doesn’t stick out very far). Then, you have two cakes right away you can photograph. That’s how I did all my “Design Shop” cakes. They are halves! Just be really careful to get the photo straight on so you don’t see the other pattern/decorations in the back! Happy portfolio building!
I went from your craftsy class to this video! Thanks so much both for the class and for this awesome tip/trick. I have already used it twice!!!
Yay!!