New to baking and cake decorating? That’s completely OK! Every cake decorator started somewhere, and we’re happy to have you join us.
Learning how to decorate cakes takes time, patience and plenty of practice. Fortunately, you don’t always need to bake a cake from scratch before trying a new decorating technique. Polystyrene cake dummies and ready-made naked cakes are both fantastic options for beginners who want to build their confidence and improve their skills.
Not sure which one is right for you? Let’s look at the benefits of each option.
Polystyrene cake dummies are a great way to practise the decorating side of cake making without needing to bake a real cake first.
Because they are lightweight, sturdy and reusable, cake dummies allow you to take your time while practising techniques such as:
If something doesn’t turn out quite right, you can simply remove the decoration and start again. This makes cake dummies an affordable and low-pressure way to experiment with new colours, designs and techniques.
Cake dummies can also be used when creating display cakes, practising competition designs or planning a cake before recreating it with real cake.
Cake dummies aren’t only useful for practising icing and fondant. They can also be used for:
When adding a dummy tier to a real cake, make sure the cake is properly supported and assembled using suitable cake boards and dowels.
Ready-made naked cakes are ideal when you want to practise the complete cake decorating process without needing to bake the cake yourself.
A naked cake gives you the opportunity to practise:
You also get to enjoy the cake once you have finished decorating it!
We offer naked cakes in classic vanilla and chocolate flavours, making it easy to choose a versatile base for your design. They’re perfect for beginners, last-minute celebrations or anyone who wants to focus on decorating rather than baking.
The best option depends on what you would like to practise.
Choose a polystyrene cake dummy when you want to practise decorating techniques repeatedly, experiment with display designs or create a cake that doesn’t need to be eaten.
Choose a naked cake when you want to practise the full decorating process on a real cake. This includes filling, crumb coating, icing and serving your finished creation.
You may even like to start with a cake dummy before moving on to a naked cake once you feel more confident.
Whether you’re practising your first crumb coat, working on your piping skills or experimenting with fondant, the most important thing is to have fun and keep practising. Every cake you decorate will teach you something new!
Our naked cakes are available for purchase in store at our Eatons Hill location in Brisbane. Pop in, browse our decorating supplies and chat with our friendly team for helpful advice, product recommendations and cake decorating tips.
We can’t wait to see what you create!