DON'T FORGET TO TURN ON YOUR LOG TO RECORD OUR CHAT TONIGHT: TO DO:  AT THE
TOP OF YOUR AOL MENU, CLICK ON <<FILE>>, SCROLL DOWN TO <<LOG MANAGER>> CLICK ON OPEN LOG...... AND SAVE-AS ---ANY NAME ...CAKECHAT.LOG (ETC) IN A FOLDER (DIRECTORY) ... AFTER YOU EXIT AOL YOU CAN USE ANY WORD PROCESSOR TO OPEN AND READ IT.

LATER WE WILL HAVE 'OPEN MIKE' AND WE WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU WOULD ADD YOUR INPUT, PLEASE.. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ADD COMMENTS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS. 

THIS WEEK WE MUST USE OUR NEW NAMES APPOINTED TO US BY AOL.. Dolores777 is CCChefDol and Pwd sugar is CCChefPwd. This is an AOL thing. We had nothing to do with it. I like the name okay though : )

Did you all check out Earlene's 'RING CAKE' from last week's chat? Its online. SO beautiful! Her cake of the month - APRIL - click to go to her web site 

TOPIC: "IF THIS IS SLOW ORDER TIME FOR YOU - HOW ABOUT WORKING ON SOME CAKE DUMMIES FOR FUTURE SHOWS AND TRYING NEW THINGS.  USING FAKE ICING MATERIALS."

LAST WEEK WE TOUCHED ON THIS SUBJECT JUST A LITTLE BIT AFTER I PUT UP THE TITLE FOR THIS WEEK. ALSO, SEE MY MESSAGE BOARD FOR 'SHOW CHAT' You can ask questions about cake shows or ICES etc.

Be sure to check out my ANNOUNCEMENTS page at: http://w3.one.net/~proicer/index.html  - then choose: ANNOUNCEMENTS - for cake shows or classes around the country. Or - let me know if your area has something going on you'd like for us to know about. I have been told that people DO read the ANNOUNCEMENTS PAGE and contact people having cake shows. Isn't this a nice new way to spread the word!

SPRING AND FALL ARE USUALLY CAKE SHOW TIMES. If you are in charge, or have been, you know very well all of the work it entails. One thing, If you DO love these cake shows and you WOULD like for them to continue --->BRING A CAKE! All the visitors in the world won't count if there are no cakes to see. And besides, you will feel more a part of things when you know you've done your share. ...not to mention the wonderful prizes given to the winners. Warning...cake shows are dwindling off. I understand that Cincinnati will no longer have shows because of lack of participation.

Cake shows are a good test of our abilities. Besides, usually the judge (or judges) will hold a seminar and you are invited to attend. This is where I have learned SO much! Once Geraldine Kidwell (past ICES president) did a seminar at the show she judged - all on gumpaste dolls! I was spell-bound! And this is where I learned to do them. Geraldine took classes from Senora Marithe Alvarado of Mexico City, Mexico. The Senora attends our ICES shows and brings her magnificent work along.

You don't need to be a pro to participate. In fact, you'll never compete with the pro (until or unless you are one!). You'll have a Division that suits your level of expertise. When you win, then you move up a division. Not easy sometimes when its your first great cake! I know, it happened to me. It was a few years before I won again. See, I read the show rules and entered ADVANCED Division. I probably should have started with Intermediate Division. Then I'd have had a winning chance.

THE DIVISIONS ARE USUALLY:
CHILDREN'S (sometimes in larger shows, TEENS are grouped separately)
BEGINNER'S (those who recently completed Basic decorating course or learned on their own)
INTERMEDIATE (those who may know a few more of the techniques)
ADVANCED (those who may know even more of the techniques)
PROFESSIONALS (those who do very advanced techniques)...and sometimes ...
BAKER'S (Those bakers who do basically 'speed' work and could not participate with the pro and/or ...
MASTERS (masters are the judges or those who have won in all other Divisions). Each show sets guidelines for level of entree.
   When you wish to participate, you send to the hosts for the 'show rules' then choose your Division. You'll fill out your paperwork and mail it back before the show's deadline for entry.

CATAGORIES. 'Categories' are the different cake styles allowed. (And if you goof, they'll usually LOVE to make a place for yours). Categories may include: BIRTHDAY, ALL OCCASION, NOVELTY, WEDDING and others. You would choose a category and make a cake that fits it. Ex: Make a birthday cake and enter it in the BD category, etc. I always tried to target one of the categories. It causes confusion, at best, when there is no category to fit your cake.

COST: Cost is very nominal. This is usually about $5-10.00. Just enough to pay expenses of ribbons and trophies, etc.

CAKE DUMMIES -  USING FAKE ICING MATERIALS:  Usually we make fake cakes for shows. This is so we can work on it for a very long time if necessary. (I once took 2 months to make my entry). Gumpaste dolls etc can take a very long time to complete. Besides this, the fact that sitting uncovered several days, you wouldn't want to eat it. The cakes are judged on LOKS not on taste. Once in awhile, a cake show may have a buttercream Division or Category ...they say. I have not seen this.

SO, WE USUALLY USE CAKE DUMMIES. I have heard they are available in several shapes. But mostly round or rectangle. Unless you plan on using rolled fondant, you would ice the dummy with royal icing. OR - as pointed out last week, some people use spackling paste or Permaice. Spackling paste is something used by builders (I think) Permaice is sold in cake supply shops (mine and others). I don't know if they are the same. I've only used royal icing or rolled fondant.

GETTING THE ICING OFF: Eventually you are going to want to discard your creation and use the dummy for another cake. I have a shrink-wrap machine, so I shrink wrap mine. It is very easy to strip it when I'm ready. I just hold it over a big trash can and loosen the wrappings. Icing and all falls off into the trash can and I am ready to start over. Earlene pointed out last week that she covers her dummies first with freezer wrap...good idea and if she does it, IT WORKS! <smile> Before I had the shrink wrapper, I use to set my cake dummy out when it was raining all day and the rain washed it easily.

CCChefPwd: Not freezer wrap - contact paper…see complete instructions below

ICES: Last but not least! There is ICES...this is our annual cake convention. It is held in a different City of the US and sometimes out of country (there is one scheduled for Canada soon). Those dates are all listed on my web site and may also be on ICES web site at: http://www.ices.org
At ICES, the cakes are NOT judged. You are SHARING your ideas. So, if you plan to go, always fix up some cute idea to share with your friends. (Expect to view nearly a 1,000 entries here!) Here you will also feel more a part of it if you give of yourself like this. At ICES, you can also volunteer to help out with the show. NOTHING helps you get acquainted or make friends easier than to volunteer to help out.

Dummy cakes are  what most of use when we travel to shows with a cake.  The one exception would be the show categories which require you to use real cake such as the carved figures like the Tabasco bottle or animals or eagles in flight and etc.

First  - why use dummy cakes
1.  Lighter weight - once you have carried a few of them through a few airports in changing planes you realize they do get very heavy.   Sometimes i arrive at a show just knowing my arms are at least 2 inches longer then they were when i left home.  LOL
2.  They will not deteriorate under the icing
3.  You can use them as sample cakes to show your customers for a long period of time.
4.  You can wash them off and put them out on display when they gather to much dust if you use the Permaice fake icing.
5.  Permaice or spackling paste won’t mold, mildew or melt in high humidity
6.  Bugs won’t  eat spackling paste or Permaice fake icing.
7.  Children and adult fingers touching Permaice or spackling paste  won’t leave marks.
8.  Easier to transport to shows because you don’t have to be so careful with the cakes.  The fake icings don’t crack or dent easily

Second - what do you use on the inside of these dummy cakes.
1.  You can make a dummy cake from an over cooked - dried out cake but you then will still have the weight of real cake to contend with.
2.  You can grease your pans  heavily and line the sides and bottom with wax paper and then fill them with a mixture of rice Krispies and royal icing.  The disadvantage of this mixture for dummies is again the weight.   You also would have a very difficult time inserting anything into that dry dummy material  such as wired flowers or roses on toothpicks.  That dummy would be so hard to insert things into you would probably need a drill to make the holes and then glue in your flowers with whatever material you are using for icing.
3.  There are two kinds of pre-made cake forms from Styrofoam.  One is made from compressed tiny beads and the other is the porous Styrofoam.  I personally prefer the porous styrofoam if i can get it.
4.  Then there are the Styrofoam sheets, balls or cones that you can purchase and cut and glue together to make your basic shape.  Then you can carve that as you need to for whatever form you are trying to achieve.   The ices show is so far for many people to travel to.  Remember people come from all over the world for this show - not just the region where the show is held,  so weight is very important.  The only times i have given my cake to someone else to put in baggage on a plane is when i had to fly on one of those really really, really small planes.  Then they are usually more careful than i would be in loading that cake.  When this happens i have learned to be the last one to board the plane because that cake needs to be the last thing that they put in their baggage compartment.  Nothing on top of it and easiest to unload when you reach your destination.  Also do not and i repeat do not tell them that it is a dummy cake.  Don’t lie about it just avoid answering that question.  If they know it is dummy they will not be as careful with it.   Remember you will have many hours into doing that special show cake and the only reason it is done on a dummy form is for your convenience - it doesn’t mean the work is any less valuable.
5.  There are also some styrofoam hollow dummies that nest together for easy storage.  I know of one gal that does her dummies on say 14, 10 and 6 inch hollow dummies.   She does all of the decorating except for the bottom borders on each dummy size.  When she finishes decorating those dummies and they are totally dry she lines the inside of the hollow dummies with some soft foam sheets and nests them back together to carry them to the show.  At the show she stacks them like she wants them and just adds the bottom borders.  She uses fondant and royal icing for these cakes.  But i think you could also use the fake icings for this procedure.  If you totally finished the tiers except the base borders - let all of that dry or set up - then put saran on the top of the finished cakes -  stack them like you want them - then pipe the bottom borders on top of the saran - let that dry - then peal off the saran from the bottom of the base borders that might work.  At least that works in my head but i haven’t actually tried that yet.  Might be a way some of us could do some larger tiered cakes to travel with.  Needless to say if we tried to get on an airplane with a stacked tiered cake we would probably have to buy another ticket.   But if we could nest those tiers carefully we might be able to safely ship them and reassemble them at our destination.

CCChefDol: good type of dummies when using the push-thru pillars

5.  Stacked cardboard circles can also be used for cake dummies.  I have even bought those styrofoam rings that people use to make wreaths and glued a cardboard circle on the top and used that for a cake dummy.   When you are desperate you can come up with something that will work for you.

Third - when you are through with this cake dummy do you just throw it away and start over or is there some way you can reuse those base forms.
1.  If you use buttercream icing directly on those forms you probably will never be able to get that form totally clean again.
2.  If you use royal icing directly on those forms you can probably get that icing off - but - it is a lot of work and you will probably dent, knick and gouge those styrofoam forms to get it clean.  I had someone tell me that they just put their dummies out in the rain and then the next morning they just hosed off what icing was left and re-used their dummies.  I tried that once.  Never again.  My dummy the next morning was completely covered with ants.  Needless to say that thing went right in the trash.
3.  If you use rolled fondant icing directly on those forms with piping gel underneath - it will take a hammer and chisel to remove that and again you will probably have dents, knicks and gouge marks in your dummy.
4.  If you use the spackling paste or Permaice directly on your form you will not be able to reuse your form.  But you can wash it off and put it back out on display unless someone has really broken it for you.
5.  If you want to be able to reuse your dummy cakes or forms then cover them before you ever begin your icing of the cakes.  You can shrink wrap them if you have access to that type of material.  You can use saran wrap pulled very tight and taped securely on the bottom of the dummy.  Then take a hot hair drier and make it fit even tighter over that form.  That hot air will shrink it just a little more.   The last few dummies i have done i used white contact paper on the dummies.  I think someone on one of the chats in the past told us that she used this.  It works great.  You cut a strip of contact paper the width of the side of the cake and long enough to totally wrap around the cake overlapping about 1 inch.  Then cut a piece the same shape as the top of the cake only about 2 inches larger in diameter.  If it is a round dummy - peal off the backing on the contact paper (lay it on a table - sticky side up) and place the dummy in the middle of the contact paper circle and stick it down.    Turn it over and with a pair of scissors cut the extended contact paper into the dummy form about every inch around the cake right up to the edge of the cake.  Pull those down and adhere them as neatly and tightly as possible to the side of the cake.  Now peal off the backing of your contact paper to go around the side of the cake and place it on the table sticky side up.  Place the dummy on its side and carefully roll and stick that strip around the side as neatly as possible.  If it sticks out over the edge of the cake slightly you can trim this with a pair of scissors.  This makes a very nice covering on your dummy and you can remove the icing from this. Peal it off and start over again.  Those dummies are expensive and if you are watching your expenses it might be important for you to be able to use them again.

CCChefDol: reminds me...I carried a small cake on aplane...in a clear box so the airline would know what it was
CCChefPwd: Right Dee - Always make windows for them to be able to see what is in your boxes

FOURTH - WHAT DO YOU USE FOR ICING ON A DUMMY CAKE.
1.  Real icing  - any kind that you choose - buttercream, royal, rolled fondant, rolled buttercream, chocolate fondant and etc.
Just remember if you use real icing that the outside of the cake must be cared for just like it was real cake.  Dust collecting will not be easily removed.  Humidity will soften even the hardest of sugar icings.   And bugs can destroy the look of sugar work if they can get into it.
2.  Spackling paste - you can buy that at your local building supply stores and it is very economical.  The draw back is that it dries quickly and that makes it harder to smooth out and make the surface of your cake really smooth.  It can be used through tips - be sure and wash them immediately when you are through with them.  Treat those tips just like you would royal icing and keep a damp cloth or paper towel over the tips to keep that from drying out on you.  If the spackling paste is a little dry you can add water.  If it is a little thin

LBsGrandy: How do you get the tips clean if you use spackle?
Cake Wmn: Spackling washes out with a little effort

3.  Permaice is a brand of fake icing that you can purchase at most cake supply stores.   You can do almost everything you can do with buttercream icing with this fake icing.  You use acrylic colors to tint the icing for making roses, borders and etc.  I know one gal that even piped lace points from this icing to use at the base of real cakes.  I hesitate to do that because i am afraid someone might try to eat them.  But they wouldn’t break on a dummy cake when the customers touched them at least.

Dummy cakes can be a very good tool in showing your customers your sugar art skills.   If you use the fake icings and have room for several dummies you could build a neat selection of techniques for your customers to choose from.   They are another tool we can use in selling our cakes to our customers.

PhotoHKH: Can anyone give me ideas for "basket" for putting homemade candies in?
I don't have any candy molds yet...need some good subs..
Just small, for my bosses.
Icing Wiz: Make basket out of chocolate
CCChefDol: Photo...I'd look around the kitchen...you can mold choc. in almost anything
PhotoHKH: Really?  this is my first time dipping chocolate. That's a good idea. Should I mold it in something or on something?
CCChefDol: Photo...its very easy to do
PhotoHKH: I thought of just using a glass, fill it inside and dump out excess.
CCChefDol: I'd say 'in' something...or just present the candies on a pretty dish. That’s it Photo...if too thinly coated, coat twice
PhotoHKH: Would this work?  Should I grease the glass or will the choc just slide out?
CCChefDol: no grease needed...just chill and when cold it will unmold
MsWillie98: Don't grease when molding choc
PhotoHKH: Thanks!  I am very excited...I have just started this and cake dec.

Icing Wiz: Oh can I announce my DOS in June
Dimples498: Are there going to be any shows in Virginia any time soon that anyone knows about?
PhotoHKH: Or Seattle.
CCChefDol: for cake shows, do check my announcements page too
LauraJMD: I'm entering my first show April 25th... NERVOUS....
CCChefPwd: If you just think of cake show as sharing with other decorators and not competing it will be more fun for you.

Icing Wiz: I have a hard time keeping the styrofoam still I tried sticking a fork underneath but that was hard
CCChefDol: I poke toothpicks in the dummy to hold it
MsWillie98: Put a little icing under the styrofoam to hold
LgntCakes: Do you spray or treat your royal iced dummy with anything?
CCChefDol: I don't
LgntCakes: Does it need anything to protect it from discoloration or dust?
CCChefDol: keep in a box when not on display
LgntCakes: I had a dummy on display at a caterer's and it got really dusty and dirty.
CCCChefDol: with Permaice you can wash it but no other way
LgntCakes: I've never used Permice - is that something used for these permanent display types of things
Icing Wiz: I wonder if you could blow dry the dust off?
CCChefDol: Lgnt...even a steam iron I think might work...never tried it

Bakn Beth: How do you prevent the intricate details from cracking off in route?
CCChefDol: Bakn...its easier with dummies
Icing Wiz: use rubber shelf liner under it Mine traveled three hours that way to Orlando Conv.
CCChefDol: but with real cake...just put on a sturdy board etc and drive slowly...take a fix-it kit too
Bakn Beth: Yes, but mine details sometimes crack and break off before I reach final destination. (on dummies)
LgntCakes: I saw Rosemary Watson's method of making cake dummies out of paper mache craft boxes. Like the kind you get and decorate at craft stores.  She puts some of her arrangements on with Velcro, and nests all the graduated sizes
into the largest. It's really cool to see, but I've never tried it.
Cake Wmn: LgntC, I made dummies for centerpieces for ICES midyear using them
LgntCakes: CakeWmn, how did it work for you - I've been dying to try it.
Cake Wmn: Used spackling and dec. right on box -didn't try the Velcro

Cake Wmn: Have any of you made your dummies using the insulation sheets
CCChefDol: I have Cake...they work great and SO cheap
Cake Wmn: I like them better than the manufactured dummies
CCChefDol: Cake...too bad they don't have round ones
Cake Wmn: I cut it with a steak knife and worked pretty well
CCChefDol: me too

Torkerr: Icing is there a good cake dec magazine to subscribe to
Icing Wiz: Yes I know of 2 Mailbox News and American Cake Dec
CCChefDol: ICES: http://www.ices.org
CCChefDol: American Cake Dec: http://www.cakemag.com

Bakn Beth: OK I have a ? Does Wilton use Dummies for the yearbooks, when  try to recreate a cake, the icing is never that perfect
CCChefDol: Bakn...I'm sure they do...and royal icing. Look REAL close and you see flaws in the icing too.
Bakn Beth: My customers sometimes don't understand about that I try to explain (Because I thought that’s what they did) And my customers are like "huh?" Too perfect for buttercream.  Colors are also too vibrant. I can't seem to get mine that vib

ACbonethug: Is there a way to keep  royal iced dummy cakes from fading when they are placed in a window?
CCChefDol: AC...I don't think so, but use Permaice or spackling and they won't
CCChefPwd: A little air brush might help to make them last a little longer but the airbrush colors will fade too
ACbonethug: Will royal iced dummy cakes that are then sprayed with air brush cake colors fade too?
CCChefDol: Yes, they will fade too
Icing Wiz: my Permaice faded slightly when I had it at the store where I teach so I brought it home
CarolA5238: I didn't know you could use spackling paste to decorate dummies.
CCChefPwd: As I said earlier - there is never a place to quit learning in this field.
CarolA5238: I sure did learn, can you make the flowers, like roses too.
CCChefDol: Carol, the ones I saw looked Wilted...heard there was a way to thicken - cornstarch
CCChefPwd: I saw roses made with the spackling but I haven't used it.
CarolA5238: I thought spackling was only for wall patching, I'm going to try that!
CCChefDol: Could have thinned with water, right?
CCChefPwd: I would think so.
CCChefDol: someone said water will thin last week. Bridal used it I think

LgntCakes: Someone mentioned that they keep their dummies in acrylic boxes. Does anyone know where to find such a box, or how to make one?
CCChefDol: I made an acrylic box but didn't know how...doesn’t look very good
CCChefPwd: Wal-Mart blanket boxes will work for sheet cakes. I have a few plexiglass boxes I had custom made just for cake dummies
CCChefPwd: They are great for flying.  Wooden base and clear so they will take care of them
CCChefDol: Pwd...what did you glue them with? Mine want to fall apart
CCChefPwd: Silicone
CCChefDol: Pwd, were the roses nice?
CCChefPwd: SLightly rough on the edges.  Looked like it was slightly thick for her

LBsGrandy: Does anybody ship their cakes? Do any of you ship your cakes?
CCChefPwd: Shipping a cake would be a nightmare.  Too fragile with decorated work
LBsGrandy: How would you ship a one layer simple cake?
CCChefPwd: I wouldn't
Cakestmper: Please tell about shipping a cake, someone called me 2x today!
LBsGrandy: Oh boy, too much work?
CCChefDol: maybe ship a fruit cake or other heavy cake but icing won’t do good
LBsGrandy: I wanted to send a cake to my son, maybe not huh?
CCChefDol: LB...make  him a good carrot cake rather than a fancy decorated one maybe
CCChefPwd: If he likes crumb cake.   LOL
CarolA5238: Send cookies they're easy to ship.
CCChefDol: If packed well a heavy cake might make it...Magazines offer them...must make it someway
LBsGrandy: My son had a King Cake from New Orleans and it was messy
LBsGrandy: The icing ran inside the package.

Lizzzie P: Karen, I'm gonna put you to work, I gotta do a stupid "Martha Cake". It's the square fondant cake with grape clusters and a fence to hide the pillars.
CCChefPwd: I made a pattern for that lattice between the layers on the computer and it worked great Liz
CCChefPwd: THat one is an easy one and does look nice when done. Make the lattice a little longer to allow for the fondant icing - Liz - 12 inch cake you will need at least 12 1/2 inches lattice
CCChefDol: I'd charge enough so it would be worth it or not make it
Icing Wiz: Martha came to Naples last weekend $350 to go to lunch $1,000 to sit at table LOL
CCChefDol: Icing...did she have any takers?
Cakestmper: Did you go eat with her Icing Wiz?
Icing Wiz: HAAAAAAAAAAAAa
LBsGrandy: Icing, wow I'd want Martha do redo my house for that!!
Icing Wiz: I would like to throw the cake I did for a bride that  I spent an hour in freezer because icing was not good for Florida. I wanted to use my recipe but the chef where I worked wouldn't let me because the bride requested it.
Icing Wiz: she was on today with a friend she acted very "better than thou"
LBsGrandy: Icing, was today the show where she made the ham in the throw away tray?
Icing Wiz: yes LB

CarolA5238: Dee, did you get the wilton test? looks easy sorta.
CCChefDol: test???
Lizzzie P: Oh, yeah, Karen, bring your test with you!
Cakestmper: How come everyone got their wilton test but me?
CCChefDol: they sent you a test?
Bakn Beth: What Wilton test?
CCChefPwd: a test on what?
CCChefDol: I got NO test???
Cakestmper: sure Liz, we'll all fail this time!
KatsKakes: Got my Wilton test this week - haven't had a chance to
OnlineHost: PoorPepper has left the room.
ACbonethug: Carol, I started the test, not finished yet, but easy so far
Lizzzie P: Karen, you can have mine.
Icing Wiz: I got my test Karen do you want do mine for me!
KatsKakes: look at much of it yet, but looks easier this year!
CCChefDol: But then, they don't recognize shop owners as teachers...
CarolA5238: We all got an open book test for coures 2 and 3.
CCChefDol: <---don't give them my free name lists
Bakn Beth: What test
Icing Wiz: I missed 2 questions last time I got a 97 I was mad I wanted the tool caddy
CCChefPwd: Another reason I don't want to teach for them.   I don't like tests  LOL
CCChefDol: With the new books I get finished faster...less flowers in course 2
KatsKakes: Wilton teacher's receive a test annually
Cakestmper: I love my tool caddy!
CarolA5238: Its an open book test for Wilton teachers.
Bakn Beth: OHHHHHHHHH
KatsKakes: New tool caddy is a great improvement over the old one!!
CCChefDol: Kats...so right
CarolA5238: Want to finish mine?
CCChefDol: nope Carol : )
CCChefDol: I'm a Wilton teacher and have yet to receive one test
CCChefPwd: Bet you don't get invited to their seminars either Dee
CCChefDol: Nope I sure don't...they won't even answer my phone call
Cakestmper: there is a gift for 100%, some tools I think
CarolA5238: I'll get a hold of my coordinator and see why you didn't get the test.
CCChefDol: Carol... they'll get mad at you if you mention 'shop owner'
Cakestmper: My Newsletter says 3 of the comfort grip black handled spatulas from Wilton
ACbonethug: I was hoping they would have a gift again this year for 100%, I got the tool caddy and love it. My info sheet didn't mention tools, I'm in Wilton's headquarters area
CCChefDol: got my ICES confirmation today...for registering
CarolA5238: Some of the teachers here are shop owners., why should they?
CCChefDol: Carol...shop owners refuse to give Wilton their customer names... Wilton then sends them ads so they don't visit the store and order instead.