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fake buttercream for display
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Fake Buttercream For Display: Quick and Easy Recipe

Needing to cover up a dummy cake in a tiered cake? Using buttercream is an easy way. Let's look at how to make fake buttercream for display.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Fake Buttercream For Display
Author: cakedecorist.com

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions 

  • Step One: Cream Butter, Shortening and Vanilla
  • Using an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth. It will take approximately three to five minutes to reach a smooth consistency.
  • Step Two: Add Confectioners’ Sugar
  • Gradually add confectioners’ sugar to the mix at low speed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate the confectioners’ sugar into the mix. The mixture will be thick at this point.
  • Step Three: Add Milk
  • Add 1/8 cup of milk to mix until smooth. You may add more milk to reach desired consistency. Set frosting aside.
  • Step Four: Smooth Styrofoam Cake
  • Using a sanding block, gently sand the Styrofoam cake, eliminating any rough spots.
  • Step Five: Place Cake Table to Turn Table
  • Place the cake table on the turntable. You may use a few pieces of tape to secure the cake table if you are worried about it coming off.
  • Step Six: Place Styrofoam Cake on Turntable
  • Using a few pieces of tape, place the Styrofoam cake on the cake table. The tape will allow the cake to securely stay in place, as the Styrofoam cake will easily move around if not secured to the cake table since it is so light.
  • Step Seven: Frost the Styrofoam Cake
  • Use an angled spatula to frost the dummy cake. Spin the turntable to evenly frost the cake.
  • Step Seven: Smooth the Cake
  • Once the cake is fully frosted, use a cake smoother to smooth out any imperfections on the cake.
  • Step Eight: Decorate Your Cake
  • If desired, you may decorate your frosted dummy cake. If you are wanting to add multiple tiers, you may use a dowel rod and carefully stick it through the bottom Styrofoam cake and then gently add the next cake on top.
  • Using a dummy cake is a great way to add tiers to a cake when you want the look of a big cake but don’t have a lot of people to serve.

Notes

  • It is recommended to use crusting buttercream because it sits well on cakes and creates a good surface for decorating. Since crusting buttercream creates a solid base, it is a good choice for dummy cakes that may be used for a long period of time. However, you may use your favorite buttercream recipe as well to frost the Styrofoam cake.
  • Styrofoam cakes can be found at cake decorating stores or online. They can come in rectangles, squares and round shapes.
  • Dummy cakes frosted with buttercream may be stored in displays for several months. It is best to avoid storing a frosted dummy cake in direct sunlight, as it may cause the frosting to get a yellow tint and may even cause the frosting to melt in hot weather.
  • After a time, the buttercream frosting may begin to crack. Once it begins to crack, you may be able to just frost the area that is cracking. However, if the cracking is all over, you may need to get rid of all the frosting.
  • If you wish to have a colored buttercream frosting, you may add food coloring to reach your desired shade. Gel food coloring is recommended for buttercream frosting; however, any food coloring will work.
  • If you want to reuse your dummy cake for another project, you are able to. Simply scrape off the frosting and thoroughly wash the Styrofoam cake. Allow the cake to air dry and do not frost until the dummy cake is completely dry.
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