Ok, per Doug's request, I am asking this here. This way I can benefit from all your knowledge, and not just his alone. Which is actually a pretty darn good idea. You're all brilliant.

I've been trying to be all secretive about the groom's cake I'm doing, but I realize that's just silly. For one thing, it isn't exactly an original idea. I'm just superstitious, I guess.

*starts up the mission impossible background music for Doug* Your mission, should you choose to accept it... (his joke, not mine, he's so clever. teehee)

First, a little background... The groom is a friend of my Husband (not mine), and this is my gift to him (which is turning out to be more expensive than just buying him a gift.. haha). However, he wants the cake a certain way. (yeah, he's that kind of person, so it has to be perfect)

He plays World of Warcraft (for those that don't know, it's an online fantasy game). So, he wants his groom's cake to be a computer with a screenshot of the game on the screen.

I have seen a dozen or so computer cakes, and even more than a few with edible images of this game, etc. (I'll probably just laminate a screenshot I take myself, since I don't have an edible image printer)

I'm doing something a little different. It is going to be life size. The tower (hard case) is going to be the cake. I plan on stacking sheet cakes to the size of the tower, then carving in the shape. All will be covered in chocolate buttercream, then fondant, and decorated (hopefully in detail) to look exactly like his tower.

The structural question for this part...

I have a cake board I use (used on my own wedding cake) which is basically a 26" by 26" piece of thick plywood (I might have to get a larger one). What I'm planning on doing is placing the layers of cake on one side of the board (leaving room for keyboard, monitor, and mouse on the other), and having two large dowel rods going through it and being screwed onto the board for support (difficult to explain, looks easy in my head). In other words, the dowel rods will have already been screwed to the board, holding them in place, and I will place each layer of cake on top of those, with the dowel rods going up through premade holes. Also, do you think I should do this in tiers.. The actual tower is about 17" high, so put each tier on a board, and place the mini dowels between each, so it won't smoosh under the weight of a cake so high? If so, how can I get the length of the screwed in dowels just right? I don't want to have to saw them off while the cake is in place.

On to the other pieces. I decided the tower would be plenty of cake. Probably more than enough, especially since they will also be having a gigantic wedding cake (made by someone else, thankfully), so I'm making the rest out of rice krispie treats. (I hope)

The keyboard will be shaped and molded based on a template I'm making myself. The actual keys will be molded fondant. The mouse, also made from rice krispie treats.. The monitor, again this looks great in my head, I am also hoping to make from rice krispie treats. It will be a bit tricky because it's a flat screen monitor. The biggest question about this, is how far in advance can I make them, cover them in buttercream and fondant, and they still be fresh the day of the wedding? You know "someone" will have to taste everything that's made. So, I don't want them to stick the mouse in their mouth, take a big ol' bite of it, then spit it out because it's stale... hrm.. that word looks wrong. ahem.. anyway...

Now, I have an "idea" of how to do the monitor. First I'm going to shape the monitor out of the treats, building it "around" two plastic dowel rods (or should I use thick wood ones?), using royal icing to make sure those are up inside the treats and secure. It's ok if I have to build a bit of the rice krispie treats on the back to do this, because that's the way my monitor looks anyway. (leave it to dry) Then I plan on making the base of the monitor, which is basically just a big oval about an inch high. So, I thought again I would use rice krispie treats to do that, cover with fondant, etc. Then push the dowels down into the base, after making sure they are secure and not going to pop out, wrapping that in fondant, so the dowels actually look like the piece that connects the base stand to the display part of the monitor. Now, the biggest issue with this is going to be, will the top be too heavy and topple over? If so, what should I make the base of the monitor from instead? OR should I just screw two more dowel rods through the board, and attach a premade base and monitor to those, then just wrap those dowels in fondant to look like part of the monitor, to avoid the toppeling?

All wires will most likely just be rope licorice and fondant.

Anyway, any feedback at all will be great. I have all this worked out in my head, but it's always best to ask people who have actually done it, to know if it will work.

Just so all of you know.. Any time I try to do something nice for someone else, it always falls apart. I'm a poster child for Murphy's Law. So, even though you will give me great advice, and I will follow it to a T, there's a good chance the whole thing will explode. Which goes back to that whole thing about why I'm superstitious about telling people what I'm doing. That also seems to factor in somehow. If I mention something good that will happen, or I think will happen, never does or it goes wrong.

Just remember that when I finally post pictures in a few weeks.. hehe

Thanks so much to everyone who had the patience to read all the way through this, and to anyone that can give any advice at all. Thanks again, Doug, for suggesting I post it here. You were right. (something I will never say to my husband. )

All of your are fabulous!!


Holly







**this post will self destruct in 5 seconds.**

Wow, Holly. That was long! LOL.

What did Doug say? I swear I am a Doug worshiper. (just kidding)

If it were me, I would use styrofome (spelling) and superglue to make the shape of the monitor. Especially since the cake is the tower. Then you can pretty much do whatever you want. Cover it with fondant and viola. It should be light enough to stand up.

The key board I would do out of cake, just because it is basically a rectangle of cake. then the fondant letters. I would use a clay gun for the fondant for the wires.

For the tower. That is a prettty high stack of cake. I had trouble with cake that high for another project.

I would do it just like a stacked wedding cake. I would make SURE that the cakes were exactly the same size, made of a firm cake recipe, and then I would do two layers with icing between, then a cake board, two layers then a cake board, repeating 3 or 4 times. Then I would sharpen super sharp a wooden dowel 4 of them actually, and hammer them down through the cake in a diamond pattern. One toward the front, one toward the back, and two in the middle, but kind of one the sides.

I am actually not sure it will work. I have never made a computer cake. This is just what is in my head. I am sure someone smarter will help you. Good luck and post when it is finished!

That sounds like a great cake!! My bf is a huge WoW fan and him and his friend would drool over it!

For the rice krispie treat items, I think up to 3 days - if they are covered in fondant, would be about all the time I would give it for freshness. And constructing the monitor on its back should be a problem, just make sure you can stand it up afterwards!

For the tower, to know the height of the tower in order to cut the dowels - i would pre-stack the cake (using supports, just like for a wedding cake between the "tiers"), then stick the dowels in to get the height and the proper placement in the cakes for sticking the cakes back on it. Then remove the dowels, cut to length, screw them in the board (I love the diamond dowel shape idea) and then re-place the cakes and boards and such on it.


The rest of your ideas sound reasonable! I can't wait to see a photo.

HTH

looks at his tower.....

gasp!

that's one hunk of cake!!!!

>> yes, for such a tall cake do use the dowels that are firmly attached to the base.see sketch of how to do the dowels for this kind of support
>> yes...do do it as a series of 4 inch tiers like any wedding cake.
>> use MASONITE cut to shape for the board between the tiers -- much less chance of sagging
>> use 4 narrow wood dowels near the corners that rise through the whole cake -- 1/2in dowels max. should do it.
>> use the hollow plastic dowels that wilton sells (buy them and size the dowel to fit inside w/ a bit of a gap) (if dowel ends up seeming too small, then up grade to the plastic hidden pillars and larger dowel)
>> size the wood dowels so the plastic dowels can slip over them
>> size the hole in the masonite for the wood dowels so it is a tight fit--being sure that it is smaller than the diameter of the the plastic dowels. this way the wood dowels combine with masonite to make a very stable support that also holds the plastic spacer dowels in place helping to minimize shifting. the masonite will slip over the wood and rest on the plastic. By using four insuring no tippy-tippy side to side or front to back.
>>for height of dowels --- height of cake -- once you set them into the plywood base you loose a 1/2 inch which will then be how far they are from the top of the cake. if unsure...build w/ dowels longer than needed. after placing last layer, they'll stick out. -- mark w/ pencil at exact point they stick out. Then lift off last layer and cut dowels 1/2in shorter than the mark. replace top layer. and lay on the icing (mcduff) with the cake on a masonite board very easy to lift off.

to put cake together on this contraption...

lower first tier over the wood dowels.
put plastic dowels over wood and lower and then push into the bottom tier.
now put on a masonite -- this could already have the cake tier on it.
the put plastic dowels and push into cake
repeat until all layers are on.
(what little bit of cake trapped between the plastic dowel and the wood dowel will help keep plastic dowel from shifting)

on drilling holes in baseboard and masonite boards so they all line up.
first stack 3 pieces of masonite the roungh shape you need on top of each other TAPING them together w/ double stick carpet tape.
trim the whole stack at one time w/ a jigsaw (scroll saw) to the exact shape you need.
now, take that stack and double stick tape it to the plywood in the exact place you want the tower to be
then measure just how tall that stack is as precisely as possible.
add a 1/2in to that measurement.
now take a long drill bit and measure up it that amount and place a flag of tape so the bottom edge of the tape is at that measurement (flag = piece of tape 2in long wrapped around bit and stuck to self)
then using a very steady hand, slow speed and keeping the drill perpendicular to the boards drill down at the 4 points you want the dowels to be (these should be about 1 inch in from the sides in all directions.)
when flag hits board (sweesp away the saw dust) STOP -- hole should be proper depth
once all four holes are drilled, use a putty/spackling knife to pry apart all the boards and then remove the tape.
next, using a smaller bit sized to the width of the screw you will use, center it in the holes just created and drill through the board the rest of the way (predrilling so screw aligns to dowel)
also predrill ends of dowels to receive screws
put some wood glue in each hole
force in the dowels
flip over and screw in the screws tightly.
set aside and go bake the cakes (or get hubby to do all this while you bake)

i thought RKT lasted forever! (joking) At least a week in advance I would think. Who's got better advice on this one?

one: do the upright dowel the same was as main cake -- screw into base.
two: mike maccarey of mikes amazing cakes did a very interesting technique on the cartoon character cake challenge for his Scooby-Do cake -- to support the large vertical sections of cake (the sarcophagus and it's lid) he used a board that had spikes coming out of it --- sort of a bed of nails to put the cake on.
he slathered the whole thing in chocolate for a glue and then put the cake on.
do the same here (chocolate so much more tasty than RI) ....create bed of "nails" and then coat w/ chocolate and then smoosh on the RKT.
to prevent topple over -- make the oval base 4 in wider in front to back dimension than the monitor. Can also attach metal weights to it, especially in the back that you can hide under the RKT for extra security. you may also wish to tilt the monitor back a bit.

Quote:

Quote:

All wires will most likely just be rope licorice and fondant.

Black licorice??? ICK!!!! but --- yep that's what i'd do too.

Ok, I think you have to make the tower stack like a regular cake. Any time i've had to make anything that tall (my life sized construction cone for example) and I know it's going to be heavy, I do that. It should keep it from shifting too. Better safe than sorry there.

I basically (big surprise) second everything Doug said. And I also think that Crispy treats will last quite a while. I'm not sure I'd cover them in buttercream before fondant. I might go with something that will stay solid no matter what, like modeling chocolate or marzipan.

Good luck...I can't wait to see it!
-Michelle

P.S. -- if worried about the center of cake sagging -- doubtful if you use masonite boards as they are very strong and sturdy)

then just add a fifth dowel dead center (done same way to get holes aligned and w/ the plastic spacers for support)

oh -- and you could use section of stainless steel pipe as the spacers instead of plastic (saw this on a cake challenge too!)

(ok...stop -- getting a little too high tech here -- next thing ya know I'll be suggesting to hid a speaker in it so you can rig it to be playing happy birthday! -- oh and make the mouse light up...and put little led's on the monitor front for the indicator lights and one in the "on switch" on the front of the computer -- Duff would be so proud!)

All of you are just freakin' awesome!


Replies coming. I just had to say that.

Doug, what can I say? You are a Freakin' God!!!!

Your post is nearly as long as mine, so I will spare everyone and not quote and reply to everything you said. I have to say.. Wow!!

Ok, now to pick out certain things I'm not sure about.. hehe

Ok, I'm not familiar with masonite, because I've only ever had to use normal ol' cake boards. This cake is a LOT of firsts for me. Can you maybe post a link so I can see what it looks like, or give me an idea of where I can purchase it locally. Lowe's, home depot, etc., do they sell this, or is it a craft store like Hobby Lobby, Joann's, etc.?

Hahahahaha.. *falls over laughing* Oh my.. that's a good one. I love my husband dearly, but um.. absolutely no way in hades I would ever let him near a power tool. I think it would be best if I do it myself, or have my uncle do it when I go to Ohio in a couple of weeks.

Wishing I had saved that one now. I've seen it twice, but I just can't remember the "bed of nails" Did he have little skewers sticking up threw the board or something?

Great idea with the chocolate. That will be much more tasty. You make all this sound so easy.

I agree 100%.. big ICK!!!!, but it seemed the logical choice, as far as making it as easy as possible.

*does her best Duff impersonation* Dude, you are totally freakin' awesome!!

*back to me* Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

*runs off to the next post*

....egads....look at the time on those posts!!! ...
do you ever sleep???

-----

ok...re extended cake recipe -- not an issue if using masonite boards -- and anyway makes a nice dense cake which is what you want for this.

----

MASONITE boards --- you probably know this stuff as brown peg-board (the stuff w/ all the holes you can put hooks in) OR if you took an drawing class for art -- those big brown sheets of "wood" -- aka lap easel-- you drew on.

better specialty cakes stores (not craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby or A.C. Moore) will have them in precut shapes for standard cake shapes. example: http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/mini.aspx?T=1&SubCatId=68

But this is NOT a standard shape --- so off to the lumber yard/home improvement store (loews, home depot). it will be in the sheet goods area. See if they don't have small precut pieces instead of having to buy a full 4x8 sheet.

OR buy a stock cake size and cut it to shape -- this one: http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/product.aspx?T=1&productId=950
could be cut in two along the 14" dimension to give two boards each 7x19 (about the size of my tower)

your uncle can do this easily in advance (just have him buy the sheets and cut and even drill them for you.)

-----

re: speaker -- seen those new cards that let you record a message and play it back? could buy one and cannibalize it. to record the theme music, just have hubby go to site and then when it plays on computer, hit the record on the device on from the card.

or get a cheapie speaker from some toy and an old headset you don't mind reworking. cut off earphones from headset and attach the speaker instead. then can plug in to a tape recorder, but will have cord long enough to hide inside the computer.
OR....if want to cut back on amount of cake...do bottom most tier as a wood box and hide a tape recorder in there.
OR ...add real desktop speakers to the presentation.

----

re: the spike board: you see a drawing of it in the bottom row in the sketch. Mike M. had huge spikes about 1in square -- but then he was doing a nearly 4ft tall cake.

your's could easily be made just by taking piece of masonite and driving nails or drywall screws through it from the back (screws would have better grip!) -- if used a piece of peg board could put a long bolt through each hole from the back and then a nut w/ washer on the front to make it.

-------

and re the lights---
using RKT will make it easier to bury the wires

(just looked at his keyboard ---- ooooooo, pretty indicator lights there too for num lock, caps lock and scroll lock!!!)

LUV the idea of a poured sugar glass base for mouse so it glows!

HTH

Actually, I really don't sleep much.


Thanks for all your help. I doubt I will have the time, or patience, to do everything I really want to do, and were it for someone else I might make more time, but I'm hoping I can make it at least worthy of posting here.

I know it will be better now, than it would have been, because of all of you.

Thank You!!!!


Holly

Sorry to be a bother, and this may be a stupid question, but do you wrap your masonite boards before using them? I just thought maybe after having to drill holes through them and such, it might be better to wrap them to avoid any type of dust getting on the cake.

Also, if you do wrap them, what do you use?

Oh, and I've decided my board is too small for all this stuff together, so what should I use as a cake board. More masonite, or should I get a another sheet of plywood in the appropriate size.. and what should this be wrapped with? If I use contact paper to cover it, would that be ok to sit the cake right on top of it? I was thinking of getting a wood grain contact paper, so it would look like the computer is sitting on a desk.

Hrm.. I think that's it for now. I'm sure I'll have a hundred more questions before I actually get finished. I'm going out this weekend to buy supplies, I hope.

Thanks in advance.. I'm so lucky to have found this site, and to have made the acquaintance of all of you.


Thank you!!

Holly

wrap -- sure -- so don't pick up oils from cake -- use plastic wrap in this case (some swear by, tho' I swear at, press-n-seal)

3/4in plywood for a bigger board (tho' warning -- w/ board and all that cake -- this is a two person carrying job -- i'm betting all told it'll be over 50 lbs!

I know clear contact paper is safe.
Patterns not so sure.

since plywood already as a wood grain -- why not just stain it and then seal w/ food grade polyurethane (available at home depot/lowes, etc. -- it's the stuff they can build up real thick on a table top and embed stuff in like you see in some restaurants/bars)

I really hate saying this, but it is the truth and I try to only speak the truth, he isn't worth all that.

I am mostly doing this cake out of respect for my husband. Part of it is selfish, though.. I want to prove to myself I can do it.

The biggest part is cost. We are still in debt from our wedding in April, and I really can't afford to go out and spend a whole lot. I've already gone over budget as is, just trying to learn new things to do on the cake, and I still have to go out and buy all these boards and the ingredients for the cakes.

I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible, but with it still looking fabulous and not putting anything toxic or inedible in it.. hehe

After saying it, now I just feel horrible about feeling the way I do, but he's never been a friend of mine, and I'm not getting paid for it. It's a gift, which means I feel I should do my best.

Thank you so much, Doug. You are truly an inspiration. I will talk things over with my husband and see what he thinks.


Holly

understandable.

do what you can and make it your best.

who says it has to be a whole computer.

maybe just the screen w/ the game scene on it

or something else entirely.

don't break the bank.

Thank you.. I was extremely stressed about it before, but you've helped make it fun again.

I went to home depot tonight.. Yay, me!!

Ok, they didn't have anything listed as Masonite, they called it something else, but I did find it. They had a sheet for about 6 dollars, and a sheet for 9.. I went ahead and bought the 6 dollar sheet because I felt it was sturdy enough.

I was so excited. The guy working in lumber even cut it for me. He looked at me like I was stupid, but he still cut it, and was very polite. So, I got four pieces cut to the right size, then he cut the big leftover piece in half, so I could fit it in the back of my Xterra. haha

I also bought some screws to go through the plywood, and up into the dowel rods. I think they're long enough. The plywood was 3/4" and the screws are about 2 1/2", if I recall correctly. So, that should be long enough to hold those in place, yes?

Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to drill those dang holes. I also borrowed a belt sander from the guy I'm making the cake for, so I can curve the boards where they need to be, and cut off bits that are too long.. (he didn't get them exactly the same size, a couple were a bit off, but I won't complain because he saved me a ton of work). Shoot.. just remembered I forgot to buy my hand saw. *ponder*

Ahem.. anyway! I just wanted to share. I'll be drilling holes in them tomorrow. I have to charge the battery.. heh

Thanks for listening (reading).. I'll post again, when I have more news!!


Holly

re: name --> masonite --- aka hardboard

re: cutting --- good

re: screw --> yep, that'll work

re: drilling --> (don't slap me) -- it's called a drill w/ drill bits!

happy to hear it's starting to come together.

just wanted to say I used the wood grain contact paper on my fishing creel cake and nobody died!!!! lol

Sounds like quite and undertaking! I've enjoyed reading all the helpful instructions. One tip...(maybe already mentioned and I missed it) but-
put some sort of feet under the board so it will be easy to get your fingers and hands underneath it when you lift the cake.
I have used small rectangular pieces of wood and wood glue.. works like a charm. 3 should be enough.
Good luck!! Can't wait to see the finished product!

sounds like plans are coming along...do keep us posted*


(tho for the sake of us old folk -- could you post during the day and not in the middle of the night!?!? ---- running off before you can hit me!)

I make no promises, but I'll try.



*trips Doug on his way out*

Wow, amazing project! Sounds like you've got it all under control!
But... just to add in my 2cents (and sub for updates ), I'd say that rice crispy treats will last for at least a week. I used them to make a 3D rainbow cake (still need to upload all my recent pics!), and was eating the leftovers, and extras for easily over a week... no taste difference noticed.
One little idea I had re: the monitor, is to use melted chocolate to stick the fondant down, instead of BC. You'd probably have to work pretty quickly, but I be the chocolate would help with stability quite a bit once it set up. Oh, and for handling purposes, toss the molded RCTs into the freezer for 20 min! otherwise you'll be waiting forever for them to harden enough to handle (IME anyway )
Can't wait to see pics of the final product!

~Kelsie

Thanks, Kelsie! Great tips!!

I'm not sure if I can work fast enough with fondant to use the chocolate, but I'll start far enough in advance I can give it a shot. Then if it doesn't work, I can start all over.. haha

I really hope I can pull this off. I know the monitor is going to be the most difficult, because I've never tried to use rice krispie treats for anything, other than eating. I can't even remember how to make them, it's been so long (luckily the recipe is on the box). I am going to omit the butter, though, since I live in Georgia and I'm scared to death the humidity, just from the house to the car, then from the car to the reception area, is going to make everything fall right off the dowel rods.

I considered doing one of the big monitors, since obviously that would be a lot easier, but I would much rather do the flat screen, stand up monitor. I'm just not positive it will hold up under the humidity. I guess, the best thing to do, would be to make something small, then sit it outside and see how long it takes to fall apart, before it gets devoured by ants!! haha

Thanks again, Kelsie


and yes, yes, I know Doug!! Write during the day! I try, I really do!

Just out of curiosity, How many people do you think this will feed? Just the cake part, I mean. It's 17 3/4" tall, about 17 1/2 to 3/4" in length and 6 3/4" wide. So, that's about 7 to 8 cakes stacked, and cut to shape, give or take.

Also, what would a person charge for this, if they were going to charge? I'm obviously not, but I'm still curious to know.


I'm having a difficult time deciding on a pan. If I use a 16" square, I can get 2 cakes out of that, but they'd be an inch or two short, but If I use a pan long enough, it isn't wide enough to get two cakes out of, so that's a whole lot of leftover cake (which is what my husband suggested, because he wants the leftovers).

So, do you think I should use the square and short my tower, which also means cutting the boards again, or should I go with what my husband says and let him eat cake, or is there a pan out there I'm not aware of that's almost the perfect size? hehe


Thanks again, in advance. All suggestions are greatly appreciated. (even if my husband probably will win out in the end)

**LOOK DOUG!!! It's not dark yet!!! hee!