Ok, so here is the request. They asked for a cake that has a real bucket in the middle, filled with real ice and real beer. They want the cake around the outside to be formed around the bucket to make it look like the the classic beer in a bucket cake. BUT WITH REAL ICE AND BEER!?!?!

How in the world could I make this possible? I would have to insulate the bucket or else the condensation would make the cake a mess. What about a cardboard bucket, would that work better?? Is this even possible? Doug!?!?

cardboard box, well lined w/ plastic (double, even triple plastic garbage bag (the thick, heavy ones.) -- all seams of cardboard tape very well inside and out.

that's the core. then If you have it -- the long loaf pan to make long layers for stacking all the way around. --- or bake big sheets, slice into long sections and stack (and dowel and use boards every two layers. the serving will come from the HEIGHT Of the layers not the width -- in fact could make these as narrow as you can even as little as 2 inches.'

BIG HINT -- make that box have as straight vertical sides as possible --- then you can actually "mortar" your cake to sides of the box using buttercream just like is done under a cake when putting it on a cakeboard. This will help hold those narrow vertical layers up.

another possibility -- box in a box -- two boxes about 1/4 to 1/2 gap between them on all sides -- this gives a dead air space to further insulate and both boxes can be lined to help insure their's no (or only itty-bitty leaks) the gap can be capped w/ cake or fondant.

I think I'd want to cover all the perimeter cake with Saran or similar due to the water sloshing around and dripping off the bottles as they are removed from the bucket. When the cake is ready to be served, they can remove the bucket first and after mopping up any water from the inside of the circle they can then remove the plastic. If your icing is the soft buttercream (perhaps you should be sure to make it the crusting kind or fondant or mod. choc.) or really any kind of covering, I'd put toothpics across the top which will elevate the plastic off of the cake. It's what I do for lots of food prepared ahead of time: deveiled eggs, grilled veggies, etc.; that way the plastic doesn't smoosh down the food.

arline

I have NO idea how in the world I am going to pull this one off. I am sooo afraid that water and ice is going to go everywhere!

Ok, so here are my thoughts after sleeping on it.

20-inch cake with a big hole cut in the middle of it for the bucket. I am thinking of going to the neighborhood bar and grabbing 2 beer buckets. Lining with plastic bags (like Doug suggested). Form the cake around the one bucket, fondant, and decorate. Fill the other bucket with the bags, ice and beer. Transport separately! Once I get there just slide the one bucket into the other and serve.

What do you think of that Doug?

that should work!

Like I suggested above, what's going to keep the dripping water from the beer bottles and condensation OFF of the cake as they are removed one-by-one by people in various stages of intoxication as they lift them across the cake to retrieve out of the bucket? Seems to me the cake should be covered in a clear Saran wrap until the bucket is removed.

arline

arline has a good point... you know how crazy groomsman can get by the end of the night.

My mom once made a cake similar to this for my cousins wedding. She made a tall cake and sunk a beer bucket into the middle. Fake ice cubes, but real beer. Why not suggest this? You are running an awful chance of that water leaking into the cake somehow. The cakes shouldn't serve as the bar...

They make "fake" ice cubes that freeze normally (think small blue ice packs)- made not to water down drinks. As they melt, the water stays contained in the plastic shell- so only condensation is a factor. And you can add few of those "twinkle" ice cubes too.

However you do it, make sure to post pictures!!! This should be interesting

What about dry ice? It just evaporates and will keep things cold. You would have to only use beer bottles due to the metal reacting with the ice.

I would use a styrofoam bucket to hold the beer and ice. They usually don't sweat. Then you can build the cake around it.

Well Holly buckets! If they are silly enough to want a bucket in the middle of a cake then they should be silly enough to eat wet cake! I would just tell them that it will cause wet cake and if they still want it then let them eat wet cake! Besides wet cake is probably very yummy if your drunk.

IMHO, Sue wins the prize for super option with that foam bait bucket! EXCELLENT idea Sue!

crazy thought, but you could add a drain. Have aquarium tubing come from the bottom of the bucket through the base cake board and into a bucket behind the table. You'd have to have feet on the bottom to lift the cake up about 1/4 of an inch you you wouldn't kink the drain.

Make sure you charge a lot for this cake though.. no matter how you do it. It's a TON of planning and work. If you are making a 20" cake.. most likely at least 2 tiers tall.. make sure you charge for ALL of the cake you bake. That is a BUTT LOAD of cake, and even though you will be cutting out the middle.. you still have to bake it all. I think that would make for the most structurally sound cake though.. piecing it together might make for weak spots, and I'd insist on fondant. Good luck!!

Thanks guys! I knew I could count on your guys for ideas! That styrofoam bucket sound like a great idea! Now I just have to figure out where to get one??!!

The cake is going to be fondant. I havent decided about ice cubes yet. I might run to Walmart and see if they have the fake (but real looking) one there cheaply.

What is the best way to make fake realistic looking ice cubes? Clear jello? Sugar? I havent really ever done poured sugar before...

clear jello will make for realistic ice cubes, but fair warning, if the cake is outside, that jello will still melt.

I dont think that its going to be outside, but I would make sure to tell them that. It will be in July in St. Louis, so we are talking 100% humidity and probably a good 100 degrees outside. So clear jello cut into cubes? Any advice for this?

"Fake ice cubes" are in "bar supplies". Fake isn't the word, I guess. They look like real ice cubes, but are meant to be frozen, and reused in many drinks. It doesn't water the drinks down.... like this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PGOQNQ/?tag=cakecentral-20,
but I have seen these in clear/ white.

"fake ice"- not cold at all, are cool acrylic pieces http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014RB3FY/?tag=cakecentral-20

I'm thinking bachelor party--- they want COLD beer. My vote is to find reuseable ice cubes or balls. I have round plastic ones that look lik bouncy balls that you refreeze and reuse. They dont sweat so water wont be a problem. Then to make it look like ice on top use the acrylic ice cubes for just a top layer to give the ice look...

Ok guys again THANK YOU ALL from the very bottom of my heart for all of the help/advice/support that I was given for this horrid cake!!!

So, I took Sue's advice and got a minnow buck, cleaned it well, and stacked my cakes 8 inches high, and cut a hole in the middle for the bucket. 30-lbs of cake, 10 lbs of fondant, 4 boxes of fake ice cubes, 10 lbs of clear hard rock candy, and 3 beers later, I finally finished my cake!! YAY!!! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!! It looks wonderful! The only problem that I had with it was the humidity, and the fondant pieces drying and cracking, and not wanting to go on the cake well. I almost lost my last one while I was putting on the iron band. So the band is a tiny bit crooked in one area, but I just decided to make that the back of the cake .

Needless to say I HAD to weigh this cake. I couldnt resist. So I got the scale and hefted this darn monstrosity on to it. A whopping 87 lbs. 87! 87!!!! Good thing my hubs doesnt have a bad back, cause he is going to have to help me carry this sucker in. The hilarious part of the whole thing is that the quote that I put on the cake is the SAME quote that is on the billboard sign outside the bar. Totally done not intentionally, I had no clue it was there!!

Sorry, sorry I dont have pictures yet. I lost the cord to plug my camera into my computer, so once Sams opens up on Monday, I promise to post pictures asap.

Thanks Again Everyone!

woohoo!!!! i can't wait for the pictures.

Sounds like one amazing cake. Can't wait to see pictures! You have to tell us about their reaction to the cake.

OMG so the reaction was amazing!!! I walk in there with my hubs, carrying this HUGE cake into a hotel, which I had people gaping at me. All the guys were in the hotel room already drinking by the time we get there. So I drop of this cake, and my hubs goes back out to the car (we double parked), and ask about my final payment (very good friend of mine so I wasnt worried about getting stiffed). He was already pretty well into his beer if you know what I mean . So all these guys are staring at this cake going WOW! IS that a REAL cake? Man it looks so lifelike! You mean all of this is edible! etc.

So I told my friend ok, you paid me $60 already, and its another $60. Before I get flamed for not charging enough, the cake only fed 30, and he got the special friends discount too. He gave me a big hug, and told me that Iwas wonderful , kissed me smack on the cheek and then gave me (wait for it, wait for it) $200!!!!!

I told him that it was too much and tried to give him back some of his money, but he smacked me on the tush , and said that anywhere else that he would buy that cake it would have cost him that much. He said it was my tip .

A $140 tip??? Wowza!!! I was so excited I cried all the way out to the car. My hubs thought something had gone wrong so he was really upset, until I had calmed down enough to tell him about my $140 tip! This is really the best cake that I have done so far. I am so proud of it! And I cannot thank everyone enough for the help and support, you guy sare all amazing!

Wow, what an awesome friend! That cake looks amazing too! Way to go!!!!!

Wow! THis cake is amazing! You put a lot of work into this cake...you deserve the tip! Great job!

More pictures of this cake is needed...we would love to see the details up close! Please share!

Wow you done an amazing job! Def deserved a tip!

Jayde, the cake looks fabulous...the tip was definitely earned!

So, do you know if they ate the whole thing?...I mean, I just envision thirty drunk dudes bouncing off the walls on carb overload and a straight rock (sugar, of course) high!! LMAO!!

Energetic drunks!! heee heee heee!!

PS. What does the plaque on the cake say?

Its in My Photos if you want a closer look. They ate most of it, cause I had to go over to his house the next afternoon, to grab my board and the fake ice cubes. He was hung over badly. The rest of the cake was sitting on the counter. He wanted to keep the GP sign, but he said toss the rest, it was probably like 5-6 servings left.

The sign says, "He was a wise man who invented beer -Plato"

Here is a bit bigger of a picture...You can see more details..