I was contacted by my dh's cousin's wife & asked if I could make a cake for her dh's bday. She would prefer something other than cake b/c they are having 2 other bdays that weekend & affraid they'll be tired of cake.

The only thing i have to go on is he likes chocolate, oreos & she would like something to do w/ landscaping (since that's his job). I'm at a loss w/ what to do. I do make cookies, but have never done a non-cake dessert.

Any ideas on a non-cake & also decorations? Thanks I'm sure I could go w/ a cake if I had to, she would just prefer something else. This will be traveling about 3 hours too.

She wants a cake, but not a cake?

I would think cookies shaped like landscaping tools placed on a plate of "dirt" would be cute. *shrug*

Well, she would prefer to not have to have a cake, maybe a dessert of some kind, I could do tools, but would have to cut out everyone by hand. I'm at a loss too.

How about an ice cream dessert made in a 13x9 pan?

1. Make a choc. wafer cookie/oreo-based crust with butter, etc
2. Then a layer of softened ice cream (any kind--vanilla, mint choc chip), 3. Then a layer of hot fudge
4. And anything else you want to add, like nuts or more crushed oreos
5. Another layer of softened ice cream
6. Final top layer of crushed dark choc wafer cookies so it looks like dirt.

Decorate the top like one of those 'garden' cakes, with carrots, cabbages, tools. Or, make it more like landscaping, with a pile of candy rocks, some piped green grass, with a grass tip, shovel, tools, etc.

Here are a few examples of cakes with landscaping elements:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=82992
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=85399
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=762323
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-820333.html
And, a recipe for the ice cream dessert:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/04/springy-flower-pot-desserts-a-blast-from-my-past/
There's a similar recipe using pudding, but I think ice cream is much better.

HTH

How about a chocolate cheesecake? Yeah it is still cake but a difference. Cheesecakes can still be decorated very nicely too.

I like the cheesecake or ice cream cake ideas, but neither of those would survive traveling for 3 hours.

You could do a giant chocolate chip cookie or brownie and then add some landscaping tools in frosting. (A giant brownie would have a smooth enough top that you could lay fondant cut-outs on top and they would look nice and smooth).

You could also do a bunch of cookies on sticks stuck into a flowerpot...

You could make fruit topiaries with choc. covered strawberries, etc.

Thanks for your help. She did decide (with a little persuation) to go w/ a cake. We just went outside the box of a typical flavor. Whew! But I will definitely keep in mind cheesecakes, brownies & big cookies for the future. Don't know why I didn't think of them before now.

One question. Do you have any suggestions for mulch? I was going to do toasted coconut, but there are quite a few kids & I know coconut is one of those hate it or love it ingredients.

maybe grated fondant for mulch?

Chocolate shavings.