Hoping to get some tips.............i will be making my daughter's 21st birthday cake this week-end, looking to make a shoe box cake but im not sure what size pan is used for the box and how to make the top. i thought it was a layer of cake but read somewhere it was fondant or gumpaste? we are only about 15 people but want the box to be kinda actual size. Help please!!!

I am actually doing one right now!
I made a sort of small shoebox and used a 9" square cut in half (real shoeboxes are about 11" by 7"). I made the lid 2 days ago out of fondant. I drew around the cake tin and halved it on stiff card and made a lid template to put my fondant on, I covered the card in cling film which I crisco'ed and dusted with PS, then covered that with fondant the normal way and trimed around the edges to get the 'lid' shape. I decided to use smbc to ice the 'box' and it's been driving me crazy trying to get smooth corners!! I would defo recommend all fondant for it but my friend doesn't like too much sweetness so I went with the smbc argh! Lol!
Good luck!

I used a sheet cake pan and cut it to the size I needed.
For the lid I covered 1/2 inch foam board in fondant.

just made one as well. Ditto what danijus said!

thank you so much for getting back to me....i appreciate all your help. i'll post my cake when its done.