I've been asked to do a shoe box cake for a surprise birthday party next weekend. I browsed thru all the wonderful photos of shoes, boxes, purses etc. in the galleries last night and saw some very beautiful boxes. Some of the descriptions said the cake was a 12" X 9" cut in half and stacked. Was this the top also? I love the idea of the tissue paper coming out of the box. Any tips on that?

I turned this job down as I didn't think I could pull it off and was begged by the hostess to do it so now I need help.

Hi, I made one of these and I baked the cake in a biscuit tin as the shape as the shoe box. I think 12" X 9" is without the lid. You can make the lid with Pastillage. There may be some more suggesions.

I did the tissues using gumpaste. You also can mix 50/50 gumpaste and fondant. I cut out some triangles and shaped them like tissues and left to dry a bit. Not completely, as I wanted to put them on the cake and let them get the shape. ( Hope it make sence. )

HTH.

There is a thread called "My hatbox cake directions" or something like that by Fairytale. She gives detailed instructions on how to make a box cake with a great looking box lid. Do a search for that and you should find it helpful. Also Sugarshack has a boxes and bows DVD coming out in the Spring so you could PM her for help. Good luck!

I get asked for shoebox cakes a lot! I just use fondant for the tissue and I use a single 1" layer of cake for the lid and secure it on top of the "tissue with a dowel through it & the box below.