i'm really torn on this cake. it's not due until saturday, so i still have time to make flowers, either fondant or royal icing, but i'm just not sure...

should i ice the whole cake in coconut buttercream and then throw on shredded coconut. maybe add a little flower on the top, but keep the decorating simple? i kind of like the shredded coconut look but for $40 i feel like i should do more with it.

should i try to decorate this as a normal birthday cake with borders and bells and whistles?

any ideas would be appreciated, thanks!

I do a pineapple coconut cake (kind of the same thing). I ice then over in coconut and decorate with chunk pineapple and marishino (sp) cherries on the top. Not too many just like a border.

You could press coconut on the sides only and then put a border and decorate the top.

so how big is this cake? 8" 10" 12"? or how many will it feed? also, did they specifically want a plain cake or decorated? some places in my area charge 45 for 10" round....very plain, just the regular frosting but the cake is from scratch.

I saw acake recently done with pineapple slices cut into flower shapes and the top was dec'd with that. very cute!

it's an 8x2 round. according to my chart if will feed 20.

i was not given any details except "I want a pina colada cake...." even after asking multiple times i have the feeling they don't care, they just want.

im thinking of going for the shredded coconut on the sides and top and doing a few cute fondant flowers on the top. maybe making a "gift tag" from fondant, too, with "happy birthday so and so"

I'm sure they will love it!