I'm looking for a creative, yet simple idea for my daughter's math teacher. He is retiring and I would like to make a memorable cake, but one that does not mention retiring. Thought a tribute to math would be appropriate. Thanks for any ideas!

What about an abacus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus

I really like that idea Jennifer, particularly the unspoken jab! Any suggestions on ways to accomplish it that would look nicer than just using icing to accomplish the look?

what about a cake that's rectangular, with a brown border and black or green fondant on top, with white royal icing as writing on the "chalkboard" and the writing can be math equations or mathematical symbols. and on the sides of the cake you can do teacher-y type decorations (like books and an apple or ruler etc)

HTH

I LOVED doing matrices in Trig, and that window opens up all kinds of "the Matrix" jokes and ideas. I have no idea what level math he teaches, but pascals triangle, Fibonacci numbers, and Gauss, are all a few math concepts you might want to look into. Sorry I don't have any direct ideas.

How about an apple with a cartoonish worm? Maybe you can also make the cake as if a huge ruler is wrapped around the sides.

I also love he abacus idea! You could make the beads out of fondant. Lay everything flat on a rectangular cake and use fondant to make 3-D beads and fondant rolled into thin snakes between the beads to represent the horizontal "wires".

Thanks for all the ideas! I'm going to give the abacus a shot. Also came across another idea; make a clock, but instead of using numerals on the face, use square root of 1,4,9,16,25, etc., with the square root sign.

I can't wait to see it. Please post when you are done!!!!!!

a caculator would be easy and cute. A graphing caculator?

LOL Pun intended!!!!

I have an apple cake under my pictures which you can copy

I love the abacus idea. If you don't want to make all the beads out of fondant, you could use junior mints or mentos or something. Also, ask your daughter if there are any particular equations or anything that the teacher seems to love -- I know my high school math teacher had a few!