So far, all of my caking has really been small ... nothing bigger than a 10 inch round, some minor stacking, mostly lots of carving and modeling of figurines. So I'm making the birthday cake for a friend of our family who is turning 60, but she and her family have this huge thing planned with 120 people expected, and so I'm now making a 12-inch square. I know all the pros will roll their eyes at this, but it's funny how unprepared I am just logistically speaking! I have no cooling rack that size for the cake ... I'm sure it's way too big for my turntable (I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to do that!), and my fondant mat is yet another story! Not to mention my wallet ... I know this is no news to anyone, but a big cake is expensive to make and decorate. It'll be a nice present, anyway .

Just wanted to share some of my shock in confirming how much of a caker I am not .

you are a caker even hobby caking makes you a caker I have some suggestions that may help you out...
i never cool my cakes, as soon as they come out of the oven i press down on them so I will have less to cut off when i even them out, then I flip out of pan and wrap in seran and throw them right in the freezer. They stay really moist that way. Also, buy some foam core (1-2 bucks) at michaels and cut to size to put on your turn table. Just make sure you tape the bottom of it to the table or you use a skid free mat if you have one. For the fondant, buy a piece of vinyl at wal-mart of fabric store, its about 5 bucks. Im just a hobby caker and not as experienced as so many others on the site, but my funds are very low and these are some tips i've come across on this site that have helped me Good Luck

A 12" sq serves like 70 ish--are you saying that's the base of a tier cake for 120? Or that's the size they wanted or something?

You have to place the 12 inch on a plate or foamcore board or inflexible cardboard then place it on your turntable.

It's actually easier doing a fondant cake on a turntable smaller than the cake. I use two thicknesses of foamcore board glued together and covered with press and seal wrap as a cake board. That's strong enough to hold the cake even though part is hanging off the turntable. Then when you put the fondant on the cake, it hangs down past the sides and makes less wrinkles.

As for a cooling rack, use a big cookie sheet with no edges if you have one.

And like mannjc said, get a piece of vinyl from Walmart or Hobby Lobby to roll your fondant on. Once you try it, you'll never go back to your old mat.

And remember .... you only have to do "a bigger cake" for the first time, just once. After that, you're experienced!

Thanks so much, guys! Really great tips, mannjc and Texas_Rose - I have actually started pressing down on my cakes as well, mannjc, and love it! K8Memphis, yes, the 12-inch is only the bottom tier, but it's the most intimidating simply in size, since I've done all the other sizes I'm doing for this cake before. Indydebi, that's a really good point, and a really sweet thing to say.

Thanks for the encouraging words ... off to try some new tips . I'll feel a lot better once the bottom tier is covered and set to go .

-Emi.

When you talk about pressing down on the cake- I'm kinda confused??

its a trick i've learned on these forums...as soon as your cakes come out of the oven, i lay a piece of folded parchment and then a pot holder on top of that (so I dont burn my hands) and you just press down your cakes. It makes them a little more dense since you are pressing some air out and it compresses the dome so there is less cake scraps when you go to level your cake HTH

I have learnt another tip re: pressing cakes down! thanks for this, and to op, sure your cake will be just lovely

thanks for explaining! I'll be sure to try that next time!! Awesome tips!!

Just wanted to thank everybody who gave all the great tidbits of advice and the kind words the other day. I finished the cake, and you're absolutely right, Indydebi: I really am feeling better about making another big cake again. Now that I've been through it, I totally feel like I could do it again. Thanks for all your help!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1436007&sub=1436010&done=1

The cake itself wasn't exactly what I would have chosen (turquoise and white ... not my ideal combination), but our friend LOVES turquoise and her whole party (including the invitations) was that color. The scroll on the top tier matches her invites, and the scrollwork underneath is inspired by those invitations. Thanks for looking!

-Emi.

Wow, you rocked that cake!! Good job

Your cake looks fantastic! Great job.

Awesome job!!

Thanks so much, guys! I like PianoDiva's diet plan ... heehee ...

I had to comment, and save your cake in my faves, that cake totally rocked, you kicked a$$ I think the colors worked out fine but then again I like those kind of colors no I am not old just an (Island Girl) I like PianoDiva's Diet Plan too I am already too fat, Did I just say that I mean

P- Pretty
H- Hot
A- And
T- Thick LoL

LOL Uniqueask, that post just cracked me up! Thanks!

-Emi.

Lol....12", intimidating. I thought that was a huge cake too until I actually looked at the pans for the first time...it's only 1 square foot.

Beautiful job -- ya dun gud! real gud!

---

but ...

EEEEK --- oh no! my mom has risen from the grave and had you make her a cake.

That was the color of my mom's kitchen --- including the mixer, hand painted by her to match! -- when I was growing up.

LOL!!! Thanks, Doug, that's sweet of you, and I literally laughed out when I read your comment just now. I think I'll have to hand paint my mixer to my colors now, heehee! That was too cute!