Hi,

My nephew is graduating from elementary school and asked me to make a cake for his class. He really wants to help design it, so these are the elements he wants to incorporate:

1. a 3-tier cake

2. he wanted to make individualized figurine heads of each of his classmates (wearing a grad cap). I'm trying to dissuade him as I really don't want to make 26 personlized figurines, and I don't like the idea of just 'heads with hats' on a cake.

I was thinking of making a 3-tier square cake (not sure what color, but his school colors are navy blue, gold, and white), and using a round cutter to make face appliques that would be put around the sides of the cake (maybe with the names piped just underneath the appliques?). I also am considering putting a grad cap on the top of the cake.

Suggestions? I'm really at a loss for what to do, and I don't have 25 hours to devote to this cake.

That sounds perfect. It incorporates what your nephew wants without all the work for you, 26 heads and 26 hats thats a lot. Cake in white bc or fondant, the faces in gold fondant circles and the names under the faces in navy blue. Blue and gold ball border, grad cap in navy (or whatever there cap color will be) with navy, gold and white tassel. How about a gumpaste diploma on the side of the bottom tier with 2010 on it. If you have number cutters, you could use those place on diploma and paint in gold.

I think cutout faces, rather than 3D figurines, would be perfect. I might use boy/girl cutters, rather than just a circle, but either way, you could easily do just a little bit of personalization with hair color/length and eye color -- use edible marker to draw simple faces. Like the example on the box of Wilton skin-tones fondant! http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=0D29B5A2-475A-BAC0-5F6AC8F3DDF3786D&fid=D754B481-1E0B-C910-EA3042D86D595D92

Another example with cutout kids wearing grad caps:
http://www.wilton.com/idea/Tomorrows-Stars

I think a white cake with navy and/or gold borders, and a navy cap with gold tassel topper would be great.

That sounds a very interesting idea .,