I have a wedding cake due in 2 weeks and the bride wants an almond joy cake and a tuxedo cake. I am using a 12, 14, and 16 in. pan. Does anybody have recipes for these flavors? I'm new and trying to understand how to even bake using anything over 9". Where can I get recipe measurements for cakes this size and directions on how to bake them? I'm stumped please help.

You need to check the recipes section and see what you can find. There is an excellent thread in the recipes section on gourmet flavors, macsmom has contributed some terriffic information and has been very helpful.

The Cake Bible has an excellent chart for making cakes of all sizes. With 2 weeks you have some serious practicing to do in order to be ready.

search the forums as to how to properly stack and support a wedding cake. I'd use the sps system...

I'm curious as to why you'd accept an order for something as important as a wedding cake for flavors you don't have reliable recipes for, in sizes you don't know how to bake?

I'm almost not even believing this post...

I'm wondering about the cake pans. I usually allow more of a size difference between the tiers so that the cake looks a little more balanced. If you use a 12, 14, and 16, that means you've only got one inch difference around each cake. I usually do at least two, which means you'll need four inches difference in the pans. Does that make sense? I don't know, I just think it looks better if you do it that way. Good luck and be sure to post pics.

The cake is only for a hundred people, so I am changing sizes and it's a fun luau cake. I do have the recipes but am always open to suggestions. I'm not stressing because there are a lot of decorations that are going on to cover any mistakes like a waterfall and flowers, and I am going to practice, practice, practice on cutting and stacking. I wasn't sure if I went bigger like a 16' how much batter and the time to bake it but wiltons site gave me that info. Trust me, I would not of taken an order I didn't think I could handle. I have never stacked before but have read and watched every video and blog about it. My only concern is deciding to stack before I get there or when I show up. It's at her house 10 min away...

Beckett - you seem confident - that's a good thing. I think everyone here is anticipating all of the things that can go wrong - rightfully so.

Whatever the cake looks like it seems it will be well within your decorating skills. However, get an SPS system for the cake. Different recipes will react differently when stacked. Some collapse. Would hate to hear about that for a wedding.

The SPS will isolate each layer so that it can't collapse. Well worth it in this case where so much is unknown.

Wow. Does the bride know you are so inexperienced??

Ridiculous.

if it is only for 100 people i would suggest using 6, 9 & 12 inch pans.... the large size for the top may be odd looking..... then you wont have to deal with baking such large sizes anyways....

Wow.

make sur u have contract that protects the client as well as you.

and a 12" as top tier will look absolutely ridiculous

As a relatively new cake decorator, I'm worried for you. I've learned the hard way that its very easy to have problems with your individual cakes. I would take the excellent recommendation to do smaller layers (14/10/6 or 10/8/6). Make them ahead of time and freeze them. Make an extra cake in each size, just in case. Do all of your engineering - fill, ice/cover/install dowels - the day before. Let the completed tiers sit and settle before covering or doing your final icing. Trim and level and then do it again! Be sure to use sturdy cake boards - with the "right" amount of exposed board for each tier. (i.e. do you want clean fondant edge, or some exposed edge to support piped border so that you can separate tiers with decorations intact?) Then decorate each tier the day of the event. Transport to site, along with a serious repair kit (icing, fondant, extra flowers, decorations, etc.- everything you can think of. Then stack the tiers on site, finish piping any borders, etc. The devil is in the details, so a complete practice run would be very beneficial. You're brave! Good luck to you :>)

I sure wouldn't make a cake that large for 100 people. The 16" bottom tier alone would feed 100. Definitely research MacsMom's WASC variations. I believe there is an almond joy version in there. I'd stick to something simple like the WASC and small.

someone is whistling Dixie down the garden path....sorry just not believeable...looks more like trolling to me!!

After reading some of the recent threads on here I'm not sure this is a fake thread. There seem to be a lot of people who are taking on things that they've never tried, thinking that it's a lot easier than it ends up being. For the OP, I hope that it all works out, and post pictures so that we can see the final result!

I stressed over my cousin's wedding cake for their entire engagement (4 months). I cannot imagine just starting to ask these questions 2 weeks before the wedding. I discovered this website 3 weeks before their wedding and wished i had found it earlier. CC practically gave me everything i needed to know about making a wedding cake. Best of luck to the OP.

Wow, some of these replies are a little negative people. To go back to your original request, you can find some really good recipes on CC so take a look there. I see no problem with starting to think about your cake 2 weeks out ... none at all, you obviously have in your mind what the finished product will look like and like you say .. waterfalls etc will hide any minor imperfections in icing. I would go with a smaller 12/9/6 arrangement for only 100 people. When you are using bigger pans I always just roughly double/triple/quad the recipe and fill the pan - any left overs go into other tins and get put in the freezer for another time. For really big pans you can use a heating core so that the outside/inside cook evenly and just bake as normal. Good luck with the cake, the theme sounds fun and I am sure it will look awesome!!

Yes pictures so we can submit them um I mean see them

WHOA! This question was posted by my sister who knows nothing about cakes and heard me express my concern for figuring out batter to cake size. I have all sizes but never used the 16 in. My cake, the cake that has everyone's panties in a bunch, is yes, a fun luau cake that will be 14,10, and 6 in tiers. (need to feed 125 people) I was thinking about saving the 6 in for her to save but a 14, 10, 8, and 6 in I think will look a little silly. Am I wrong? Ideas are welcome! This is the first time I am stacking but have practiced and DO feel confident. Whats wrong with that? It's cake people!! If it's not fun, your doing it wrong. I do appreciate everyone's concern and understand why you would feel that way but this site is to save my ass, not get it handed to me.

I would definitely do 14, 10, and 6. That will make a nicely balanced cake. I would take the advice of the person who said to give yourself plenty of time on the building, too. I usually have my cakes iced, fondant-ed, and ready to stack the night before. That way I can come in that morning and do all the decorating with a fresh hand. After all, that's the fun part! It's also a good idea to make any of the fondant/gum paste parts ahead of time. That will give you plenty of breathing/error room and also give them time to dry. Have fun!

sizes are fine.

do you have a deco scheme yet

say bottom tier grass skirt look

middle tier hibiscus flower lei look

top: one of these tiki gods or a pineapple

(bonus points for working in real LIT tiki torch!)

can add surfboards, shells, ukulele, etc. (twirling fire batons?)

if google lua cakes all kind so fun (and some weird) stuff for inspiration.

flavors: one should be pineapple, then passion fruit? kiwi? mango? coconut? (those could all be fillings inside a buttery yellow cake too)

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tuxedo cake recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Tuxedo-Cake-154489

almond joy recipe: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/29/Almond_Joy_Cake36929.shtml

and if you google -- tons more options.

(at least they're both chocolate -- how can you go wrong with that?!?!?)

thanks! My top tier will have the hawaiian boy girl salt/pepper shakers with palm trees and the vegas sign cause that is where they got married and requested something vegas, middle tier will have a hawaiian lei with flowers I plan to make ahead of time and bottom tier I am using those hazlenut, choco stix so it looks like tiki's or bamboo.

The brave part of me if I have time, would like to make a fun elvis figure on top with the shakers. maybe just the top half of him coming out of cake...any thoughts?? Palm trees will be made of pretzel sticks with fondant leaves and sand to be sprinkled is with mushed up nilla wafers. I am using bc but think my decorations will hide a lot of what could go wrong, buldging, seems, etc. Seriously, I love any other ideas? The bride is so cool and is giving me free range to do whatever I want.