I am attempting to make a 3 tier Toy Story cake for my daughter's 5th birthday. I have never covered a cake with fondant before, and she wants something like this http://nicoles-confectionscakescreations.blogspot.com/2010/08/to-infinity-and-beyond-toy-story-cake.html. I have a few questions and just don't even know where to begin. Here are a few:
1) How long ahead of her party could I make the cake and fondant, and how do I store it?
2) Would the MFF work?
3) How would I make the moon craters? Scoop some of the cake out and then put the fondant over it?
4) How could I do the wooden fence and "dirt"?
5) You put a layer of frosting under the fondant, right?
6) Am I in waaaaaay too over my head? I know it seems a little ambitious for a newbie, I just really want to make my Toy Story, Jessie lovin girl happy on her birthday!

Thanks for any suggestions and advice!

Hi Sophella,
Welcome to CC. I'm no expert, but I'll try to help where I can.
1) How long ahead of her party could I make the cake and fondant, and how do I store it? - You can make fondant weeks ahead of time as long as it s stored tightly sealed. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap and then stick it in a zip top freezer bag. You could also make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them.
2) Would the MFF work? yes
3) How would I make the moon craters? Scoop some of the cake out and then put the fondant over it? Yes, It looks like a cookie scoop would be perfect for this.
4) How could I do the wooden fence and "dirt"? the wooden fence I would do strips of fondant and use something to "score" it. for the dirt, I'd use brown sugar.
5) You put a layer of frosting under the fondant, right? Yes, at least a crumb coat of buttercream, but I use almost the same amount I would on any cake.
6) Am I in waaaaaay too over my head? I know it seems a little ambitious for a newbie, I just really want to make my Toy Story, Jessie lovin girl happy on her birthday! Just take your time planning it all out. Practice any elements you are unsure of. If you've never done a stacked construction cake, be sure to look up some tutorials on how to do that. Look up some tutorials on using fondant and do a practice run on it.

Good luck. Hope this helps. Be sure to post pics!

I have actually done several toy story cakes, one very similar to this one.
1. You can make the cake a week before if you want and freeze it. Freezing the cake will make it more moist as well and you will never know the difference. You can also make the fondant several days before and wrap it up and keep it airtight.
2. Yes MMF will work, it is all I ever use and kids love it.
3. On the craters, exactly like you said. You can even marble the fondant to make it look good.
4. The fence is just strips of fondant cut and textured to look like boards and just dry it out a bit so it stands up. It is actually "sand" which you just use brown sugar, works great.
5. You do put a layer of buttercream on first and then the fondant.
If you go to the Disney store they have a set with all the figures on the cake. HTH.

First off what is MMF?
Secondly, many use brown sugar but I find it too sweet. Gingersnap cookie crumbs are a bit darker and less sweet. Just toss them in a food processor to crumble.

MMF is marshmallow fondant