AOkay, so. I'm making a cake for my boyfriend this coming Friday. This is what I'm doing, this is my first real cake so if I'm doing anything wrong please let me know :) I've got some questions below as well, I'll give you a little briefing to try and explain myself lol

1st tier is 10" Duncan Hynes golden yellow cake, 2 layers. I'm thinking about 4" high. Vanilla pudding for the filling. Vanilla buttercream frosting done in camoflauge with the Melvira method. A thin ribbon of silver fondant at the base.

2nd tier is 6" Duncan Hynes triple chocolate premium cake mix, 2 layers. Again, thinking about 4" high. I was thinking raspberry filling but boyfriend thinks it tastes sour lol so I'm opting for chocolate pudding for the filling instead. Chocolate frosting for the crumb coat and modeling chocolate to cover, I bought a sheet stamp thing to make the modeling chocolate look like diamond plate/diamond board. A thin ribbon of silver fondant at the base.

I've got some candy gears (silver in color) to lay on top of the 1st tier (at the base of the 2nd tier). A fondant bow at the top to math one of the been colors in the camo base.

Some of my questions are:

I've got to make the cake in pieces the night before and partly assemble. Is there anything that has to be refridgerated or shouldn't be refridgerated? Like the pudding for the filling, would that be fine left on the counter over night?

To get a 4" high cake with 2 layers, how many cake mixes will I need? I was going to buy the Wilton cake insulators so it doesn't rise in the middle.

How should I transport the cake? He lives about 15 minutes up the road, the temperature outside is probay somewhere around 20 degrees.

Any other tips or advice would be a big help as I'm pretty clueless and I have nobody but you guys in the Cake Central community to look to lol

Thank you so much!!!

The Fabulous Miss B

With pudding fillings, make sure you have a dam (either a stiff buttercream or ganache works best for me), it's made with a lot of milk, so if you're making plain pudding as a filling, I would probably refrigerate. If you don't want to refrigerate because of the modeling chocolate, you may re-think your filling for that tier.As for cake mixes, 1 regular box mix makes 2 - 8" layers so you'll probably need 2 box mixes for the 10" lower tier (you'll have some leftover) and 1 box mix for the 6" upper. There are a variety of ways to stack your cake for transport, one is the sps system that you can buy, but I don't know if you'll be able to get it ahead of time. Another way is with straws under your cardboard cake round to support the 6". They do sell plastic rounds if you live in an area that has really rough roads. Just make sure you have something under the 6" (straws, skewers, whatever) to keep it from mashing your 10". Do a google search and watch a couple youtube videos if you've never stacked a cake before.

Good Luck!

Hth

AThanks so much! This does help :)

I just tried covering a practice cake with modeling chocolate and I failed pretty miserably. It kept cracking. Like a hell of a lot. Is there something I'm doing wrong or a way to prevent this?

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca, I've just joined Cake Central from the UK this evening (even though I've been a lurker for some time now!).  I've been cake decorating a number of years. The advice I would give is to mix some fondant through your modelling chocolate.  About one third fondant to modelling chocolate (tint the fondant brown first unless you want a lighter colour modelling chocolate.) The fondant makes the modelling chocolate much more pliable and less prone to cracking. Make sure your knead well and if you still get cracks along the edges, use the heel of your palm to smooth them over.  Best of luck - I'm sure it will look great!

AThanks! That's a good idea :P I'll be sure to try that when I go to make my cake. I'll definitely post some pictures when I'm done :)

Rebecca

AI also always mix modelling chocolate with fondant when covering, it works very well! When it comes to transport: I have transported two tiered cakes in that temperature just having them in my lap. Of course then you need someone to drive the car for you.. ;)

One other tip for transporting cakes: get yourself one of those "grip" mats or "non-slip" mats they sell in hardware stores (used under rugs on wood or parquet floors to stop the rug slipping).  Lay one of these mats out in the boot/trunk of your car and sit your cake box on top.  Unless you're driving Formula 1 style, your cake box won't budge.  I've been using these mats for the last five years transporting wedding cakes not a single box has moved yet. Touch wood!

AYes for transport I'm thinking I'll keep it in my lap and have someone else drive :P

I have another question, I tried the Melvira method for some of my buttercream but it didn't work :s I don't know if I wasn't rolling hard enough or if the icing wasn't soft enough. If I rolled any harder I think the buttercrem would've start to come off the cake. I'm not sure if the ingredients in the icing make a difference.

The is the vanilla I use, so good :) http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/

And this is the chocolate I use. Again, so good. I usually eat the leftovers straight from the container :P http://m.kraftrecipes.com/recipedetail.do?recipeid=52063&cn=US

Thank you guys so much for helping me :)

I wouldn't suggest keeping it on your lap...your knees and legs will move no matter how steady you try to keep them...it's very nerve-wracking!  If you have a vehicle with a flat surface, put non-slip liner on and then the cake box on tope.

AI'm afraid it'll tip over if I just put it in the trunk of my SUV! Lol I'll be two tiers, two layers per tier. I was going to put wooden dowels in it for support as well. Will it still be okay? All the roads are paved with small hills.

This is what I'm trying to attempt with the Melvira method, any advice? The roller didn't work on my chocolate buttercream so I'm praying it'll work better when I do this with the vanilla. Maybe if I don't make the vanilla buttercream as stiff (a tad more milk or something?)

[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3060599/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

A

This is the way to do it. Your lap is no place to carry a cake you put so much work into. If you are worried about it tipping be sure to insert a dowel down the centre of the cake. (Lots of YouTube videos on how to do it.) I have transported plenty of 2-tier cakes in the back of my SUV and haven't lost one yet!

AYes, add some more liquid to your icing so it is a little softer to work with. I wouldn't worry excessively about your cake tipping on the drive. A 10-6 isn't very top heavy. Just use a cake board under the 6 and dowels or straws in the 10. Travel with the cakes flat to keep em level.

AThanks you guys. You're so knowledgeable about this stuff :)

I'll let you all know how it turns out. And if I have any more questions I shall post again!!