Hi all.  Not sure if you are familiar with Yolanda Gampp (How to Cake It) or not, but recently she did a back to school cake that I would like to recreate.  The cake is made to look like a lunch box and she stands it (the cake) on it's side.  I've not done this before so I'm wondering if any of you have and if so, how long is it stable to sit like that?  Would you transport it laying down (like a normal two layer cake)?  I was going to pose the question directly to her but in scanning through the comments section on her website she doesn't seem to reply.  Here is her cake:[postimage id="5015" thumb="900"]

That is an adorable cake! i was just recently looking into doing a similar thing because someone asked about a purse cake - same idea. It does seem a bit gravity defying, doesn't it? My first thought is that you need a really solid as in dense and firm cake for it to stand like that and the bottom must be cut exactly at 90 degrees or it will lean. Hope those with experience chime in soon!

@Pastrybaglady ‍ I did a purse cake some time ago and stacked the cake as "per normal" but this looks so much easier so long as it's stable.  In her video she prepped it all laying down and only stood it on it's side at the end.  If nobody else chimes in I'll just give it a go and post the results.  I plan to make it for next Thurs when the chemistry club does their BBQ welcome the new students and kick off the new school year.  My lunch box will be chemistry themed.

Having watched a few of her tutorials, and they are pretty spectacular, I'd guess that her cakes are of a relatively firm dry consistency.  They sometimes appear to be more of a cookie type texture or a heavy pound cake than a soft American style cake.  With the addition of about 1/4 cup or more of the simple syrup to soften and moisten the cake that she demonstrated, they must be very firm.  I have a nice butter cake recipe that would work in that manner, but not the rest of my cakes as they are soft and springy. 

Mud cakes, pound cakes, fruit cakes would work nicely in that manner with their density.

@MBalaska ‍  I have never tried any of her cake recipes but I do agree that she really soaks them with simple syrup!  I am going to give it a try & see what happens.  I'll transport the cake (20 min drive) laying down and then once I get to work with it I'll see how it stands.  

I think I would try and make the layers a little taller so the base would be wider and hopefully more stable? It's such a great idea, I want to do one now!