So my husband is deploying for the 3rd time in a few months, we a throwing him a huge going away party. I don't know if its my emotions, or just that I want it to be perfect but I can't think of anything that I want to do. There are going to be family, kids, other soldiers and their families. I don't know if I want a sheet cake, tiered, cupcakes so any ideas will be helpful. Thank you so much for any ideas.

First, I want to thank you for being the woman behind the man. I cannot imagine the stress you must feel, taking care of things at home while your guy is in harm's way. I would steer away from anything cammo or military oriented. Chocolate is always a big fave...how about a Tuxedo cake? Has a huge WOW factor and is not as hard to make as it looks. You can augment with a dessert table... cookies, brownies, pie is always a HUGE fave as is cheesecake.

I can relate to you AMOVERBY this is my son's 3rd deployment he's presently in Afghanistan, should be coming home in August God willing. We did a welcome homecoming BBQ party & made a sheet cake with tankers, soldier designs on it & 2 small round cake with the marine corps emblem on them. But this time will be making cupcakes & fruit bar after so many deployments you begin to run out of ideas lol

I love the dessert table idea and I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be great. Amoverby and Ailika, I know exactly how both of you feel!! Except thankfully my son has only been deployed once. That was the worst year of my life!! He was injured and came back a few months before the rest of his troop and was on medical leave for quite a while, so I'm hoping that his time is up before they have time to deploy him again! (He's doing fine now!) I will keep you both in my prayers. I read somewhere that someone sent the cakes in a jar to someone deployed and they were great, so that's an idea while they're gone. Good luck!

As a mother of two military sons', I want to thank you and your husband for his service to our country. You both make great sacrifices for our freedoms. I am so proud of both my boys, and have been through one deployment with my oldest one, it is a hard thing to do, Bless you and your family.

On the cake question, I love some of the military cakes that are in the galleries. You should look through there and see if anything catches your eye. When my son returned home from Iraq, I found one and replicated it as best as my talent allowed. He loved it. As minicuppie said too, chocolate is always a fav too.

My daughter had me make a cake for a friend of hers that was deploying and it was a big hit. I just did a red, white and blue flag theme with a yellow ribbon. I just made wasc, 3 layers per teir, and died one teir blue, and one red.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1262144

CWIL I am so sorry your son got injured I hope he has fully recovered. My son lost partial hearing due to a mortar when in Iraq but he claims he regained it which I believe he did but not fully. Chocolate cake is yummy if and when he likes it but no chocolate pops if it's too hot

ailika, that also happened to my son. make sure your son goes to the VA and receives any disability that he is allowed - there is something for hearing loss. my son is waiting to hear on that one for himself. He has mostly recovered, although he still has bad headaches every day, problems with his spine, and the hearing loss, but I thank God every day that he came back in one piece.

I made this one for a girl who was deploying. Hope it helps!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1675964

CWIL I'll let him know but he assures me he's fine I guess not to worry me he is presently in Afghanistan 3rd deployment (Afghanistan-Iraq-Afghanistan) but he keeps reenlisting & his wife too. But he loves cakes I wish I could make a cake of cupcake I could send him without it spoiling.

I don't think I can add any more to this post as far as ideas are concerned.

BUT... I just wanted to say a B..I..G..... thank you to each of you and your families for giving and preserving my freedom. I am so... touched by all of your generousity and willingness to give of yourselves for this. I am not a military wife, mother, sister, etc. Just an aprreciative caker.

THANK YOU!! My prayers go out to each of our soldiers every night. God's Speed

This is what I did for my son's deployment party.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1316937

I didn't want to say good-bye or good luck. It is hard when it is your loved one.
My son went to Iraq for a year and is back but is leaving for Afghanistan in October. Good luck and God bless you and your family.

Thank you to all who has loved one serving or have sacraficed of much in the past. My son is currently serving in Iraq. Miss him so much and am so proud. There is a patrotic cake on here that touched my heart so much. Will try to find it again for you. Again thanks to all, and stay strong

As one who has been deployed (Desert Storm) - I know he'll appreciate anything you do!

I'm an Air Force wife stationed overseas. I'm going to make a suggestion totally away from the others. Spend lots of time with your love, and your kids (if you have them), and ask your friends to bring things for his farewell. Don't stress over making the perfect cake... make that when you're counting the hours to his return celebration... those are the hardest hours, and the ones that most need to be filled with your creativity.

I make cake for almost everything... but occasionally, I just let someone else take care of it (even the commissary!) and enjoy my man.

Lots of love to you.
Ann

sweetstory has sage advice. Potluck will give you strees free time before deployment!

Thank you all for your suggestions and support. I've thought alot about whether to make it myself or have someone else to do it for me. But he loves my cakes, and its something my kids enjoy to help me with. (they are 1,2, and 4). My 4 yr old just made a picture of her daddy, herself and her 2 brothers. Any suggestions how I could put it on a cake? I know u can do edible images but is there another way to make it stand out?

You could pipe her picture onto the cake with buttercream or royal. There are several ways to transfer a picture onto the top of the cake so you can pipe over it.

If it's buttercream, I use a permanent marker and trace a picture onto wax paper. You can then put the wax paper over cardboard and use a pin to poke little holes all along the lines of the picture, then I lay that over the cake and use a dusting bag with cocoa powder and rub over the paper. It leaves a tiny dot outline of the picture to trace over.

If it's fondant covered, you can just poke the holes over the design right onto the fondant and trace over that.