I am trying to design a lawnmower cake for my husband's Grandpa who will be 90 this April. I'd like to put a few of those trees on it that you make out of upside down ice cream cones. I've never done those before so don't know if I should or not. I don't want them falling over and ruining the cake before it even gets to the party. I am planning for the top of the cake to be covered in "grass", so if anything falls over on it it would get smashed. And I would have to cry! It will have to travel for two hours and will be seen by probably close to 200 people!! I also have to make several large sheet cakes for the big event. Are there any special tips I can use to keep the trees from toppling over or should I just leave them off? There will also be a small John Deere model lawn mower on it but not worried about that, it should be okay. Anyone have any experience transporting cakes with those trees on them? Help! Anna31
I am really slack with royal. I use a pkt mix from my cake supplier in Australia and all I do is sift it and add water and colour..... I love it !! But if I run out I use this recipe (really good for fine work)
250gms pure icing sugar sifted 3-4 times (4 times for lace work and fine work)
1 egg white
lemon juice (only as needed)
sift icing sugar, whip egg white unti; soft peaks form, then add sugar 1 spoonful at a time, mix 2-3 mins between each addition. Add a few drops of lemon juice....the book i got this recipe from states to only add lemon if required,,,I'm never sure if its required or why so I add a couple off drops for good luck!!
Sorry I can't be more helpful!!
Hello Meldancer! No, I couldn't do that. The trees will be covered in BC so I wouldn't have a place to grab them to set them on the cake with out smashing them. I think I am going to try the royal icing thing. I'm going to be so tired though! Have to make FOUR 12X18's for the party! We are expecting about 200 people. That's what happens when everyone in town knows you! HA! Hope they all turn out nice, starting to stress a little. The little lawnmower FIL got for me to put on the cake is bigger than I thought and quite heavy. I may leave that off till we get to the church. How are you doing on your plans for your sisters cakes? Looking forward to seeing your cakes to! 
I travel lots with my cakes. I do what ever i can when i get there out of fear of dumb drivers slaming on their breaks. And the kids in the car. I got from the dollar store a non slip grid for the cabinets and put that down in my trunk so the cakes wont move. In terms of the trees. You are better off in Royal icing. You can make them way in advance and bring them seperatly and "glue"them on to the cke when you get there.
good luck.
Anna31- Unless you are legal, I wouldn;t recomend using egg whites in royal icing. You should keep away from anything raw and unpasterized. I use 1 lb 10x sugar dump it in with 5 tbs water and 3 tbs merangue powder. Mix for exactly 7 minutes. that makes a stiff royal you can thin it down with water and then color it.
I am legal. In the state of Iowa, and in my county I am not required to register unless I am selling wholesale, which I am not. Just found this out not too long ago, so I was very relieved! Anyway, thanks for your advice! I have thought about leaving the trees and the lawnmower off the cake and doing that when we get to the church. I am just not real sure how much time I would have to do that. The party is right after church and it's going to be a really hectic morning since I'm expected to help with the decorating the tables and stuff to. Guess I still have some thinking to do about this! :0
i don't know about you guys, but royal icing is too hard to eat...so i wouldn't worry about how awful it tastes. I would probably use it on the trees also. I would feel better about it in transporting than BC. Make sure you are taking extra icing just in case. good luck!
Just a little tidbit to help out.....if the tractor your FIL is too heavy and you still want to use it, here's what you can do so it won't crush the cake. Cut a piece of cake board and wrap in foil to keep it from getting greasy and soggy. Attach the tractor to it with a little bit of royal icing or BC. Then put dowels into the cake and place tractor with the board on top (just like if you were doing a stacked cake). Then apply your grass after it's on there (or apply the grass to the board before placing the tractor on it). That will keep it from smashing into the cake and should travel well that way too.
Valerie
Thanks guys! I don't think the tractor is going to be too heavy. I think it will be okay. That's a good idea though. I probably won't know till I actually do the cake just how it will end up looking. I do plan to take extra icing along in case I need to fix anything. I think I'm going to make the tractor cake a stacked cake with a 12x18 and a 9x13 on top. But I have so many cakes to do next week that it may end up very simple. I'm stressing!!!!!!
Anna
As far as the slipping question use the nonslip shelf liner paper, well it's actually foamie feeling and it won't budge, unless you would have a major wreck, which your not going to. Good luck. 
Some people put it in the box and under the box. I would worry more about under the box so the box doesn't shift.
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