Castle Cake - Inexpensive Ideas For A Children's Home?
Decorating By imartsy Updated 31 Mar 2007 , 2:39am by msauer
I work in administration at a home for troubled children (i.e. physical, sexual, other abuse). They are having a big event to kickoff a new Positive Behavior system - basically a program to reinforce good behavior.
So anyway, it's a medieval event b/c their "home mascot" is a Knight. I would love to do a castle cake but I'm not sure how to approach it. I don't think I could afford to donate it completely...... and I'm thinking there would be at LEAST 100 people..... probably more.....
I'm not legal, so I'm not looking for advertising - I just thought it would be fun and something special I could do for the kids. My only issue is I just can't afford to give away a cake that large. I was thinking of asking them to just pay for supplies..... but I'm not sure even a ballpark figure to tell them for how much supplies may cost....
Anyone have any ideas on how to handle the situation or how to make a cake that big?? (and transport it!) Or should I just scrap the whole idea and let them get some crappy sheetcakes from the local bakery? - I don't think they've placed an order for them yet but we get all the kid's b-day cakes from this one bakery.... I don't think I'd be stealing business from them b/c I've never seen them do any elaborate/ 3D cakes.... or am I setting myself up for trouble if someone from the bakery happens to attend the event??
Why not do a castle cake on top of a sheet cake to cover the large amount of servings. You could do a moat with grass and a drawbridge. You could make the castle itself with an 8 inch or a 6 inch, or even larger sizes. Just a thought.
I think asking to pay for the basic supplies is a good idea. If they were to purchase it from a Grocery store they would pay for it. So I think if you are giving your time that would be good. Just ask. If they are not ok with it, they will go somewhere else.
Also I have been thinking about making a castle for my niece, I saw a couple of places where people do the towers out of Rice Krispie Cake and the rest of the castle is done in cake. Denpending on how much work you want to do, I am planning on making it out of buttercream (cheaper and my family will not eat Fondant). I also though to make the towers and coloring the marshmallow gray and then I would match the BC to it. Anyhow that is my idea. (It will be in May)
Good Luck
A good way to figure up your costs....is to figure out one cake mix, 3 eggs, the milk/water, the oil, and pudding mix (if you add one) and then get a basic cost per mix........then figure out how many you need to do the cake.......then do the same for frosting, and times it by the number of batches you need. This is what I always do.....because I constantly quote people barely higher than what it's costing me......sometimes it even was the same!! But in any case .......you might also, if there is time have a yard sale or something to raise some money for it.
Thank you all for your replies! I haven't spoken to anyone at work yet. Then I just saw Duff's cake last night on Ace of Cakes (and the castle disaster!!!). Wish I could do something like that!!!!
But I'll try to keep it smaller and maybe do the sheetcake for it to sit on - that's a good idea.
If anyone comes up with any more ideas, feel free to add! 
Here's a castle cake thread:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-48855-.html
I saw that Duff episode also.... Couldn't believe they were able to create another castle in only 5 1/2 hrs. But then he didn't do it alone!
I have a castle cake and if my memory serves me correct, it served right around 80 (but you could certainly adjust it to serve more or have another small sheet cake on the side). The picture is actually in my photos. I have a complete set of directions already typed up.
Good luck with whatever you decide, and I think what you are considering is very generous and admirable...wish there were more people like you out there!
And as far as the bakery goes...all they need to know is that it was donated- how can they argue with that????
-Michelle
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