Newbie Needs Help With First Paid Cake!!
Decorating By Blue0877 Updated 12 Apr 2007 , 5:28am by JoanneK
I am new here (and love it sooo much already). You are all so talented and helpful and I was hoping some of you could help me out. I just got my first paid job for 2 weeks from now.
It is a 50th birthday party and the wife wants a 9 x 13 sheet cake with two cakes on top shaped into a "5" and "0". I was going to cover the sheet with MMF but am not sure what to do with the number cakes.
Then she wants me to incorporate 4 themes: hunting, fishing, golf, and his timeshare job. I was thinking about using a combination of marzipan, and candy melts to do figures for the themes, but i have never worked with candy melts.
And I am clueless how to begin carving the number cakes. Please!! Someone help!! Any ideas would be so appreciated!!
A 13x9x2 sheet cake would be overwhelmed by really large numbers on top.
What small size round pans do you have. I'd probably try to envision what would look good by turning the pans upside down and placing on top of the 13x9x2 pan.
If your pans aren't small enough you'll need to carve more or buy smaller pans.
I found a site that sells "numbers" cake pans. I don't think you need to buy the pans, they'd be too large for your cake.
However, if you click on the 5 & 0, the pics get larger and if you print them out, you can use the print-out as a template to carve your numbers from the rounds (or whatever pan you choose).
Is this making sense?
Here are the number cake pans:
http://cooksdream.com/store/number.html
Sorry, I'm not creative, but I'm sure some else will come to your assist in that area.
HTH
JanH is right about the size - you need to look at your 9x13 and your smallest round and see how that looks as the zero. If it's too big you may need to get a smaller pan.
I would look online to see if you can find small enough pans in a #5 and #0, but if you can't:
You can cut the "middle" out of your round cake to make it into a zero, or you can leave it whole and "draw" a zero onto the round cake (that way you don't have to cut it). With the 5 it's like two rectangles and a circle - but then again the circle will have to be even smaller than the one for the zero.
I personally would use a small rectangle cake for the 5, lay a #5 template on top of it and carve the edges to the right shape. Then, I would use a circle (small enough to be the right size) just as it is. I would probably attempt to cover them in fondant so it would be very smooth, then use BC to "draw" the 5 and zero on top of those, or "paint" it onto the cake.
If you really want the actual shapes, you'll just have to do more carving, and covering them will be more difficult - but it can be done!
I think you have the right idea about the themes - and candy melts are pretty easy to deal with, just don't overheat them! Sometimes they look like they're not melted because they hold their shape, but they really are - just stir them and check before you heat them more! GOOD LUCK!
It is a little iffy for a half sheet (13 x 9) to feed 50 people, but i usually charge thirty to fourty for my 13x 9, just depending on the deco and stuff.
I was thinking the same thing when I looked at my 13x9. I also have a 11x15 and I think I will use that instead. I will probably do to layers with a filling in the middle and then the number cakes on top plus all the marzipan/candy/fondant molding. I am predicting that this will take me about 15-17 hours to complete (I am basing this on a comparison of another cake I made). How much should I pay myself an hour? 5? 6?
HI,
Have you thought about how you will transfer the number cakes to the top of the sheet cake? I was just thinking of how frustrating that might become if you don't have a plan. You don't want them to break. Did you decide what to cover them with? I'm just the type who is afraid of surprise problems, so I try to think of the things that could go wrong and plan ahead for them. I'd hate for you to do all the work on the numbers and then have trouble getting them onto the cake. Especially that bendy number 'five'.
Oh, no! Pick up your stomach, quick!!! 
I didn't mean for you to get more nervous--just think ahead about those numbers, because I know if it were me, I'd have the most trouble with transferring those to the sheet cake. I think cutting boards to match and lifting with a big icing spatula is the perfect solution.
Hope you're going to post pictures of it when you're done!
Thank you both soooo much!! I was actually trying to figure out if a 13x9 pan is even big enough since it has to serve approx 50 people. Since I am so new at this I am unsure of servings and even how to price this. Any suggestions?
Since the cake is supposed to feed 50, I would not carve the middle of the "0". Instead I would incoperate (spelling?) it into the design. Thus leaving more cake to be consumed!
On pricing: I would call a local bakery and ask them how much they would charge for that exact cake. Then I would go below that. This way you know what you are up against and you have given her a "deal". You will probably have a loyal customer and more to follow!
I'd call and ask the customer if she would be interested in a larger cake. A 9x13 would really be pushing it for alot of decoration, plus it really won't feed 50. As for pricing, I do exactly what confectionary says above....call and find out what your local bakery charges, and go a few dollars less. I've been getting plenty of business this way, and its not really a job for me.
I have a set of older Wilton cake pans in numbers 0-9 that are smaller and would work perfect for your cake. Sorry I don't live closer to you or I would let you borrow them. But................you can look on eBay and see if anyone has them up for sell. That's where I bought mine and they were never used, still in the wrapped box.
Good luck.
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