I'm planning to make a popcorn tub/bucket cake. The problem is, it needs to feed 60 people. I was thinking, two layers of 10 inch on top, then two layers of 9 inch, then two layers of 8 inch on bottom, then I'll carve a bit to get a tapered "bucket" shape. Do you think that's too tall?? TIA!!

on the right -- Your design (8,9,10)

on the left -- alternate design based on just 9 & 10 (3 of each) and for squatter tub drop of either a 9 or a 10

black ovals = cake plates

black lines = support dowels (just like any tiered cake -- including the center support one)

HTH

I have made champagne buckets at work with the same set up Doug illustrated above and they work out great.

Doug - As always, you come through!! Thank you so much!! I can always picture it better when I can actually see it somewhere other than in my head

I have done a few tall cakes...Wine bottles...etc......as a matter of fact I'm working on a stack of tea cups right now....... anyhow I kind of live out in the middle of nowhere so any trip with a cake is a long one......
I am so paranoid these cakes are going to fall I always use a wooden cake board with a thick wooden dowell screwed into the center......... It can take some menuvering to build the cake but let me tell you the piece of mind I have when it's in transit makes it all worth it!!!

I'd love to see that stack of tea cups!! That sounds really cool. do you mean you use a wooden cake board as a circle?

Yes....I use a wooden cake board...covered of course...I drill a hole in it and I use a 3/4" wooden dowel that I cut to size and screw into the bottom of the board.......... it can be tricky to build the cake because each cake that is stacked has it's own cardboard (which has a hole cut in it for the dowel to go thru) Then I lower each cake/layer over the dowel......sometimes I frost them first and sometimes I frost them after...It just depends!
Anyhow it's extra work but well worth the effort to me to make sure my cakes make it safely to their destination!

I finished the Tea Cup cake last night.....I would have liked to make the cups fancier, however they were supposed to resemble the Cups for the Tea Cup ride at Disney Land....the decorations aren't exact but I did my best........
In my opinion this cake is NOT on the list of my best work...... I am kind of disappointed with it....Oh well I will do better next time.

Are you kidding me?? That cake is Amazing!!!!

Oh my gosh You Take The Cake, I'm gonna' have to go over there and shake you to wake you up. Your cake is fabulous!!!!

My Cinderella cake (see my pictures) was that exact combination of cake sizes and I needed to feed about 60 people. It was very little carving and we had a whole lot of cake left over. Just put a dowel through the center of all tiers and stack as normal and you should be fine. Good luck!!