Need Help With My 1St Carved Cake!
Decorating By IloveEmmaCakes Updated 17 Jan 2009 , 5:52pm by IloveEmmaCakes
Ok so I'm making my step brother's 14th bday cake! It'll be my very 1st carved cake so I'm freaking out justtttt a little bit. 
If anybody has ANY advice on how many or what size cakes I should use for this cake it would really be appreciated! THANKS
`Brittany
As far as the size, that probably depends on how many yuo are needing to feed. But it looks like it could easily be done by making a double layer 9x13 then carving on the two ends to get the edge for the front and back. Then a smaller square on the top, or you could use a round or rectangle pan and cut your square for the top. Hope this helps! You'll do great I'm sure!
Well, the easiest way to carve a cake is as follows. Take the file that I'm attaching to this post, or email me and I'll send it to you.
Enlarge it to the fit a bit smaller than the size pan you want to use.
Cut out the paper images
After you ice and stack your cakes. Line up the side images to the sides of your cake and follow along the image.
Then place the top part of the image and get the width.
Then buttercream away. 
Check out the tank in my photos to get some ideas.
HTH
Oops.. I just noticed that the image I attached doesn't have a top.
Well, you can check out: www.the-blueprints.com to and do a search for tanks and you will have a huge list of images to choose from.
In that case, I would make a 11x17 cake, cut it in half so you have 2 8.5x11, and stack those. Then maybe a 6" round to cut your square out of for the top. And since the very top is not completely flat, you could use the scraps from where you cut the square out of the round to place on top and kindof build around it with icing.
i agree with the above post. I would just make a double layer 9x13.
when you get that together just cut at a diagonal, on one side closest in the picture, from the top of the bottom layer into the bottom a little to get that part sticking out like that. and then do the opposite direction for the top layer. it looks like they even used that piece on the top of that side where they wrote "birthday".
it looks like the front of the tank is just curved a little bit. maybe the bottom is cut at an angle like the back? you might just have to wing the front just because..maybe grab a picture of the front of the tank to get an idea.
for the top..i would just use a small 1-layer 6"...you could probably do round or square and wouldn't even have to carve it.
I actually don't think there is that much carving on this. I do see that the top layer of the 9x13 is slanted slightly on the longer sides (left side of tank)...but I don't think you would have to do that.
do all of your carving while your cake is frozen. wrap them really well and freeze for a couple hours or over night and use a sharp knife..i don't prefer serrated...but that would depend on what you have. (less crumbs)
carving is not hard. Just have fun! and the point of carving is to carve slightly smaller at first to see if you like your cut...then go more if you need to.
Have fun! PM me if you have any questions! 
Ok, thanks for the replies! What would ya'll suggest for the tank/gun part?
I just used a fondant covered dowel for mine. Just make sure that the uncovered part is long enough to stick into the cake deeply so that it wont droop.
My mom used a dark green taper candle for the barrel when we made one of these for my bro... It's a thought anyway!
Ok, one more question.. My cakes are always realllly moist 
but If i'm carving a cake should I bake it a little longer so it's not too soft?
actually...no, baking longer will not cause your cake to become less soft. you will want to add in an extra egg and a bag of pudding to your cake mix. (assuming you are doing a box mix) just prepare your box mix like you normally do and add in those extra things. the best thing to do though would be a pound cake type recipe...or you could even do the White Almond Sour Cream recipe found in the recipes on this site and like i said...if you wrap your cakes the night before and freeze them and they will be as easy as pie to carve
just regular jello pudding mix! you put the dry packet in with your dry mix and then make like normal and add that extra egg too...so 4 eggs instead of three
edited: I guess I should say...whatever flavor cake you are doing! If you are doing chocolate put in a chocolate one...or chocolate fudge one...whichever. it will just give your cake an added ounff! of flavor. If you are doing a white cake you could add anything to it. my favorite to doctor up a white mix is White Chocolate...it's soo yummy!
Ok, sounds good. The cake is going to be fudge marble so I'll probably just stick with a basic jello pudding mix. 
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