shower cake requested to feed 40 people...would like a stacked cake...what size pans would you use, and don't want to be skimpy...what about lactose intolerable bride/groom....what I never put milk in my buttercream but what about butter,,,,I am not familiar with lactose intleranance.

I am lactose intolerant, but butter has never bothered me (okay, if I ate a pound of it all at once ). Generally, if the milk product is in small enough quantities mixed in with other stuff, it doesn't really give problems. Even if you use a pound of butter in a batch of icing, one person is not getting all that much. One batch of my icing could easily do a cake for 40 people. So each person is getting approx 1/40th a pound of butter. It's such a small amount that it shouldn't cause any problems, even for the most sensitive lactose intolerant person.

If, however, they have a milk allergy, that is an entirely different situation. Someone who is allergic to milk may have a reaction to even the smallest bit of milk, just as someone with a peanut allergy may have a reaction to a microscopic bit of peanut.

I'm lactose intolerant as well and don't have problems with butter, though I'm still figuring out what all I have problems with!

I would double check with the bride/groom though because I have a friend who can't touch butter....

I'm lactose intolerant as well and butter is just fine for me

thank you all...I was reading up on it and they said some folks cant even eat cake mixes...I never use milk in my icing so I should be ok but will confirm with sister of bride to be.

Now for the amount of servings, how big should my two layers be to feed 40 people....and would I need to dowel cake...thanks for your help!