I am doing a gift/hat box cake for my aunt's 60th birthday next weekend. I am going to be icing it in buttercream and doing fondant accents on the cake. I have thoroughly researched this and have decided to do a styrofoam lid covered in fondant and dowel to make it open with tissue paper. Here are my remaining questions:

To cover styrofoam with fondant, do I wet the styrofoam? Or is just laying it on there and seaming the edges enough?

Some people have said to stick the tissue paper in to let it dry but I don't think that will work b/c I would think it would just collapse. Should I just form it on the counter and let it dry?

Last, and truly the most important, what size of cake?? They are wanting about 35 servings. If I do a 2 layer 12 inch round that will yield 40 servings according to Wilton serving chart. How will that look? To be so wide and then about 4-5 inches tall? This is the part I'm most confused on. I don't know what to do to make it look right. I am open to round or square if anyone thinks one is easier/better than the other. I'm not concerned about too much cake since it's for my aunt so I am more concerned about it looking right.

Thanks so much in advance for any help or direction you can offer!!

Angela

Hi ajmccray!

All I can answer is in regards to the styrofoam question. I had a cake I did where I covered a styrofoam ball with fondant. All I did was put piping gel on the styrofoam ball with a small paintbrush. It stuck just fine.

Sorry, I could not answer any others....


HTH
=)

.......do I wet the styrofoam?......
If you want the fondant to stick to the styro. To make it easier to remove fondant you can just put a light brushing of water on the fondant at the corners/edges.

........the tissue paper .... I would think it would just collapse. Should I just form it on the counter and let it dry..........
I have not done this but I agree w/your thinking

........most important, what size of cake?? They are wanting about 35 servings. If I do a 2 layer 12 inch round that will yield 40 servings......

Those will be very good! sized pieces; of course it will depend on how the customer cuts it. Be sure to charge for 40 serves not just the 35 they want.

Thank you ladies for your help! Kakeladi, what serving chart do you use? Just curious if there's a better one than Wiltons b/c my people always tell me they have left overs and that's when I've made the servings they want!