Help!!!! I have a bride that want me to cave stairs into her cake. Actually, two staircases on each tier going oppsite directions. Anyway, I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to carve these stairs into the square cake. I thought about maybe putting some kind of cardboard or plastice and pressing it into the cake and putting fondant over it but I am not sure how that will look. Does anyone have any ideas????
Thanks

Is this fondant or BC? I guess it doesn't matter much.

I would make a template for the stairs so they are even. Then, I would cut off a side of the crumb coated cake making it the width of the stairs. Lay this down and use the template to cut the stairs.

Now, all you have to do is decide your fondant/BC plan of attack. I would think that getting the exposed wall of the main cake and the stairs coated and covered before reassembling would be easiest.

It is one way for a crisp, clean design.

this may help you visualize.

the little diagram in the upper left shows what the carving will look like.
it is NOT to scale.

the 3 stacked boxes with the zig-zag are templates for 6", 8" and 10" tiers and their stairs. Each stair should scale up to be 1/2" high.

thank you for the ideas. This bride wants two stair cases going up the same side of the cake in oppisite directions. You know, like in mantions where they have two staircases wrapping around to end up at the same point. Would I just have to adjust the size of the stairs?

3 words: Rice Crispy Treats. I used them for my Haunted House cake and worked perfectly.

Sandy

I second the rice krispie treats... very easy and solid medium to use.

Doug! You're the best!

I third the RKT. Then you can cover them however you need to. Trying to carve them out of cake and then hoping they hold once the cake reaches room temp or in whatever environment it is going to sit in is just a big headache waiting to happen. Advise your bride that this is how it has to be done to accommodate what she wants.

Knowing what one wants on their cake does not a cake designer make....I had to learn this the hard way. Lots of long hours on a cake design "she wanted" but turned out so ugly I didn't even bother taking a pic.

Good luck!

You all made me cry and then jump for joy. I love the ideas. I think she will be very happy with the suggestions you all have added.