Ok, I know this will sound crazy but we are being asked to do a life size replica of an old fashioned car for a big event coming later this year!!!

I am swarming with questions and worries but I was wondering if anyone has taken on anything like this before. It would be to serve at least 2000 people!! Obviously the frame would need to be constructed from pipe and wood etc and we have someone familiar with all of that to assist but the edible sections would be all cake and rice cereal treats covered in fondant.

We have to figure out pricing and construction location but I just cant believe someone is totally serious about this!!!!

Given time and site restrictions I cant imagine how many people we need on this team to help with sheet cake baking!! Cant make enough mmf in a lifetime for that so will need to purchase, would have to make bc for weeks!!!, maybe I should order some sheet cakes from a distributor or is that bad integrity wise??

The logistics are outrageous but I want people to know that our cakes taste fantastic even though I am sure this whole entire cake willl be pound cakes because they are most durable.

Wow, so much planning will be going on for months an we will be building a huge team but I am very excited at the prospect of something so amazing!!!

Any thoughts, advice, or i dont even know what !!!

Did you see the Cake Boss episode where he made a life-size race car? That might give you a starting point.

Also, consider that this cake might not actually be eaten. Depending on time factors, freshness, sanitary conditions, etc, the end product could less than edible. If that's the case, and the client is set on having cake that can be served, the amount of cake and icing would need to be doubled. Just a thought...

Volkswagon did a TV commercial for the new Bug a few years ago. They probably had 30-40 people shown on camera! I wonder if you could track down any info on that project?

I wouldn't even know where to start!

Didn't Buddy do one on Cakeboss too, I think I remember that and they had a LOT of people on that team. I remember they had an issue with the hood and ended up fixing it at the last minute. Maybe the food network lists archives of past shows?

I saw one on youtube. It's called Skoda Fabia Advert - Cake Car. There are a few videos for it. They are incredible!!

I would charge the same that a REAL car would cost!!! lol

OMG thank you so much!!! I willl definitely watch the cake boss episode and cant wait to check out that link for Skoda Fabia Advert, thank you!!

I didnt know about the volkswagon thing but thats a great idea too!

As far as pricing, its outrageous to think about but just by serving alone.... crazy.

I was wondering about the taste thing too but I was hoping if all framing, planning, baking and making were done ahead that we could assemble and decorate in 2-3days so cakes could be eaten. Do you think thats reasonable. i dont want to scare them off by doubling everything and dont want to eat a few thousand dolllars out of my pocket either....hmmm. Food for thought...

Seems like you'll need LOTS of cake, more than can be baked, cooled, assembled in 2-3 days. I'd bake and freeze unless you have many many ovens and pans! From what I remember on the Cake Boss episode and the Skoda car video, they have LOTS of cake!! The Skoda video shows many people baking and prepping the cake and then constructing.

Before anything else, I would give them your price. That could make a big difference really quickly. I would think that you would need to charge a per serving size for a carved fondant cake and the additional charges for all of the structure supplies, extra help, etc. I don't know what you usually charge, but with the cake and all the extra expenses, it could end up being $7.00 a serving or more. That makes the cake around $14,000.

amysue we were thinking that same exact ball park for all the same reasons. That is definitely our first step is to have signature and large deposit with a price that has been agreed upon but to be honest, we have every reason to believe that will probably be acceptable...

so now back to worrying, lol!!

I would love to have a client willing to spend $14,000! Best of luck!

Let us know if you get the job!

DianaJJ

I was there in person when Carlos Bakery did the life size race car at the Retail Bakers Assoc trade-show. They trucked in supplies, had local pastry students doing tons of work before and during, and after seeing what they went through and the magnitude of that project -I wouldn't even think about doing one!! Just my opinion, but you need to take actual dimensions of the car, figure how many cake layers, frosting, rice krispie treats for shaped sections, fondant, etc. They also had a problem when the air conditioning was off overnight and the cake suffered for it.

I wouldn't go less than $10-$12/serving. That's alot of planning and work, and you have to pay your whole team enough to be worth the project plus meet expenses....hardware is so expensive, not even counting the edible stuff.

Wow sounds crazy!!! Hope you get it!

Skoda life size car cake you tube video:

I love old cars! I wish you the best of luck with this HUGE project!

Thanks! I will keep everybody posted on this but it will be official (or not) more like next week. We will have a team of local Cordon Bleu pastry students and instructors as well but you all make valid points and I certainly would never have suggested the idea thats for sure!! But we shall see what comes of it. The framing and hardware are a big concern. With no refrigeration I am also concerned about the ability to carve well but where we are there is NO chance the air conditioning willl be turned off and the building is never closed so thats good! This is a crazy project and I dont know whether to pray we get it or not!

Even at that price I dont yet know what the cost will be including supplies edible and non-edible, helpers, machinery, transportation, construction, etc. so its hard to tell what kind of profit would be there in the end for our business. Just taking it one day at a time right now....

Thanks for the support!

Good luck that seems like a lot of money to some , but THINK of what all it's gonna cost to make it. Tons of money. Take LOTS of pics for us!!!!

Good Luck!! If you do get to do it - try to have someone take pictures for you as you are doing it. And definitely keep us posted!

I would think that students and such would do it for free for the expeireince.

good luck, I saw the cakeboss episode and thought they were crazy! LOL I also thought (and my husband commented) "dang they are wastingalot of cake- some homeless shelter would love that" of course around here the scraps dont last long. Even my two year old sits like a vulture and points at fondant peices and says "that boke?- me eat it?" cause he gets the broke peices. LOL

I'd call sams and ask what BC costs by the truckload. LOL or if you can get it colored. Unless you have the huge industrial mixer (like as big as a car) I'd think you'd burn up quite a few making 1,000 lbs of BC! LOL