Holy Crap I Hope I Can Pull This Off
Decorating By YOUnique_Cakes Updated 16 Nov 2010 , 12:15am by ILoveDaffodils
I have never done a carved cake but I'm not gonna turn something down just because I've never done it before. I do however needs some advice or some tips. I am making a carved cake for 150 people....yep 150. It's not a real hard design but it's gonna be tall. It's gonna be a burlap potato bag with potato's on the top and some spilling out on the cake board. It's for a potato farmers party. I just need advice on the height of the cake. This is gonna be tall and I use WASC cakes. I know my supports for each layer is vital but any other tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!! 
150 ain't that many. You'll be fine.
I'd use a piece of foam in the base under the board so I can sink some dowel down into the foam so it has stability to not topple over.
It sounds awesome. Making potatoes & burlap too cool. Fun.
Oh, use a little cocoa powder to dust around for the potatoeyness factor.
Maybe 16 inches tall--a four tier 12x6 give or take--that would literally be 180 wilton wedding size servings so that gives you 30 servings of leeway. Leeway to round off corners and then add a few servings disguised as spuds.
I can't wait to see it.
I mean you could just bake off some ovals & stack 'er up--make the burlap look rolled down a bit.
This sounds like so much fun.
You can do it!
If you follow Buddy from the (Cake Boss television show) the actual carving is smaller when you put it on a "sheet" cake and allows for "fallen" potatoes.......giving another layer to the design.
Of course K8memphis has some wonderful advice. I would use oval pans also and cocoa powder. But with my newbie students the Buddy style would help it be a bit more manageable. HTH
WOW!!! I never thought of that!!! Thanks you both soooo much. I will post pics. One question, will I have to separate each cake with a cake board and dowels or can I stack them like 6 inches high before separating them with a cake board? I was also looking for small oval pan much like the wilton small baseball pans, does anyone know where to find any of those.
And let the stacked cake rest really well so it settles before your final coating.
Candy clay is a good idea. Or that mixed with fondant.
"Would you like fries with that?" 
One question, will I have to separate each cake with a cake board and dowels or can I stack them like 6 inches high before separating them with a cake board?
Don't stack to 6 inches without support! Don't, don't, don't! I thought I could get away with a tiny little section of cake 6" high without support (really little, like maybe 3"x4") on the top of a Thomas the Tank Engine. Nope, that little section collapsed during "settle" time, and I had to downstack and replace the bottom layer.
Support every 4"! I've learned my lesson! I probably won't even go to 5" without support anymore...
Thanks!!! I so appreciate all of your advice!!! I love being able to get help my fellow cake experts.
Well cake is done and I wanna thank everyone for all of their help and for answering my post!
I didn't have any advice to give but I was following your thread so I could see how you did. You did an awe 
some job!
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