I have a friend asking me if I could tackle my biggest cake yet, Strawberry shortcake, 3d! Not a themed tier cake, but strawberry herself!! LOL I told her to give me a few days before I let her know if I can or not, let alone how much it will cost her! SO anyone ever do any cake like this? Maybe not strawberry herself, but how do I go about making a cake stand upright? What do you CCers suggest I make??I think If I pull it off, it will be so cool, but if not, it could end up a disaster! How much should I even charge for a cake with this amount of detail? I just started my business, so the pricing of the specialty cakes is a work in progress...

Well, for starters, you *can't* legally make a licensed character cake and sell it. Make a theme cake and have her stick a Strawberry Shortcake on top, sure, but you're breaking all kinds of copyright laws if you sell a cake where you have made a licensed charater, either 3D, or piping a picture of the character on the cake.

And yes, I know lots of people do it. They either are not taking any money for those cakes (not even "reimbursing the ingredient cost", or they are breaking the law. Many people do it anyway, thinking "it's just cake".
But it's still illegal, and you can lose everything you have if you choose to do so.
FYI.

Ok wow, I didn't know that by making a cake that looked like her would break a law! I already told her it might be out of my skill level anyways...so is making like a "themed" cake, one that is just inspired by the movies okay? like this...http://layersoflove.blogspot.com/2010/07/strawberry-shortcake-cake.html
I have done other "themed" cakes before, but the customer bought the toys for the cake...

Maybe try searching through the galleries on here for Strawberry Shortcake and PM any cake decorators who's designs you like? That should give you a good start?... HTH

Oh wow that cake is so ultra adorable! Yes, doing that is just fine. You just can't make the actual characters (or logos, etc.) At least that's how it's been explained to me by my lawyer husband who panics every time I make a cake that might potentially bring on the interest of corporate patent attorneys.

Thanks yall for the help! I showed her the pictures and she LOVED them and was completely fine when I told her I couldn't do strawberry herself, and she didn't even ask why sometimes it is nice to work with your friends lol!

LOL - I'm sure she did love it. I'm going to put that photo into my files of "cakes I want to convince someone to order someday". It's so cute.

I have a standard blurb that I always just cut and paste, changing out the appropriate character names/companies, so I don't have to keep rewriting with every email inquiry about "I want a Mickey mouse cake" or "can you make Buzz Lightyear?" Because it seems like every other kid birthday cake inquiry is from someone wanting me to make a character. I have that "standard" wording so that I don't get snarky some day that I'm in a bad mood and can't graciously tell them that I don't have Ace of Cakes' or Buddy's $3000 budget to allow me to apply for the licensing with every cake.

Wow do they charge for permission like that!~? I called Juicy about my Juicy purse cake, they just simply called me back saying I had permission to post the pictures, and that just to call when I make another one! Glad they didnt charge me! Maybe it was because that cake I made I didn't sell??