Hi,

I am making my biggest cake ever. It's for my nephew and it is a snowboarding cake. My idea is to carve a mountain out of cake, cover it in white fondant and add some evergreen trees, and my nephew flying off a cliff on his snowboard (he's a daredevil so it's all good).

Anyway, it is for 150 people! It's not the only dessert (it will be part of a sweet table).

I don't know where to start. I thought about stacking 3 10" cakes and carving the mountain peak and cliff out of the top of it, but I'm worried that I won't be able to cover it properly with fondant since the diameter of the piece to be rolled will be huge.

Then, even if I could cover it in one fell swoop, how the heck would I serve it? The tiers are all the same size and covered in fondant so how would I even disassemble it?

I'm open to all suggestions (even changing the design completely). The only thing I refuse to do is a topsy turvy as I've never done one and I don't have time to practice (the cake is due next weekend).

Help!

Don't forget your support. You should have support every 4-6 inches, so at minimum, if you're using 3 4" layers to make up the mountain, you need at least one cake board midway. It may be sturdier and easier to cut if you have one on the bottom, one under the middle layer, and one under the top layer. And the dowels to support each layer.

If it were me, I would probably put the layers together first before torting/filling to carve the mountain, then separate the layers and cut a cake board or foamcore to the size of the layer. Then torte/fill each layer and put them back together. I don't think you really need to worry about covering it in one piece because a mountain top isn't perfectly smooth and such,. and you could use the imperfections and seams as part of your design. Put more snow or moguls on it, maybe some tree.

I think when you assemble it, you'll have a basic idea of where the cake boards are and if you're at the party, they'll want you to cut the cake. So starting at the top, if it's been carved down to about a 6" diameter, just cut the pieces from the top, when you get to the cake board, remove it, and carry on.

HTH

makes sense to me. is that the recommendation, to add a support every four to six iinches? i've been wondering that....

I'm not any help but I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!!!

I can't help much, but here are some ideas, in case you haven't come across them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24951621@N03/3037401759/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrumptiouscakes/3442856448/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/olgascreations/5406494410/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25016830@N03/3488330137/

I have decided to make a 5-tier cake composed of round tiers in the following sizes: 6", 7", 8", 9", 10". I will use a ton of SMBC to make more of a mountain shape of out the cake once it's filled and stacked. It's a mountain, so it doesn't have to be perfect in terms of lumps and bumps.

What do you all think?

I think you are on the right track
The picture links posted above should give you some ideas of how you could hide any imperfections
Do be sure to use plenty of support. Under the 1st 2 upper-most tiers you only need 3 straws in each; then in the 9 & 10 I'd put 5. Be sure to space them well -around the edge just an 1" in from the size of the tier going on top and do NOT put one in the middle of each tier. That's where you will put a 'center rod' to help hold all of them together.
I suggest using a SPS on the 10" to help support the upper tiers better. You might even consider using one in the 8"er too. Then you will have plenty of support for those small, lighter, upper tiers and not need a center rod.
If you have any trouble understand my ramblings on how to place the support straws do pm me

Here is a picture of a mountain sort of cake I made for a dragon theme ... different kind of mountain, completely, and not the look you're looking for, but it's just to show how easily the seams can be incorporated into the design if you paint, make moguls, cover with rocks or figurines, etc.

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1682314

Even making long strips that come down from the top to the bottom of the mountain works, because it won't end up being perfect rectangular strips if you mound the fondant around the rocks and crevices and such. Good luck!