WOW! I cant even calculate how long this thing took total but I started with 3 or 4 (cant remember!) big heart shaped devils food cakes. I carved the body out of those and the head was separate and made out of 3 or 4 devils food rounds. The scales were all made individual and took almost FIVE hours to cut them all, put them on and then paint each one. This cake was AWESOME. The little boy LOVED it and when we sang happy birthday we put the candles in his mouth so it looked like he was breathing fire!