i am new at all of this so i ask alot of questions! anyway, for a 16 inch cake, if you are icing it, or cutting excess fondant around the edges, what do you put a cake on to keep it off the counter? it is much easier if the cake is raised, but i didnt want to crack the cake so i just did it on the counter...any tips??

maybe on the pan?

I use my 10 lb can of Crisco.

For fondant work, I put the cake I'm working on on an inverted cake pan that is 2" smaller than the cake I'm working on.

That sounded so weird but I'm too tired to correct it...LOL

Love that avatar, too cute!
Yes, if you have a pedestal type of cake plate or a turntable that you can stop from turning if that makes it difficult, those are alternatives too. I like the idea of the Crisco Can, that works well too. An clay flowerpot works also.
Hugs Squirrelly

You can buy a cake base (stainless steel round circles that are like 1/8" thick and come in several sizes) and then just put your cake on top of that, then place it ontop of something tall (flower pot, crisco can, your regular turntable, etc). Then you can uxe your turntable for any size cake. You can buy them at restaurant supply stores or eBay, and probably sugarcraft or country kitchens, etc.

Moderator Edited: A new topic was started under General: Squirrelly's New Avatar!! The posts were split/moved to that topic! Thanks!