I've looked at TONS of pics of people's awesome hamburger cakes and I would still like some opinions / advice if possible. I already have a 10" round "bottom bun" and I have already baked the "top bun" in a pyrex bowl, but I'm not sure of what to do for the "meat". I read somewhere that someone said they'd use brownie if they did it again and my hubby liked that idea. But how would that work? Would I bake it in a 10 or 9" round pan....but then wouldn't the edges be perfectly straight...not rounded like a patty? Would it dry out if I carved it a little? Any suggestions or tips for decorating this beast would be VERY appreciated!!!

Thanks in advance!!!!

What about rice krispy treats?! They have a lumpy texture, and could be rounded at the edges! You could even use cocoa pebbles instead and but cocoa powder in the marshmallow so it is all brown/chocolate!

If you would rather do the brownie, I say you could trim the edges, but put some chocolate icing on it, so it won't dry out.

You could also use the pyrex bowl for a rounded shape on the edges, but then just cut the top off, and put two of them together to make a patty.

I think I'd probably either do the rice krispy thing, or carve chocolate cake and cover it in chocolate fondant, personally. GOOD LUCK! Post pics!!

I have always used chocolate cake iced in fudge frosting. I don't ice it smooth, but rough it up by pulling the spatula away from the sides of the cake after it is all frosted.

The one in my photos is a chocolate cake that has been brushed with red piping gel, no icing to speak of. The gel locks in the moisture and helps give it a meat look (not raw though)

when i made mine.i put a chocolate layer iced it chocolate then i rolled it in crushed oreo cookies.it was really nice..

When I did my burger cake, I just made the "burger" from chocolate cake. I made it in the same pan that I did the bottom bun in and it looked fine. The bottom of the pan is a bit rounded so I don't think you'd have to worry about it looking too straight. I guess it would be at the top where you'd level it, but on the one I did, for instance, all the toppings were covering that so you couldn't see it anyway. It's hard to explain, but take a look in my photos to see what I mean. I had so much fun doing that cake!

Thanks for all the ideas so far...anymore tips. I have never done this cake before and any advice would be awesome! I'm making a regular size burger for the party and a mini-burger for his smash cake. I think it'll be so cute...just need more tips from all you pros!

Well...here it is. I originally made a brownie for the "meat" but it was WAY overdone and hard as a rock. So last minute, I made chocolate cakes and used Godiva chocolate buttercream. Tasted WONDERFUL!!! I think they turned out pretty cute and my son LOVED his little smash cake. He took a taste of buttercream and just giggled. It was too cute! Thanks for all your tips and advice!

How cute!!! Are the buns covered in colored fondant, or airbrushed?!

hahahaha!!! I love it!!! that is so awesome!!!

That is AWESOME!!! So much better than mine!

they just did a hamburger on ace of cakes, they used rice crispies for the meat and i think they airbrushed it. it looked just like ground beef.

yes what do the "buns" have on them?? Is that fondant or BC airbrushed?

It's actually just buttercream...not even airbrushed, just Viva-ed. I used lots of ivory and some brown to try to get that color. I had a real bun next to me while mixing the color. Thanks all you guys for your compliments!

Oh..and it's funny...I finally got to sit down last night and watch my Tivo'ed Ace of Cakes and saw their burger. That would have been nice to have watched LAST WEEK!!!! Oh well....I think mine worked out fine.