I need to make a 50th Anniversary cake for my in-laws party on June 25. It needs to serve at least 100 people. I have an image in my head of how I want to decorate it. I think it'll be very pretty and elegant. The problem is, I'm not really sure what sizes to use. I'd like to utilize the pans I have if possible. I don't want to have to buy too many more because I don't really have the room for them. I don't mind buying a pan or two, but not really a whole set.

The pans I have:

2" round: 6, 8, 10
2" square: 10, 12
Rectangle: 12x18 and 11x15
Oval 7 3/4 x 5 5/8

The other issue is presentation: stacking or cake stand?

I have to drive almost an hour to the hall so I won't be able to come home after set up to change clothes.

I've only used the columns once--in my Wilton I course. I've only stacked once--my daugter's 1st birthday. I saw that floating tiers stand at Michael's today. Would that be a good option?

Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Since you are traveling quite a distance, I think a stand would be a good idea. Plus it will be a good thing to have in case you ever get into wedding cakes. You could use the stand and then maybe have 2 cakes on each side of it. I would probably use silk flowers rather than real ones. Good luck and don't forget to post some pics!
traci

Thanks for your response. I have attached a pic of the cake stand I was talking about.

I really like that stand and I bet it will make your job a lot easier than doing a stacked cake! It seems like everyone that comes to me always wants a stacked cake and then I get so nervous when I have to transport it! Anyway...I am sure the cake will be gorgeous!
traci

Rox,

I would get that stand if you have the money! That's what I want for my bday!!! It is very nice!!!!
Everyone is going back to stack cakes. It's not too hard but it is time consuming.

I know you'll do a great job!! Can't wait to see the cake!

I still need help with the sizes. Any ideas?

Hi marknrox,

If you're going to purchase the stand then that will dictate the sizes that you will need to make.

The stand will be the quickest and easiest way.

Good luck and don't forget to post a picture.

You might even shop around for a metal stand if you are concerned about the weight.
traci

I bought the above stand Monday night with my Michael's coupon.

It is very pretty. I bought some off-white tulle and gold bow to do something with around the rear pole. I think I'm going to decorate it with a few fondant flowers too.

Now, my question is do I wrap the plates (see above pic of stand) with the decorator foil? Or leave them uncovered & white?

I made some fondant roses last night. Boy am I impressed with the process. It's easy, but time consuming--they come out so pretty! I'm attaching a picture of some of the ones I did. The red one was a practice one. I'm not actually going to use it on this cake. The cake will be white and varying shades of beige/cream. I'm going to use the white ones. I need to add the sepals and leaves--I think I'm going to make them more of a muted (moss) green. I have also ordered a calla lilly cutter. I'm going to make and use some of those too.

Your roses look great!
traci

Very nice job on the roses!

Thanks, traci and momsandraven!

The roses are AWESOME!!!! I agree that I wouldnt put too much weight on the stand tho. And your idea sounds beautiful!

Great job on the roses

THOSE ROSES LOOK LIKE THEY ARE THE REAL THING. YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB! PLEASE POST THE PICTURE OF THE CAKE AFTER YOU FINISH IT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE OUTCOME OF THIS ONE.

Hi there. Are you placing the cakes directly on the stand or are you boarding them first?
I wouldn't wrap the stand plates with foil. If anything I would use material if that is an option, even some lace trim around the edges that would go underneath the cakes or circles of tulle. Otherwise I would leave the stand the way it is as you already have the decorations and the tulle to dress it up.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Thanks for your help! I was hoping to use the plates as the board. Can I do that?

Well, you could, but you know, to cut the cake, you are going to be applying pressure and this may mark up the separator plates. Since these ones have a smooth surface they mark a little easier than the regular ones do.
Not sure with this stand, do the plates have an absolutely flat bottom or do they have little feet that you would sometimes attach pillars to? If they have feet sometimes they are a bit harder to transport as they are not as level in the boxes and the feet take up some of the height of the box. But if height isn't an issue and they sit fairly flat and stable, you can just place them on the stand.
Hugs Squirrely Cakes

They have little feet. Thanks. You have answered my original question as well as some I didn't know I had!

Haha, good. Not sure how high you are planning the cakes, but with this stand, once the cakes are in place, there is a tendency for the weight of the cakes to pull them down slightly - mostly because the stand only has that single arm supporting the cakes. So you don't want your cakes being too high or the bottom of the above cake will practically sit on the top of the cake below.
I have heard of one or two incidents of the little feet going right through the white cake boxes, so you might want to be careful.
I have done several cakes directly on the regular separator plates and not considered the extra inch or so that the feet take up, haha, which is why I wanted to mention that, I had to scramble to get deeper boxes, duh, I am an idiot, haha!
For a really heavy cake, I prefer to board the cakes and this is why. Sometimes the cake is so heavy that when you set the cake down when it is directly on the separator plate, there feels like there is some give to the plastic plate. Now this might very well result in some icing cracking issues.
I have actually had one Wilton Decorator Preferred Separator Plate crack down the centre and it was only being used for a 6 inch high cake. It likely was a defective plate, but that always made me a little wary.
Be careful when trying to slide or move a cake that is directly on the separator plate, sometimes the feet stick. Also, if you decorate on a turntable, the feet don't sit in the right place, haha, found that out too.
There, hope I didn't scare you, but that is my knowledge of these plates.
I think you now have all of the possibilities and precautions and are probably wondering why you ever wanted to do cakes in the first place, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Well, you definitely scared me from using the plate directly under the cake! LOL

No problem, though, I'll just get the little cardboard cake circles. Shouldn't I get them to fit the cake (i.e., 8 in cake on an 8 in circle)?

Experience is wonderful!! Thanks.

Well, that depends on whether you want to go easy or don't mind a bit harder and the look you want.
If the boards are the same size as the cakes, you have to be careful boxing them so the sides of the boxes don't mar the sides of your cakes or the bottom border. Plus when you go to place them on the stand, your fingers might disturb the edges, but it can be done.
If you go with the larger boards the same size as the separator plates, well you don't have to worry about the edges of the cakes or the sides once they are boxed.
I would say it is more common for people to use the larger same sized as the separator plates, but both are done.
One little tip, always put a dab of icing on the separator plates before placing the boarded cake there, just to be extra safe. Or use a piece of sticky tape like packing tape rolled up or some double-sided tape, just in the centre. This is just an added precaution so if someone accidentally knocks the table or stand, the cake doesn't slide off the stand.
I tend to buy a roll of gold foil wrapping paper and use it on the cake boards when it is for a 50th anniversary and that way, the gold goes with the occasion. However many, many people just use the silver foil covered boards and that is fine too.
Sometimes I trim the outer edge of the cake boards with real lace before boarding the cakes.
I tend to use the corrugated cardboards and double board.
Gosh, it must sound like a whole lot more work now!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Not at all. I was planning on using that rubber shelving paper under the cakes. I'll get some gold foil. Was thinking about it anyway. It'll all be ok.

Geesh, believe it or not, I actually forgot to add something! Ok, when you use the same size board as the cake, then you want a box that is larger than the boarded cake, so the sides don't get damaged. So what you do is you line the box with that rubberized shelving mat that most of us use to line the floor of our vehicles when we are transporting the cakes. So you place your boarded cake in the centre of the lined box and it will not move, trust me. It will stay in place. This way there is absolutely no risk of the sides of the box hitting the sides of your cake.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes