I have an order for a Thomas cake in a couple of weeks and I am not sure how much to charge. The cake needs to feed 25 to 30 people.

She really likes the look of the cake posted below (Great idea from Ocakes).

I have never used the stand up train pan or tried to carve a cake!! Customer wants the cake to be chocolate with cream cheese froting. I told her I would have to use MMF for the accents and details.

Would the Thomas train and one freight car feed 30 people?
Do you use the stand up train pan or carve the cake...which will give the best look?

HELP!!

~~ bump ~~

i've done the 3D thomas train but without the cars behind it....it's a wilton pan and it's not as big as it looks.....i think u'll need a base cake to serve 30 ppl.....u have to carve it a little to get the 'thomas' shape, but i just had a couple pics of thomas near by and did my best

What do you guys think if I add 2 freight cars? Would that be enough for 30 people. I really didn't want to put it on a base cake if I could help it. The customer liked the layout of this one and I wanted to do something similar!!

How many people will the stand up train pan feed??

i'm not sure how many it feeds....it takes on regular 2-layer box mix to fill it up.....and i'm assuming the freight cars are just small loaf pans.....i'd guess the 'Choo-Choo train pan' plus 4 freight cars would feed around about what u need....it's so hard for me to judge these things tho.....and i have never thought the 'suggested servings' were realistic enuff.....sorry i can't b more help

I've made that train before and he does look kind of small, but actually packs in quite a bit of cake. Here's some info from wilton below. I can't say how much to charge but be sure not to undercharge! Those 3D cakes can be frustrating and you've got the added expense of cream cheese icing. I'm not sure I would do cream cheese icing on this type of cake- it's so heavy (and delicious). Maybe you could do a light cream cheese/buttercream with less cream cheese? Sorry I'm giving you more questions than answers- maybe some of the experts will step in. Let's see, for thomas and 2 freights I would charge: $70. off the top of my head- I'd have to think about it some more. I charge $40ish for a 3D cake. Good luck! Let us see how it turn out.
Deirdre
From Wilton:
Choo-Choo Train Pan Set
Here's the little 3-D engine with a trainload of uses. Two-piece pan snaps together to create a cake 10 x 6 x 4 in. deep. Takes 6 cups batter. Aluminum.


http://www.wilton.com/cake/shapedpans/pdf%5C2105%2D2861ChooChooTrain%2Epdf

The train pan takes more than 1 mix, you need part of another. I think 1-2 freight cars would be enough extra, remember that a mix serves 12 according to the box it comes in.
The engine would feed somewhere between 12-15 people in my opinion, back to the how much mix it uses.

I'd start with the pan and shape from there, it looks to me like the picture the mother likes is the pan. It will be easier and the train is a good universal pan.

I'd charge at least $35 for the engine and somewhere between $15-20 for each car.

hello, i made a thomas cake (handcarved) with two cars behind it recenly and that fed about 25-30. It cost me about 25$ and 8 hours. I didnt charge because they were friends, but i would say at least $75, maybe $100+ depending on the detail work. dont forget to charge for the pan if you have to buy it!!! take a look at my thomas photos. good luck!

I did one using a half sheet cake pan cut up. Here is a link to the one on EBAY that I did. http://cgi.ebay.com/THOMAS-THE-TRAIN-Cake-decorating-birthday-Signature-kit_W0QQitemZ5662547379QQihZ007QQcategoryZ26391QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Hey, I just found my train picture online when I was trying to find it - I have lost the original, THANK YOU!!  I'm so glad you liked the cake for inspiration & am curious what you did for yours?  I wish you would have contacted me directly, this cake was also my first time making Thomas in 3D, I did use the Wilton pan and carved the other 2 out of sheet cake... I don't use the star tip anymore, and I can't believe this was 7 years ago??  But I'm so curious how yours turned out  =)