I've been contacted about making a retirement cake for a school bus driver and I have no idea how to properly support it.

It will be a 3D bus on top of a sheet cake. The cake needs to feed 100 people.

How do I support the cake on top of the sheet cake????

The bus part of the cake will have support inside of it, but what about the bus on the cake?? I also need for the wheels to be on top of the cake so that leaves a gap between the bottom of the bus to the top of the sheet cake. Thus my dilemma?????

cakeymom

I would treat the bus in the same way as I would a stacked wedding cake. I'm assuming that the bus is quite large. so my recommendation would be to do it on a board *cut to size), and then dowel the sheet cake where it will sit (you will probably need to use at least 5 dowels) and then pop your bus on top of the doweled area.

hope this is useful

A gap between the bus and the cake is not necessary... THE ILLUSION of a gap is what you need!

Construct your bus on it's own custom fit board. The sides of the board will be covered with icing/fondant. Cut holes where the tires will go.

In the center of your cake board, build a support column, using several layers of 1/2-inch foamboard, until it is slightly higher than the finished surface of your cake. (you're going to have to estimate this). The support column should be about an inch or so smaller than the bus board, all the way around. Secure this column to your base board and color the part that will stick up out of the cake black with edible markers or your choice of edible paint. Don't paint the top.

Arrange your sheet cakes around the center support. Ice and decorate.

Glue the bus board to the support column. Add the tires.

I hope this helps!

DianeLM your idea is very close to what I came up with. This cake won't be until late spring next year so I have plenty of time to do a small scale practice version.

Thanks for the suggestion,

cakeymom