I have donated my services to our church to make a cake (for free) for an upcoming celebration. Anyway, I am pretty sure they must have Googled "intimidating cakes" when searching for ideas as they have found this absolutely stunning cross cake creation of "brider" and I am scared out of my wits, I am sure I am going to completely butcher it!!!!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1205710

I don't even know where to start - the fact that I am rubbish at piping aside I have only barely mastered covering a round/square cake in fondant. How on earth do you cover a cross?? Any help, tips, suggestions would be majorly appreciated! I am going to scale down the size etc and do my best at attempting as good a version as I can possibly pull off.

I cant help with the advice...but I can say Good Luck! I am sure you will do great!

Well, really, if YOU are going to DONATE a cake, shouldn't YOU be the one to design the cake and not the other way around?

BTW, love your username!

Just do the fondant in sections. In the picture you can see seams at the corners. Don't worry, you'll do great!

Oh for heaven's sake! Take a deep breath and calm down! Just kidding!

I looked at your cakes and I think you already have the skills to make this cake, if not a simpler version of the cross cake. I agree with the other posters, If you get to give away the cake, you get first dibs on the design.

If I had to make this cake, I would do a similar color scheme with similar details. BUT (and as my dh would say, "That's a big butt!", I would only chose what I was most comfortable working with! After all, you are making the cake as a gift, and the thought is in the giving, right?

You do nice work, I know you will do a great job.

Hey, it's a free cake, what do they want for $2.00, lobster?

I would just explain to them that the cake they chose may be a little out of your comfort level at this point in time, but that you understand the style of cake they're looking for and will design something similar to it. That way you can make a cake that is more comfortable for you to make!

I hope that helps! You'll do great, I'm sure of it!

wow! thats really amazing of you to do for free-because that is one big cake! Just put aside more time than you think you'll need and have fun with it

Holy Cake Batman...that is one HUGE cake...do they need a cake that large...one thing that would make it easier is to not make it as tall and maybe do 3 crosses that are single tiers instead of multi-tiers or something. Since there are so many borders, you can hide any issues you have with the fondant. This cake would also be very pretty in buttercream if you are more comfortable with that.

My plan is to definately make a smaller cake because it certainly is one massive cake & although I am happy to donate to our church I dont' want to bankrupt myself, LOL!

It will probably be just a "normal" sort of depth and my plan is to use the cross plan thats on here somewhere and make it out of a couple of 9x13 sheet cakes???

As for the design choice was kinda my own silly fault for telling them to find a picture of something along the lines of what they wanted that fitted the theme of their celebration. Another of the pictures they had was a massive church cake with a huge steeple - I was like, these people are crazy, ha ha ha!!!

having looked at your gallery.. I must say.. YOU CAN DO THAT CAKE!!! I have the utmost confidence in you abilities to pull it off...

my one major point of advice.. you send "brider" the most sincere PM begging for help and instructions. The one thing about CC that has every other forum beat is how helpful we all are to each other. Just yesterday I asked "baking4u" for help with a helmet cake and she was so helpful with instructions (she rocks)

so make sure you ask for help and you can so do that cake!!

Who says it HAS to be covered in fondant? Buttercream can be just as beautiful and from then it's just a lot of simple*but tedious* piping.

You can do this.. and I agree, if it's donated, you call the shots.