I'm planning to make a Giant Cupcake Cake (with the Wilton pan) and put it on top of an 10" round cake. I'm going to use the Candy Melt method of making the wrapper. The only thing is.. I'm worried about how I'm going to put a center dowel through the entire cake because of the candy melt wrapper. I do think the cake needs the dowel though so the giant cupcake doesn't fall right off. What if the candy melt wrapper just kind of cracks when I hammer in the dowel? Has anyone done this? Any advice please.

Yes, I've done it; and like you, I was extremely nervous abut it. I placed mine on a cardboard cake base and made sure that my dowel was SHARP..........and the candy melt wrapper was at room temperature.


I held my breath the whole time, but it worked!!

Good Luck!!!
Kat

What if you cut out a hole big enough for the dowel to pass thru before the melts are completely dry? You can cut it with a small circle cutter if you have one. Maybe even a knife.
Or after it hardens maybe you could make the hole by warming something metal with a tubular handle (I'm thinking a cooking spoon perhaps?) or the circle cutter and melting a hole into it?
I've never tried this but those are my ideas. I hope I've helped you somewhat or at least inspired you to try something similar!

Could you tell me what the candy melt method is? I would love to know. I never know what to do with the bottom of the giant cupcake.

I coat the wrapper portion of the pan at least 2-3 times till the surface no longer shows through the melted candy. You can also just pour the candy melts into the pan and swirl around until fully coated. I got frustrated with that, and just used a pastry brush until I was satisfied. Then just put it in the freezer, and pop it out of the pan.

Keep in mind that if you plan to place a baked cake from the wrapper pan in the candy melt form, you need to carve it down so that it doesn't put pressure on the candy and cause it to crack.

HTH
Kat

Thank you!

wow, this sounds fascinating. I would love to see a picture of the final cake

Why do you think it would fall off? I see no need for a dowel unless someone is picking that cake up for transport themselves. Cakes are way overdoweled if you ask me. I never use them. I'll use an offset skewer occasionally, but center dowels, no way.

Wilton's directions for making candy melt shell/cupcake wrapper using Dimensions Giant Cupcake Pan:
(With finished photo):

http://www.wilton.com/idea/Pearlized-Posies-Candy

HTH

Thanks so much Kat and everyone else for your help. I do think it will need a dowel because it's being picked up by someone. Better safe than sorry I think. I don't want the cupcake cake to sink into the other cake so I'll be using dowels in the bottom cake too. Yep, I'll be carving the bottom part of the cupcake cake too. I'm going to make two of the wrappers (with candy melts) so first, I'll try what Kat did with just a really sharp dowel. If that doesn't work, I'll make one like someone suggested with a circle cut out of the bottom. I'll be making it this week, so I'll let everyone know how it goes and I'll post a picture.

I heat up my knife sharpener that has a round end and push it through the choclolate,works perfect all the time.

Has anyone tried the candy melt technique with the silicone cupcake liners? I'd like to do a regular cupcake version for my daughters class. Just wondering if this would work

Carmen500 that's a perfect tool to use! When I first posted a reply to the OP's question, that's what had in mind but you hit it right io the nail head. That's what I would use.

azchic - I've seen it done using the silicone molds before so I'm sure it would work for you.

Has anyone tried filing the center of the base of a giant cupcake like you would a regular cupcake or just icing between the base and top? I'd like to try but I don't want it to collapse on me? It seems kinda plain just a big chunk of cake but maybe that's what it's supposed to be this is my first try at it.
Thanks for the help

Okay, so I'm trying to make this cake and it's been a disaster. The first time I made the shell, it worked great - it came out of the pan perfectly. I put all the cake inside, etc. Then I put it on the cake with a board underneath. Then I put the center dowel down the middle of the entire cake (it does need it because the giant cupcake would just slide off without it) - that's when the trouble started... I guess the bottom of the candy melt wrapper was so thick that the dowel kind of bent when it hit that part, went through. but crooked! Then the giant cupcake was kind of sticking up a bit..so I tried to put the giant cupcake off, and the whole thing snapped apart.
Soooo... here I am starting all over again. I left a hole in the middle this time, using a cookie cutter (sitting inside while I pour in the candy melts). It's all ready, but now it won't come out of the damn pan! What the &6%$!!! I'm so upset right now.. I don't know what to do! I should have just left the giant cupcake on the other cake a bit crooked! Can anyone help me figure out why this candy melt wrapper won't come out of the pan?!! It must be because there's a hole in the bottom because it came out fine the first time!

Would putting it in the freezer Help? I do this with candy that won't come out of the mold.
Molly

I think the hole is preventing it from coming out, and yes; put it in the freezer. When I inserted my dowel ( extra, extra sharp) I hammered it in very gently and didn't have any problems going through the wrapper and also a cake board. Is it on a cake board? Make sure your wrapper is at room temp before you hammer the dowel in. Just go slow and easy.

I don't think you're going to have enough stability with a hole already in it, and yeah; it definitely needs a dowel........these are heavy cakes.
Keep us posted.

Wish there was a hug emoticon!!

Kat

I guess I am being a dunce here - first you make the giant cupcake - clean the pan, etc. and pour chocolate in the pan to make a hard shell - do you drop the baked cupcake cake into the shell afterwards?

Okay everyone, I'm back on track! Thank God! Luckily I baked an extra giant cupcake and bought more than enough candy melts (just in case)! So, YES, it needed to go in the freezer to come out of the pan! This time I used the one with the hole in the bottom - thank you so much to whomever it was that suggested that. So, this time when I put in the center dowel, it didn't have to go through the candy melts, so it went right in straight this time and the giant cupcake is finally sitting level on the bottom cake. YAY! It looks really really good so far! I'll be decorating it tomorrow morning so I'll post a picutre tomorrow afternoon. Thanks so much to everyone for your help and support!

Done! Yay! And I'm so happy with how it turned out! There's a picture of it in my photos (the last one I uploaded). Thanks again to everyone for your help!

It's beautiful! You dun good,lol!

Nice work!

Thanks!

Someone had asked me how I did the swirl.. so here's the directions:

I used the Wilton Giant Cupcake pan. So for the swirl: I cut away one of the ridges all the way around (just so that the bumps would be more pronouned). Then covered it in a light coat of buttercream, you will have to run either a clean or gloved finger around the groove to remove the excess icing. Then cover in fondant. Then run either your finger or the ball tool around in the grove to indent the fondant. I hope that makes sense.

I tried to post a picture here, but it didn't work, so just look at my photos and you'll see a picture of the finished cake as well as the cucpake swirl top (before icing).

Thanks so much to all for sharing your experiences with the giant cupcake! I've often thought about getting one of those pans, but have hesitated because so many of the finished cakes I've see just didn't look as great as I would like (not enough definition). But now I am inspired! Gonna use a coupon at Michael's and pick one up soon!

Thanks for sharing!!! Now I can make one.