I want to do a number 3 cake for my son with trains on top and around it.  I have read a few tutorials on how to do a number 3 cake by cutting two circle cakes together.  I just don't know how stable that would be??  I was wondering if anyone tried doing a number 3 cake or another number cake by just printing off a big number three and cutting out from a sheet cake?  I will probably have two leveled sheet cakes on top of each other to give it more height for what I want to do.  So...what would be best?  Cutting the circle cakes out and putting them together or cutting it from a number pattern?  Thanks so much!

When you say you don't think they would be too stable, what do you mean?  Are you trying to make the '3' stand up vertically?  If not and they are indeed flat, I guess there's no reason why you couldn't use a sheet cake, there would just be more wastage.  Unless you were going to use the offcuts for the rest of the design, I'd probably do 2 circles myself and make sure that you have a firm board to put it on.

If you are concerned that it will be less stable because it would be a tall but thin cake, perhaps just think about different sponges.  Personally, if it was well covered with buttercream before icing (assuming you are icing it) then I wouldn't perceive a problem but you could always go for a firmer sponge, like a chocolate fudge if you wanted to be on the safe side. :-)

Thanks for the reply!  What I mean is that I'm afraid that the two circle cakes will pull apart with the weight of the trains on top since it is not one unit.  It will be well iced.  We love frosting in this house. ;)  Thanks for the advice! 

Ahhh, makes sense now (I was trying to think of how you could make a vertical 3 without a lot of structural support!).  If you make sure it's on a strong board then I don't think the cakes themselves would 'split' along the weak point as there should be no movement.  That said, if the trains are heavy themselves then you would want to use dowels to take their weight... :-)

http://www.themepartiesnmore.com/cake_number_cakes.htm

I cut and paste all the time. never have they moved. if  you are scared send a skewer through and take it out before serving. Glue it well to the board with icing and it shouldn't move. if the trains are too heavy like the above said, place some dowels in the cake, right underneath where you will be placing them

How would you cover the number 3 cake with fondant? Does anyone have a tutorial?

Thank you.