Cake for 350 people

[pengyou]

I am not sure that I am going to do this...I want to put my idea out here and let you bat it around a while and see if there is a sane way to do this. I will be leaving my university in Shanghai to go to Taiwan and want to make cake for the students I have had over the past 2.5 years. As mentioned in another post, I have had troubles with making multiple batches. One suggestion was to measure by weight and not by volume, as well as to make sure I am using a pan with the same dimensions that the recipe was intended for. I am well known for my chocolate cake - I have a really good recipe that is almost foolproof if I make it one batch at a time. I am open to other ideas - maybe a good, simple carrot cake? I can buy aluminum foil pans that are 13x9 I would probably be making 12 cakes that size. I also have a full sheet cake pan - I can have a local baker bake the cake for me. I want to be able to do all of this on Christmas evening, in about six hours, so that I can give the cake to the students on Monday. These are my restrictions. I have thought about cupcakes but, to be honest, in the 20 years or so I have been baking I have never made cupcakes. They would make serving easier. I am open to try something new - I have enough time to do a trial run before Xday

Ideas for cakes or cupcakes? Also, how do I guarantee consistent results? Sifting is better? What is the best order to mix the ingredients? Carrot cake? Anything is game but I do not want to have to deal with separating egg whites while making so many cakes. Pies are out also, unless it is something that will make in a standard cake pan. Cookies...maybe pan cookies...ideally something that can easily be eaten with the fingers without making a mess.

Pleh! Pleh! cried professor backwards.

 

[Rocklobster]

This may give you an idea. It is a basic sheetcake recipe for 100 people. Perhaps you could multiply the ingredients by 3.5. There are a few directions that may help you also.
Type your title here.Recipe 1

 

[pengyou]

Thanks! Do you have a recipe like that for carrot cake? maybe with pineapple and walnuts and raisins? can I substitute butter for the shortening?

 

[Pichet]

Sounds like a really nice idea, but very daunting! Good Luck

 

[Rocklobster]

Thanks! Do you have a recipe like that for carrot cake? maybe with pineapple and walnuts and raisins? can I substitute butter for the shortening?

Sorry, but I don't. I wouldn't know where to start to substitute or add some of those ingredients. Here is a recipe for 36 servings. Maybe you could try and multiply by 10? I dunno. Sounds tricky, but it may work. you could also bake a bunch of cakes. Carrot cake keeps fairly well for a couple of days. You could have them all baked by then? Carrot Cake for a Crowd recipe - Canadian Living

 

[pengyou]

hmmmm tasty looking recipe! If I want to add walnuts to it, do I need to modify the recipe? and how many cups walnuts?