BIG birthday cake

[southerncook]

I am a 'good' baker, but have small ovens. I need to feed 50 at a birthday party, do you think I should bake 2 sheet cakes and put them together, or (as my son suggests) make like a wedding cake, layerd thing? also, need good recipes...scratch, hard is ok. especially the icing. problem here is humidity. I made petit fours for a shower and had to adjust untill I gave up and stuck them in the fridge, and on a cold plate to serve. I really need a hard icing, and not a rolled fondant please, they look pretty, but no-one eats the icing!!! help

[kansasgirl]

I think that you could go either way with putting two together, or stacking them. I am thinking though that you could really dress up a cake with fresh fruit and flowers instead of an icing since I have found that most people pick off the icing and eat the cake. I love this cake and have always gotten kudos for it. It has a glaze instead of a thick frosting which might work well with fresh fruit, flowers, etc. You could always frost it though it you wanted to.

White Texas Sheet Cake
1/2 c shortening
2 c granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1 ts salt
1 ts baking soda
2 c flour
1 3/4 c buttermilk
1 ts vanilla extract
1 ts almond extract
1 butter, melted
1/3 c buttermilk
1 ts almond extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c coconut, toasted
1/2 c almond slices, toasted

Preheat oven to 350F.
1.Mix shortening, sugar and egg whites together until fluffy. Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix to combine.
2.Mix together 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Add to the first mixture.
3.Bake in greased, and paper lined jellyroll pan for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before removing from pan. Glaze cake while slightly warm.
4.Mix butter, 1/3 cup buttermilk, extract, and confectioners' sugar together. Glaze cake while warm. Sprinkle with coconut and almonds before serving.

[southerncook]

thought...
the girl loves cheesecake..i have 3 sizes of springform pans, what if I make 3 cheesecakes and stack them? could put dowls under the alum.pan bottoms, make cutting easy and not destroy the cakes. experts? advise, please.

[southerncook]

or do you think I'd do better w/a recipe like Kansasgirls, and just dress it up? I'd go either way, but if I do a traditional cake, I need a good HARD icing to go on it...helps to keep the wax off!!!

[marmalady]

To keep on your cheesecake thought - why stack them? Just make three different kinds of cheesecakes, and arrange them on pretty platters, or look for a 'cake tier' if you can find one (sometimes wedding supply places have them).

[PA Baker]

I agree with marmalady. If you don't stack, you can have three different flavors of cheesecake easily available to please all of your guests. You can decorate them similarly so that they are connected, at least in theme (hope that makes sense!). Here's a link for tiered cake stands: http://www.vanhorn-hayward.com/ Let us know what you decide on!

[Goodweed of the North]

Another possibility, stack three sheet cakes. I posted a cream-cheese frosting that would do well as the icing between layers. It has a good cheese flavor and is very soft, yet firm enough to hold the layers together. There is also a chocolate shell recipe that would work for the "hard icing" you request. You could make it by substituting white chocolate for the semi-sweet morsels. Just measure by the white-chocolate by weight.

Another easy way to serve your guests would be to make jelly-rolled cakes. Each could be of a different flavor, with different flavored icings. Arrange them side by side, like logs.

The tiered cheesecake idea is great. Marmalady always has very good ideas.

One more idea from me. Many weddings and parties are now substituting pies for cakes. The advantages are that you can have several flavors. Also, the pies are their own decoration. They are also less expensive than cakes. Display them on several cake stands in a beautiful display.

Hope these ideas help.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[Psiguyy]

Depending on the crowd, I would be careful about stacking cakes. Kids love a piece of cake with nice sweet frosting on it. When you stack, you end up with a lot of pieces that don't look good on the plate.

[kitchenelf]

I have had a link to this woman's site for years. I just like to look - I am in total awe!!!!!!

Elegant Cheese Cakes

And here's a picture of one

[southerncook]

psiguy...all adults, 1 child of the birthday girl
kitchenelf....can't do that!...see it's all in the icing! I'd need to go to school, maybe.
PA baker, I'm thinking about doing 3 differnt things. A reg. cake and a cheese cake and a tart, because I ordered a tiered cake server thanks to the suggestions! I may just put the candles on the regular cake...guys, I have until the 16th, and I work well under pressure, keep the ideas going. thanks soooo much.