Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I have an order for a 2 layer sheet cake to serve 65-70 people.

Can anyone help as I have never done sheet cakes that big? Also, how many cake mix boxes will I need for a sheet cake that size according to Wilton's recommendation 12x18 would be the ideal size pan. The cake is due in 2 weeks.

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Hi Naheed, I just made one for the last wedding I did exactly like how you want to make yours. It's not hard. You are right about the size of pan, and mine takes three cake mixes to fill for each layer so that would be six cake mixes total. How I did mine, was bake the two layers, and when they were a few minutes cool out of the oven, I covered a sheet cake cardboard with a sheet of parchment, and placed over the top of the cake while the cake is still in the pan. Then, I use my hot pad holders to grab the sides of the pan and the cardboard and flip it over so that the cake lands on the cardboard covered in parchment. I trim off any excess parchment paper and place the whole cake and cardboard into a shrink wrap bag made from my shrink wrap machine (you can use plastic wrap to wrap it up and then place in a small white trash can-size bag, once it cools completely). Then I place both layers into my freezer, sealed with a twisty tie on the plastic, until the night before I ice the cake. On the night before icing, take both layers out of the freezer and position the bottom layer onto whatever is going to be your 'plate/cardboard/tray,wooden board, etc.' It should peal off of the parchment  paper pretty easily. Then go ahead and put whatever filling you are using on top of the frozen cake. Peal the parchment paper off of the other tier and place it on top of the filled bottom tier. Take one of the bags that you used for freezing the cakes, and lay it on top of the cake and let it naturally thaw out overnight with no icing on the sides. In the morning, you will have the moistest cake ready to ice and decorate. You have two weeks to go ahead and get them baked and frozen and they won't go bad in that short of time. In my pictures is a picture of Megan's wedding cake, and it has a picture of the sheet cake there.

Thank you so much Linda, for explaining how do sheet cakes.

That's good to know to bake the cakes so far ahead, didn't think about it. Will do as soon as I'm able to find a sheet pan that size.

 I do  the part of  your step, which is to wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and then in foil paper and freeze  them. I like to do the final covering in foil paper,a s when the cake is thawed, the condesation stays outside and no tmake the cake too wet. Am I right about it?

The one concern is when we ice the cake , how does one cover when we put it in the refrigerator, doesn't the cake dry if it's left uncovered. What do you do with sheet cakes or tiered cakes.  I checked out the picture of Megan's wedding cake as you had mentioned. It's really beautiful.

I have a question and that is how do you attach fondant figures to BC / Fondant cakes.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well, since this is 1st time. Thank you for being so encouraging :)

Naheed, once I take the cakes out and ice in between the two layers, and place the top layer on top, I don't put them back into the refrigerator. I just lay the plastic wrap over the cake loosely and let it naturally thaw out overnight, (I do this right before I go to bed so that the cake is not out for more than the night hours) then, the first thing in the morning, I crumb coat and then ice the cake. It will not become dry overnight. It is usually very very moist. Then I decorate the cake, and once done, place it in the sheet cake box and usually deliver the cakes that day or the next, and I have never had anyone tell me that the cakes are dry. It's usually the other way around and that they are very moist. Of course, climate will determine what you will do. I live in the Midwest, and it is usually more humid here than in other areas. I never refrigerate cakes that will be delivered that day or the next unless it has a filling or icing that needs to be kept cold.


The other thing, about fondant figures attaching to BC/Fondant cake. Are they figures that are on the sides of the cake? That one sheet cake that I made with the baby jungle animals in my pictures, none of the animals are attached except for the toucan to the tree. If you look close to that cake, it has a brown 'floor' or dirt that is made from an oval of fondant and centered on the cake, then the animals are placed onto the dirt floor. I only did that because the client wanted to save the little animals as keep-sakes for her new grandchild, (which the cake was made for) so I didn't want the bottoms to be covered in butter cream and make them all messy. I did not attach the animals to that dirt oval. If I am not answering your question the way you mean, write me back. Maybe I am not understanding what you mean.
naheed ullah said:

Thank you so much Linda, for explaining how do sheet cakes.

That's good to know to bake the cakes so far ahead, didn't think about it. Will do as soon as I'm able to find a sheet pan that size.

 I do  the part of  your step, which is to wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and then in foil paper and freeze  them. I like to do the final covering in foil paper,a s when the cake is thawed, the condesation stays outside and no tmake the cake too wet. Am I right about it?

The one concern is when we ice the cake , how does one cover when we put it in the refrigerator, doesn't the cake dry if it's left uncovered. What do you do with sheet cakes or tiered cakes.  I checked out the picture of Megan's wedding cake as you had mentioned. It's really beautiful.

I have a question and that is how do you attach fondant figures to BC / Fondant cakes.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well, since this is 1st time. Thank you for being so encouraging :)

I see Linda has given you excellent advice as well. I freeze my cakes to Naheed.  Especially if you are busy, it is a real time saver, and Linda is right. Your cakes are incredibly moist.  I know on the  "Ace of Cakes" show, Duff would say about his cakes...always fresh, never frozen.  A lot of people are opposed to "freezing" your cakes ahead of time. I think that is silly.  Saves time & energy. It is not like the cake has been in the freezer for 6 months, well at least I hope not. I do torte & ice cakes fresh, but it is a lot easier when they have been frozen. Easier to trim, crub coat, just plain easier to work with. 

Thank you Linda, so much for answering all my questions:). 
The fondant figures which I am making are 3 little baby bears with some flower blossoms scattered around. This was requested by the customer as this cake is being made for her baby girl. I did look at your cake with the jungle animals, it was really very nice and you've cleared my doubt :)

If there is any other question, then I'll write to you.

Linda Wolff said:

Naheed, once I take the cakes out and ice in between the two layers, and place the top layer on top, I don't put them back into the refrigerator. I just lay the plastic wrap over the cake loosely and let it naturally thaw out overnight, (I do this right before I go to bed so that the cake is not out for more than the night hours) then, the first thing in the morning, I crumb coat and then ice the cake. It will not become dry overnight. It is usually very very moist. Then I decorate the cake, and once done, place it in the sheet cake box and usually deliver the cakes that day or the next, and I have never had anyone tell me that the cakes are dry. It's usually the other way around and that they are very moist. Of course, climate will determine what you will do. I live in the Midwest, and it is usually more humid here than in other areas. I never refrigerate cakes that will be delivered that day or the next unless it has a filling or icing that needs to be kept cold.


The other thing, about fondant figures attaching to BC/Fondant cake. Are they figures that are on the sides of the cake? That one sheet cake that I made with the baby jungle animals in my pictures, none of the animals are attached except for the toucan to the tree. If you look close to that cake, it has a brown 'floor' or dirt that is made from an oval of fondant and centered on the cake, then the animals are placed onto the dirt floor. I only did that because the client wanted to save the little animals as keep-sakes for her new grandchild, (which the cake was made for) so I didn't want the bottoms to be covered in butter cream and make them all messy. I did not attach the animals to that dirt oval. If I am not answering your question the way you mean, write me back. Maybe I am not understanding what you mean.
naheed ullah said:

Thank you so much Linda, for explaining how do sheet cakes.

That's good to know to bake the cakes so far ahead, didn't think about it. Will do as soon as I'm able to find a sheet pan that size.

 I do  the part of  your step, which is to wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and then in foil paper and freeze  them. I like to do the final covering in foil paper,a s when the cake is thawed, the condesation stays outside and no tmake the cake too wet. Am I right about it?

The one concern is when we ice the cake , how does one cover when we put it in the refrigerator, doesn't the cake dry if it's left uncovered. What do you do with sheet cakes or tiered cakes.  I checked out the picture of Megan's wedding cake as you had mentioned. It's really beautiful.

I have a question and that is how do you attach fondant figures to BC / Fondant cakes.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well, since this is 1st time. Thank you for being so encouraging :)

Yes, June, Linda and you both have answered almost every question which I had.

I will  be following your advice to the dot. The last cake which I had made with the gum paste Briar rose was the 1st time I froze the cake, and the result was that it was very moist. So, from now on I 'll always be freezing the cakes :)

June Kowalczyk said:

I see Linda has given you excellent advice as well. I freeze my cakes to Naheed.  Especially if you are busy, it is a real time saver, and Linda is right. Your cakes are incredibly moist.  I know on the  "Ace of Cakes" show, Duff would say about his cakes...always fresh, never frozen.  A lot of people are opposed to "freezing" your cakes ahead of time. I think that is silly.  Saves time & energy. It is not like the cake has been in the freezer for 6 months, well at least I hope not. I do torte & ice cakes fresh, but it is a lot easier when they have been frozen. Easier to trim, crub coat, just plain easier to work with. 

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