Great idea Mehnaz, have a 12" square pan and a 8" square pan. What if i do square 12" at the bottom and 8" hexagon on top? Im not sure how to use fondant icing on the hexagon cake but i love the idea. That will also mean that i will have to invest in a hexagon pan..have already spent over £200 on cake stuff…
[quote=“somegroovychick”]
ok, like mehnaz said, i love the idea of using a different shape for the bottom. your cake idea is entirely do-able, btw. you could use a 12" or 10" round and then an 8" top.
since you plan on stacking your cakes, then its important to use lollipop sticks to hold up the top cake and make sure it doesn’t sink into the middle of the bottom cake. take lollipop sticks (you can get them in any baking supply store). cut their length to the height of the bottom cake and insert them into the cake. then place your smaller cake on top of the bottom cake- the lollipop sticks will hold up your cake and prevent it from smashing into the bottom layer. this link will help make sense of this- Using Dowel Rods
they use dowel rods, i use these- Lollipop Sticks - Wilton
they cut easily with a scissor whereas dowel rods require specific cutters.
Ok sounds good and will give me some peace of mind and security.
now for your blocks- you can use a regular cake but you need to put a crumb coat on first to prevent the problems you were having. a crumb coat basically does just that- seal in the crumbs so you can put a second layer of buttercream on it later and then layer on your fondant smoothly.
here is a great video demo’ing the process-
Will have a look at this video - sounds good and will try again. Maybe i will hold off investing in this pan as you say i might not get much use out of it. How will measure the size of the blocks. I would need to make 7 blocks. 6 letters and one saying 1 and i would need to make sure they are the same size. Also if i make a normal sized square cake for the blocks and crumb coat and then buttercream…will i be able to cut the squares easily? Once sliced, there will 2 sides that wont be covered with icing…then what happens…? Thats why i was thinking of buying that pan.
otherwise, the pan looks great- my only concern is how much utility you’ll get out of it after this project is over? if you think you’ll use it over and over, then buy it. otherwise, try the crumb coat technique and see how it works.
remember, PATIENCE is vital when baking. it might take you a couple of tries, but in the end, the result will be well worth it! 
and i think 2" is pretty good size-wise, but decorate one and see how it works for you. you might have to do a 12" base and a 10" top if your son’s name is longer than 4 or 5 initials, i’m thinking. and remember to “glue” your blocks to the cake and each other with toothpicks to hold them together (same idea as the lollipop sticks) but if you put them in through the sides of the cakes horizontally, then they can also won’t shift and move about on the cake and ruin your lovely icing work.
i don’t freeze my cakes before icing them. i do bake them the day before, cool them thoroughly, place them on plates and then cover them in clingwrap and put them in the fridge. i find that does the job for me. i’d give myself plenty of time to make these cakes- bake them all one day, crumb coat the next, and then decorate with fondant the third. the day you crumb coat, you should always have plenty of time to make your fondant and your fondant figurines for the cake.
here is an excellent website for when you want to look up cakes other people have made at home- its full of inspiration and tips.
there are over 19 baby block cakes with pics and descriptions, so this should help you out! Coolest Childrens Birthday Cake Recipe and Photo Gallery
Hehe…this website is absolutely wicked isnt it? I had it saved in my favourites long time ago…thank you so much SGC…I love the ideas…
**Oh and as discussed earlier…due to my fusiness of having that wow factor - i am thinking of have the rainbow cake rather than normal plain madiera cake…whachya think girles? Or am i making it more diffcult for myself? **
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