I need collective wisdom of experts pls!

[ClaireFromWork]

I have been asked if I can make a wedding cake. The one wanted is the "fruit" cake 4th one down on this link.

I haven't make a cake like this before - never used stackers and just wants some hints and tips before I commit to it.

My main questions are:

1. What size cakes - Five lemons in a row is 12". There are 120 guests.

2. This cake has dots on the top and on the bases - do you think it would look better with dots on all cakes to match the ribbon of each cake?

3. It's going to be a tall cake - how would I assemble it?

4. How do I attach the fruit?

5. Any other hints / tips very gratefully received.

Hmmm - I am no cake expert, so this is just thoughts...

here is a link to a sizing chart for cakes; so you can determine what size cakes to bake. Although there are to be 120 guests, there may be other people who can't attend, that the married couple will wish to send cake to.

Dots - I would suggest running that past the people the cake is for. It's subtle enough to work with dots on all levels but you may just be making more work for yourself. (I have no idea how to put dots on evenly - guess there is a template that you could use).

Assemble at venue - transport each layer separately. You can keep them apart by using dowel rods through the entire height of the cake, concealed inside plastic 'pillars' towards the middle (so you could hide those behind the lemons, limes etc.). I only know this bit because my MIL decorated our wedding cake, and that's how she approached it.

Attach fruit with icing blobs?

Other hints - make sure you're definitely ok with doing it - if you're not then it's better to say no. Make sure that the couple the cake is for are absolutely clear in what their expectations are, and 100% clear on how the cake is to look. Finally - don't panic! :)

Thanks.

Also, what to put on the top. Feathers?

I'd be tempted to put more fruit - something red - cherries, strawberries, raspberries... but it depends on the time of year the cake is going to be around.

Or something with the happy couple's initials? Like this

Unless you are 100% confident on icing cakes (the base covering) I would be seriously tempted to do that with M&S or similar ready-iced ones. Getting that smooth finish is actually the hardest bit. Then you could focus on sourcing the ribbons and fruit, and the assembly/ adding spots if you want to.

Definitely assemble it in place, but you need the "scaffolding" sorted - you need pillars which will give you the right gaps, and dowels cut to the right lengths - all of which will be hidden behind the fruit. You basically need to build the whole thing at home to get it all right, and then box up each tier separately and reassemble on site.

I think more fruit on top would be fab - or a combination of fruit and similarly coloured flowers?

I thought about that but the other fruits are citrus fruits and the top is hot pink rather than red. I wondered if some pink feathers with diamante sparkles in them might work a bit like this but without doves

stealth - I'm confident I can cover the cakes - that bit doesn't worry me. I've done similar sized and shaped cakes before but have never stacked using spacing blocks / pillars.

When you say assemble it in place do you mean at the venue? Obvioulsy I'll have the dowels and pillars already in place but what I'm wondering is when I would put the fruit on? Would you do it before you added the next layer or would you do it after the whole cake was assembled and risk scratching the surface of the cakes?

Also, I am planning to cover the boards now in readiness for the wedding which is at the end of August. I've never done them that far in advance before - is it OK to do it this early?

How about hot pink gerberas for the top - or even nasturtiums for a 100% edible cake?

Definitely final assembly at the venue. Maybe if you marked/iced a square on each tier as a guide you could place the fruit before adding the next tier?

I can't see a problem with doing the boards now but would defer to the real pros on that one.