Cake baking - 2 questions

[chicaguapa]

Hi - About to start planning DD's birthday cake. How big would it need to be to feed 30 kids?

Also wanted to check about freezing it. Does it need to be defrosted before I decorate it or can I ice it when it's frozen?

southislandmum is ace cake-baker - I'll tell her about your thread for next time New Zealand is awake!

How about a cupcake tower? We've just done one and it looks ace, much easier to guess quantities too. We used the muffin sized cake tins and got creative with the icing on top.

they only need a little bit each so I make 8oz flour, 8oz sugar, 8oz butter 4 eggs adn is plenty.

would defrost totally before icing - can't htink of any problems but I would worry that it would still be frozen on the day.

Cake is a pint of stress but at the end of the day they don't really notice - I once did the whole cake candles thing and then forgot to put it in the party bags - no one commented!

Too kind Lio. Nigella needn't worry just yet. DD's 3rd birthday party today. A year doesn't seem long enough to recover before the next one.

As to cakes....I did a four egg, 8oz flour/sugar/fat cake for today and it was a pretty big cake, but it would have to have been sliced v. thinly to be big enough for 30 children,

Freezing sponge cakes works really well. Probably best to defrost before icing.

What I did when DD had a big party was made a normal sized cake but also made iced cupcakes to put in their party bags in advance - so less faffing on the day - and we cut the big cake with family that popped in later.

Went to a girlie birthday (4 yrs) last week. The mum made white choc covered cupcakes in pretty silver and gold foil cases. Mounted them all up together on a silver platter with silver and gold dragees, draped pink and silver necklaces over the heap, silver tiara at the front etc On each cupcake set into the frosting was a pink ring as an extra decoration/party bag filler. It looked amazing, very girly and we were all green with envy that we had not come up with the idea. So often the end of a party from cutting the cake and saying good bye to guests is short and frantic cutting, napkin wrapping, bag stuffing exercise for the adults - this was a pice of cake

yep did cupcakes yesterday for dd's party makes the end of party very very easy! Did halloween ones too som were eyeballs with black icing and some were oange with spiders and webs looked very effective when piled up and you get a great effect with the candles being at different levels.