cake to feed around 40 teens? Help

frenchmartini

I've been asked to do a cake for a pals daughters birthday. I agreed but am now quite daunted by the scale of the job.
I don't have big enough equipment or oven and never made anything this size. There's going to be at least 40 possibly 50 at this gig.

Any tips.

Was going to suggest making a smaller showpiece cake and her mum could perhaps buy another one from a bakery?

Thanks

Faith

Would you do a no-bake cake, like a chocolate biscuit cake or rocky road? They serve lots of people with quite small portions because they're so dense and heavy.

frenchmartini

Thank you. I'll ask the mother but think they wanted a cake, cake.

dee_mc

I've done 2 9 or 10 inch square cakes for that size crowd, one madeira sandwich and one biscuit cake, and placed them side by side and iced as one big rectangular shape. Keeps everyone happy, although I'd recommend a chocolate ganache or buttercream rather than fondant icing for a couple of reasons: firstly I think fondant is horrible on biscuit cake, and secondly it's hard to roll out a big sheet of sugarpaste unless you're pretty experienced! Another option is to do a smaller cake plus decorated cupcakes, less messy than cutting a big cake for a party.

seosamh1980

40 portions of party size is not that big a cake. Is there other food? You would be surprised how many won't even eat a piece.

For example a 10" sq cake will feed 50 party size portions, 1"x2" slices which is a reasonable size portion of a madeira type cake that can be picked up and eaten.

Obviously if you are wanting to give everyone of them a plate and fork and wedge of dessert type cake then you would need more and would be as well to just buy a sheet cake from the nearest bakery.

frenchmartini

Oh thanks all. Think the plan was to give everyone who wanted it a small piece. Yes lots of other food besides cake.
So, a 10 inch sq could do it? Ok think that is doable.

seosamh1980

Yes that'd be plenty. If it's chocolate biscuit it would be nearly double the servings.

amdublin

Alternative is a small cake plus loads of cupcakes.

Saves on cutting and plates and serving etc.

The teenagers love cupcakes also.

rubadub

Faith wrote: »

like a chocolate biscuit cake or rocky road? They serve lots of people with quite small portions because they're so dense and heavy.

Also it lasts ages, so if you don't have many takers it will not go to waste. People can bring home portions very easily too, easily wrapped in tinfoil without being crushed. It can be cut up into loads of portions in advance while some cakes start going stale around the edges the moment they are cut, I always find precut sponge cakes laid out on plates very unappetizing, no issue with biscuit cake though. I will also gladly finish off a friends half eaten portion of biscuit cake, a sponge cake is usually horribly messy looking at that stage -drives me mad seeing waste like that at events.

sammyjo90

You could also do a cupcake pull apart cake, if the mother wants a designed cake! They look really cool online and everyone gets a cake! My sister is doing one on saturday!

frenchmartini

Thanks all, the party was Sat and the cake was a massive success. The teen girl squealed a lot when she saw it!
I have a pic, will try to upload for you to see. It was a rectangle, covered in pale green icing and sugar paste flowers, to give a meadow feel,

Dizzyblonde

Oh wow, that looks amazing

frenchmartini

Thank you!