DS wants a bus shaped birthday cake! Help!

[Lochroy]

I'm a fairly decent baker but need to follow a recipe. And I've only ever used buttercream icing with not always the tidiest results.

Any suggestions on how I whip up a bus shaped cake? I was thinking a couple of loaf tin type shaped cakes on top of each other. And that I'd probably need to use the roll out icing?

Happy to buy equipment as required from e.g. Lakeland or Hobbycraft. Any suggestions please for:

-cake tins

• cake recipes
• tips for using roll out icing?

I've seen a lot of videos on the internet for decorating a bus so I can probably figure that bit out

How old is DS? Can you just do something fun even if a bit messy?

Personally I would use a single loaf tin, do the best possible for icing windows on, and use giant buttons for wheels. If you can also ice the plate to look like a road that would help.

This thread might help ...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/arts_and_crafts/1420829-Making-a-Bus-Cake

I'd just make a cake in a loaf tin, cover it with red icing - the type you can buy pre coloured and just roll out. Oreos for wheels and white icing for windows. Perhaps some M&S Percy piglets in the windows for passengers?

Ooooh. I did one of those for DS's first or second birthday.

I'd stay two loaves, as you said, and cut it to the right shape.
And roll out icing will probably look tidier, yes. Also easier, as you can buy it in the different colours. But practice with it first. There are techniques to use it.

I'd use a normal square cake tin (it's normal for my cakes to be square, some weirdos like round cakes...) and cut the cake in half to stack into a rectangle shape with buttercream between layers.
Roll out icing for decoration with liquorice wheels, or giant buttons for wheels.
A toothpick to 'paint' on the letters for the numberplate in food colouring.

If you’re not great at icing, instead of doing an upright 3D bus, what about doing a sheet cake and decorating the top of that so you’re just doing one side of the bus? One easy layer of red icing, liquorice wheel wheels, some fondant cutouts for windows etc, much less chance of fucking up/bits sliding off

Just fucking buy one.

Life's too short. And it will be cheaper anyway, baking is expensive once you buy all the shit that comes with!

I would make a 1 dimensional cake like this one I found online.
It will be easier for you to work on.

My kids are absolutely bus mad so I feel your pain. I attempted one for my eldests 2nd birthday years ago, 2 cakes put together & covered in icing & decorated on windows etc, it wasn't great as I'm not very artistic 🤣
Asked my eldest what he'd like for this years cake.... a bloody bus 🤦‍♀️ I found a picture of his favourite bus & had it printed on to sugar paper, we then just put that onto a rectangular cake, he loved it and wasn't too much faff!

A loaf shaped cake, decent size. Ice windows and doors on the sides and some evidence of passengers within (you may be able to buy 'heads' to attach.
A bit more imagination needed for front: grill and driver with wheel but - you can do it op!

Good luck and have fun. I used to love making such cakes, don't know if I could now.

Nobody minds if it looks a bit surrealistic, it will be better than one made in a shop.

It might be easier to do a bus on its side rather than an upright bus. So a rectangle shaped cake, covered in red fondant, then cut out squares of a different colour fondant for the windows.

@Melitza

I would make a 1 dimensional cake like this one I found online. It will be easier for you to work on.

Cute bus, but that's three dimensional as it has depth too.

I made a fire engine a couple of years ago and a police car. Messy but ok. Like you I can make a cake taste ok but my decorating skills are low! I bought pre coloured icing and rolled it out. Cling film on finger to smooth. Went for a more cartoon look. The double loaf tin sounds good but mine have a bit of a shape to them so I used a large square tin and cut. Order edible glue, you can make it but I struggle with consistency. I used red to cover the cake once cut to size then rolled out the other colours cut shapes out and glued on. My tip is invest in a proper fondant rolling pin, I borrowed a massive one which was great but have since ordered a tiny one which does much of the stuff i needed but less good for covering an entire vehicle. Plenty of icing sugar on the worktop before rolling and be warned the clean up from that is horrid! Last time I bought a packet mix cake, tasted terrible compared to own made but was a really solid consistency for stacking. Good luck!

I’ve done the double loaf cake, neatened up, butter creamed, then red fondant, then white square windows.

Even if it looks messy, it still looks like a bus.

This is one I made years ago. I used a large rectangle tin and then cut it into the shape. If you’re doing a red bus buy red ready to roll icing. Trying to colour white is a nightmare!

Oh that's gorgeous Jackie

I was going to suggest a plain cake. Stick on a toy bus on the top

Thank for all of the replies! I'm certainly coming round to the idea of a 'flat' bus rather than full 3D!
Looks like I'll have to get to grips with ready made icing. I'm sure it will be fine...

Just in case anyone is still reading... does anyone have a recipe for a square Victoria Sponge, or know how I would convert the recipe and cooking time from a round tin recipe?