How do I magic up a rocket cake by the weekend?

[cakebytheweekend]

I naively thought I could buy one off the shelf but apparently not. Don't want to completely let DS down, but where do I start?

I can bake, but only have recipes and tins for 8" round. Happy to buy bigger tins if anyone has a reliable recipe?

I am a bit shit at icing but happy to try, although when I tried with fondant last year it wouldn't roll and just cracked so resorted to buttercream with mixed results.

What would you do? I've seen I can order plain sponge slabs to cut up and ice at home. Or order a plain white sponge to decorate, but I think he really wants a rocket shaped cake.

Time is tight, I've only really got Thursday after work to do this.

Or do I just give up and buy something boring.

You've got to avoid making a penis cake. That's it. Rockets can so easily end up looking like a knob, even if you ice it in blue and red.

americancakedecorating.com/easy-rocket-cake-tutorial/ - this looks easy. Or look on YouTube for a rocket cake tutorial.

Plain cake with lots Of toppers?

Auidy_6TXD 17Pcs Space Cake Toppers, Space Theme Happy Birthday Cake Decorations Astronaut Cupcake Toppers for Kid boys Birthday Space Theme Party amzn.eu/d/ecSnmoG

Easy option- bake a rectangle cake and cut it into a flat rocket shape. Harder option- make several small round cakes and stack then carve. Wilkos do packs of 4/5in round disposable tins which are good for tall round cakes. Or make a rectangle and cut out circles then stack.

I'd stick a rocket toy on a Sainsbury's Madeira party cake.
Child gets to keep toy - you're not faffing with cakes - everyone wins.

This is the one area of mothering where I am hideously, unashamedly lazy.

It's very simple actually. See attached what i did recently

Buy a plain flat cake, and make a rocket launch pad out of it (or do nothing more), then stick toy rockets and astronaut figures on top. Job done and toys are kept

Add a sparkler candle as booster and you're done :)

Spend £40 on a Space Galaxy Cake from Waitrose?
www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/3896406957496631044?lsf=seller:8225840,store:8838720043028621351,lsfqd:0&prds=oid:11558985917865310105&q=cakes+%26+dessert+bars&hl=en-US&ei=oJLWYvirJoKOgQbFz5bABA&sts=14&lsft=gclid:EAIaIQobChMIgNHz9umE-QIVoIBQBh2WFgOmEAQYASABEgLY9fD_BwE,gclsrc:aw.ds

I'm sure you can do this. Just remember it doesn't have to look like bake off or those hyperrealistic cakes. It just has to spark his imagination! If you're worried don't do a stack just do a flat rocket shape cut out of your round tins and don't rely on piping to do the details - do a layer of buttercream and then use smarties, strawberry laces, rich tea biscuit for the window maybe? That sort of thing. You can get those tiny writing icing pipes to add definition too.



OK so this is what I would do.
Buy the sponge slab for decorating. Draw or print out a rocket shape, put it on the slab & cut round it (you'll have a lying down rocket, but hey, it's still a rocket right?)
Use fondant on the top (easier to stop it cracking when you don't have to shape it) & a wide ribbon in the same colour as the fondant to wrap round the sides. Buy some gel icing pens to add the detail to the rocket.
Pop it on a cake board. If it's gone well so far you could make some planets out of fondant, if not print or draw them & stick them on the cake board. If they have it in your supermarket grab some spray like this www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/295375536?preservedReferrer=www.google.com/
Spray a load of milky way stars gold & arrange round the rocket.
Good luck!!

I made this when DS was 3. I'm no expert but it came out pretty well. It's a woman weekly book called Fantastic Cakes

I would do something like this

Buy some pudding moulds in different sizes or bake cupcakes and stack them using cocktail sticks. Rockets are made of separate modules(layers). Or bake a round one to decorate as a planet and mould a rocket from fondant or use a toy

Make a round cake. Decorate with a 2D fondant rocket surrounded by buttercream night sky.

Make a flat sponge and cut out shape and lots of icing ....or buy 2 swiss rolls and cut to shape? That gives a good 3d shape and saves baking! ..... i have done both....when having to do quick i put blue starry wrapping paper on board/baking tray as background with pictures of earth/big stars glued on..used sweets for flames and ready made coloured icing for decoration.... porthole cut out of foil and a photo of child glued on as astronaut....very homemade looking but the kids liked it....

Thank you, thank you. A flat rocket is absolutely fine. I like sparkler boosters and smarties for a window as it adds a bit to it. Also offcuts into stars looks good too.

Keen as I am to try baking (imagining the horror of my relatives' faces that I haven't made the cake) if I can get some sponge delivered next day then I think that's the way to go.

I wouldn't even know where to start with icing like that!!

8 day lead time

Well it would amuse DH & me!

You can buy space themed cake kits on Amazon. They consist of stars, planets & a rocket etc. some on wires to float obverse the cake. Buy or make a basic round cake, cover with swirls of mixed blues butter cream icing... buy a tub & mix through blue dues, but not thoroughly to make different shades... add stars, planets etc

Like this...

There's loads of rocket moulds on Amazon with next day delivery.

The think with moulds and cutting out a flat rocket from a rectangular tin is that I don't have a recipe for them though.

Don't tie yourself in a knot, lower your expectations. Any old sponge, bake or buy one and buttercream it. I'm betting there's a rocket toy lying around the house somewhere, stick that on the top. If not buy a greeting card with a rocket on it, cut it out and stick a kebab stick to the back and stick it in the top of the cake. Chuck as much cake glitter and smarties as you can at it, and finish it off with a load of cake sparklers.