Can anyone talk to me about making a VEHICLE CAKE?

[snowleopard]

I'm thinking of attempting to make a cake shaped like some kind of vehicle for DS's 2nd birthday. Now what he would love is a helicopter or a digger, but would I be completely mad to try that? I can make cakes and I'm quite practical and creative, but I don't know much about novelty cakes and I don't know how you get that super-smooth kind of sheet icing - do you buy it ready-made and can you get different colours? And if so are they full of horrific child-monsterizing E-numbers? Has anyone made anything like this - or something a bit simpler like a car or van?

I would like to do it myself and I'd like to make something he'd enjoy - but obviously to be able to do it well enough that he will actualy recognise it for what it's meant to be!

I use the ready to roll icing for stuff like this. It probably is full of additives but then its only once or twice a year that i use it. I think you can get it coloured but i tend to colour it myself.

You could always see if the local cake decorating/kitchen shop has a digger shaped cake tin you could buy or hire and then ice it as normal and use sweets to decorate.

Or even ice it white and cut out shapes to put on top?

I think a helicopter could be easier to make the shape of

A round cake then a rectangle cut diagonally in half for the tail?

Maybe use chocolate fingers for propellers? or boudoir fingers?

Oh, you are going to have so much fun making it. I usually get inspiration from a website called www.cakecentral.com.

No you would not be completely mad trying it and your son is going to love it, even if it's not absolutely perfect. You can buy ready-made icing in different colours, don't know about e-numbers, but know that it is so much easier when it is ready made. I can try and get you a website if you want. I can't remember it off hand.

I made a firetruck for my son on his third birthday, and the hardest part is the decorating, but it is also the most fun about it.

You can buy different coloured fondant on-line from www.jane-asher.co.uk

Helicopter cake. Looks pretty easy

Land, Air and Ocean vehicles inc firetruck

Although at two I wouldn't worry about making something perfect, their imaginations make up for a lot! Just make it colourful and push lots of penny sweets into it, I'm sure he'll think it's awesome.

Wow, these pics are amazing, thank you!

I had no idea there was such a world of novelty cakes out there... I'm almost in tears looking at some of these, they're so lovely. It doesn't have to be perfect - just good enough that DS can actually see what it is. I don't want to be trying to persuade him that it's a helicopter when all he can see is a blob!

I'm thinking a helicopter would be good because I could use white icing and decorate it with sweets and it would look quite realistic. Maybe I could make some big cardboard rotorblades that actually spin round, then just take them off when we eat it.

About this ready to roll icing - what do you do, just roll it out like pastry and wrap it around? How do you get it to fit around an awkward shape?

... and also thanks for the Jane Asher website maisemore - has everything I need!

You roll it out to the required size, then lay it on top of the area you need cover and kind of push it down with your hands and smooth it out, then I cut along the edges with a sharp knife.

Wow hard to explain, hope it makes sense

My Mum always used to spread a bit of warm apricot jam over cake before putting ready to roll icing on, does make it stick better, but you don't need much.

Hey, post a pic to this thread when you've made it, I'd love to see how it turns out!

I remember Mum making me a pink fairy castle cake when I was little, with icecream cone turrets and flags, and a drawbridge and everything. A bit like this one. I was so excited I ran round the garden to celebrate lol

I made two cars for my ds 2nd birthday in January - decorated them with coloured butter icing sweets etc and placed them on coard with card to look like a finish line and cocunut grass either side. Cars are really easy to make - Use a loaf tin then slice diagonally from 1/3 in to edge to make the bake - shape of cake will look like windscreen/bonnet naturally.

have just put pics on my profile page - think my waffle makes no sense!!!!

Harry loved it btw and ran round talking about his car cake car cake fordays

Aww Katylou they're brilliant! Feeling so inspired now