So I'm going to attempt something like this cake for DS1's birthday on Saturday...any tips?!

[MamaG]

cake

I was thinking instead of using green sprinkles for the middle bits (ugh) I could colour fondant icing green and cut circles to drop into middle of each half.

How can I pipe icing without a piping bag? Or maybe I should try to cut circular strips by cutting round the cake tin? Or something?!

Was thinking of just leaving hte sides blank unless anybody can suggest anything that isn't green sprinkles!

tesco website doesn't have dark enough cookies for track - what cna I use instead?!

oh just make a chocolate cake and bung some smarties on it

No way! He'll be 5 and I want him to have a Cool Cake!

I could just make some plain, chocolate biscuits couldn't I. Yes, thats the plan for the trakc I think

he wont remember it.
waste of time.

Why not use desicated coconut dyes green for 'grass' have had that on many a cake
Then buy a tube of supercook white icing for white lines - it comes with different nozzles.
How about having a chocolate spinkles racetrack? Or chocolate ganache would be smoother and easier to ice onto...?
Is that helpful in any way?

I don't agree. He remembers the dinosaur cake I made him last year and the farm cake I made hte year before!

I like to bake and like to make him happy - he'd be thrilled with this cake.

DYED green
and chocolate SPRINKLES clearly!
I remember most my birthday cakes from my childhood and thought they were great. Now I appreciate how much effort goes into them too

Thanks pamp!

What about if I covered the whole thing in chocolate ganache (recipe? Quantity?!) then plopped green circles in teh middle and used the white icing thingy for hte lines. Do you think that would work well, or should I do the sides differently?

I assumed it was for an 8 year old

Why not do the whole cake in choc fudge icing then green food colouring on des coconut in strategic areas for grass?

Oh I thought he was going to be 8 cos of the shape!
He will remember it and love it, if you enjoy doing it, just do it

oh God re 8!

Don't matter. As long as you present it with the front being the long side of the figure of eight, it'll be fine. All race tracks are figure of eight.

Or that sassy
Buy 2 tubs chocolate spreadable icing in a tub, may be supercook or somebody I can't remember, its very good to spread though and the ganache recipe I have is variable as I discovered about midnight when trying to create a cake!!
If you spread a thinish layer onto the outside of the cake first as 'glue' you can roll the cake on its side through your dyed green dessicated coconut - da da grassy edges.
Then spread it all over the top and make a paper tube the size you want the middle grass to be then pour more green coconut into the tube - that way you get a nice round circle, then you can get busy with the white icing tube.

With regard to the icing and sprinkles I think you just need a contrast with the track and the "grass"
I don't think doing the sides is necessary

You could always do an oval racetrack

ok so the track and green bits are sorted

white lines - tesco online don't have hte supercook icing thingy. What could I use instead? Home made piping bag of some description?

Or a rollercoaster 3D creation, sorry only being silly ;)

piping bag is easy to make from greaseproof paper

I'll be using that green colouring you sent me last year

Think I'll make a dark chocolate buttercream for the track - sound ok?

paper piping bag

You can get black icing. SUpermarkets often have it in a pack of 4 colours. You might need 2 packs, but they have green, red, yellow and black. ALso they sell writing icing in little tubes.

And yes it does matter.

DS#2 had a jurassic jungle for his this year. He loved it.

Look for "Queen Writing Fudge White Chocolate 50g" t Tesco I think it might work

Thanks all

I'm really looking forward to making it now! Provided BabyG lets me do it in peace of course...!

Right here's the plan

Make cakes
Put into shape
Cover whole shebang in dark chocolate buttercream
Roll out green icing
Cut 2 circles around bowl rim and drop in middle
Cut small strips of white icing and drop on for hte lines
Make a piping bag