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Original poster

Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake - Has anyone got a fool-proof idiots guide? How hard is Debbie Brownes design...shouldl I buy the book?

18 replies

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:07

DD is loving TTTE at the mo and i think she would love a thomas "choo choo" cake.

Im a pretty good cake maker and have some skills when it comes to decorating - though by no means an expert.

Anyone got a great, easy to follow set of intsructions or should i take the plunge and buy this book?

OP posts:

PandaG · 22/04/2009 20:15

I have made that cake pretty much - was from a magazine though years ago so don't have the instructions now - I remember I baked the boiler bit in a baked bean tin.

If you are reasonable at baking and icing cakes then could you not just do it yourself - look at the picture and other pictures of TTTE and cobble it together?

another thing I have done is cover a flat cake in sugarpaste and paint a pic of the character on it using a photocopy for a guide

poopscoop · 22/04/2009 20:22

just buy the cake and spend more time on here!

Original poster

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:23

PandaG, I'm good at following instrcutions but not at all happy about figuring it out as I go along!

Painting the picture would probably be a lot cheaper.

possibly a silly question...what on earth do you paint the colours with?

OP posts:

Original poster

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:24

poopscoop, right now im going 'nah' at that idea
I expect in a couple of weeks time, the night before her party when ive been baking and icing for hours and getting all hot n bothered, I will think differently!!!!

OP posts:

poopscoop · 22/04/2009 20:27

PandaG · 22/04/2009 20:33

I use the paste food colours, usually £3 or so each iirc, which I dilute a little with either gin or water. I have some fine paintbrushes that I use just for this purpose. Whereabouts are you - if in Sheffield you'd be welcome to borrow my stuff!

georgimama · 22/04/2009 20:34

A thomas cake is 9.99 from Sainsburys. Just buy one.

Original poster

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:34

gin!!!!!

we're a gin free house, but do have vodka.
Is it really acceptable to paint my 2 years old cake with a vodka mix?!!

OP posts:

Original poster

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:36

I could just buy one, but I think I want to have a go at makign one. Though will keep an eye out for supermarket one in case it all goes a bit pear-shaped

OP posts:

PandaG · 22/04/2009 20:43

I think the alcohol evaporates (so says the woman in the cake shop) - but if for other people's children I do just use a drop of water.

what I do is scrape a bit of the paste out of the jar with a cocktail stick, onto a saucer. dip very tip of paintbrush in water/gin/vodka/clear spirit sold for this purpose in cake shop, then dip into paste - I try the depth of colour out on a spare bit of sugarpaste and mix colours as needed.

I print the picture out and enlarge as necessary, then trace the outline through onto the cake using a blunt needle - at an angle you can see the outline and just paint it in. Looks good but is very easy to do!

giddykipper · 22/04/2009 20:44

Might this help?

spicemonster · 22/04/2009 20:48

Lovely gigglewitch posted some great instructions on my Roary the Racing Car thread here

I think the cake is still on my profile. It's a bit wobbly round the edges but that is because my arm was going all jelly with squeezing the icing tube. I would think at this time of year when it's a bit warmer it would be much easier.

My DS was thrilled with his cake

Original poster

Tobermory · 22/04/2009 20:49

OMG that looks bloody hard!

OP posts:

PandaG · 22/04/2009 20:51

nah - do the painting one - if you can roll out playdough, trace a pic and paint in the lines you can do it - and they taste better homemade!

spicemonster · 22/04/2009 21:16

No, honestly it's really easy! Get coloured roll out icing, trace your picture onto tracing paper. roll out icing with tracing paper on top, cut out picture and then stick onto cake. Also mark out lines etc with a toothpick.

judeanne · 23/04/2009 19:35

Hi There.

I made that very cake just a couple of weeks ago for my son's second birthday. I got the book from the library (I have subsequently bought a copy second hand from Amazon). The cake is more time consuming than difficult, it took me 7 -8 hours to ice the thing - but I am not that experienced with fondant icing - I also coloured the icing myself with the gel pastes. The cake was therefore quite expensive, but I now have the equipment and colours to make noddy or postman pat next time.

The instructions in DB's book are very clear and step by step, but start the cake a day or two in advance.

I really enjoyed making it and it was very satisfying seeing how much my son enjoyed his birthday cake.

Good luck!

SuperBunny · 24/04/2009 05:17

I did the one from giddykipper's link. It's fairly straight forward. Photo on my profile, I think.

seeker · 24/04/2009 06:46

5've made lots of Debbie Brown's cakes - her Magical onea sre wonderful. Her instructions are brilliant - just follow them step by step and you won't go wrong. You need accurate scales though - you'll need to weigh thing bits of sugar paste. I've tried guessing and it's SOO much easier just to do exactly what Aunty Debbie tells you to do! The first cake I ever did was a Princess castle of hers - it looed exactly like the picture when I'd finished. I was amazed!

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