Thunderbirds 2 cake - any domestic goddesses with tips?

[MrsCamomile]

Hello.
My 3 year old son is obsessed with the Thunderbirds courtesy of my 8 year old nephew off loading all his old videos of them and his toys (they are great by the way).
He wants to help me make a Thunderbirds 2 cake for his birthday....
I googled Bradfords in Glasgow who make ones which admitedly looks amazing but at £90 are, I am afraid, off limits - and also my son does want to help make it.
Do any of you have tips about making the body of the Thunderbird2?
If I covered a sponge with green fondant icing I am sure I could do a bodge job..but it would be great to have tips for the body bit and also whether you would all just use icing for the wings and fiddly bits or if you would have cake under those bits too.
Many thanks.

which one is the thunderbird two one..... is it the rocket or the green froggy thing

I've seen someone do a simple cake, cut to be the right shape for the outline of whatevery you want (in her case a train), then draped in white ready-rolled icing, with all the detail painted on with food colouring.

Ok, I've just done a google image search for 'thunderbirds 2 cake', there are lots of examples and it looks like it would be fairly simple. I'd make a largish cake, carve it to shape, then a thin layer of butter icing, then the rolled out icing on top. You can buy it white and colour it yourself (paste colours work well), or paint colour onto it. I'd also buy a ready-coloured mix pack so you get some black for the windows and yellow for the lines. Yes make any extra bits out of icing, it will be easier.

I'm no expert, but enjoy making my kids (and their friends) fun birthday cakes.

Thunderbird 2 is the green one with black legs (yes a bit froggy) red rocket blasters and a couple of yellow stripes...I'm afraid.

There are 5 different ones. Thunderbird1 (grey) and Thunderbird3 (red) are the rockets.

Sorry to be so sad. The videos are strangely compelling....

Oh MrsCamomile, how lovely to meet a fellow TB fan, DS1 got me into it a few years ago.

Now then, I'd suggest the critical thing with TB2 cake is to get exactly the right shade of green. Minor faults are much easier to ignore if the colour is exactly right.

F.A.B.

OmicronPersei8 - thank you! I will do as you suggest and do a big cake and then carve it.
That was the bit I wasn't too sure about - just getting the shape.
And I suspect that once the icing is on it will hide a multitude of sins....(I hope..)
Many thanks for the advice.

I hope it turns out well - I haven't made a cake in ages but found the easiest ones were where I had a clear picture in my mind and was willing to experiment. Good luck and enjoy!

Cadelaide
DSs (and DH) are watching one of the programmes as I (guiltily) type away on mumsnet...
I didn't watch it as a kid but knew the references for some bizarre reason but...now think it is really witty (the whole Lady P stuff is brilliant). DS1 spent last week asking if the Hood knew where we lived....o dear.

I agree about the right shade of green. Seriously that was bothering me as DS1 is actually very particular. I am slightly anxious about what he will say if ultimate carved cake is not to scale with his Thunderbird2 toy...

If I need International Cake Rescue I know where to come to....

Mumsnet help is go!

Nigella does a recipe for a cake that's easy to carve, I think it's in "Domestic Goddess" funnily enough.

I'll ask Parker to look it up a minute...

Go on, tell me, which episode are they watching?

The Uninvited .....
We are not sure who the villans are yet but Thunderbird 3 has just blasted off to action.
Don't think Lady P in this one.
Unfortunately.
Even the music feels cheery.
I was so sad I looked on you tube for a blast of the film and it looks terrible.
But yes - the Uninvited.
And will check out Nigella (by the way her lemon cakes at the beginning of DG are to die for).

here

I'm a bit concerned though, this version differs a bit from the one in my copy of DG.

I do like TB3, possibly my favourite craft.

DP and the boys prefer TB2.

It's freudian, I'm sure. TB3 is red and phallic, TB2 is all rounded and has a cavity for pods, FGS.

OmicronPersei8/Cadelaide

Can't not make it now! Many thanks for being so encouraging. Hopefully it will keep me inspired if it ends up as one of those chaotic kitchen afternoons whilst DSs "help".

Thank you!!!!!!

You absolutely have to post pics.

I did a few TBs cakes, but not so ambitious I must admit. I just iced an oblong cake and stuck icing cut-outs of the various craft on it. You know, those icing things you can get printed.

Cadelaid - it does seem a slightly different recipe but the ring mould idea might have potential for the hump of TB2 is I do a bit of carving and a bit of sticking together bits of cake to make the shape.
DS2 teeths on TB3 and quite likes TB5 for comfort...
I am also now wondering if DS1 might want a yellow TB4 within a pod within the cake.
Hadn't thought about the Freudian element - though do think Lady Penelope's relationships interesting.
Is Parker all he seems?
And Jeff Tracey, whether he knows it or not, is in love with Lady P!
My SIL made the Tracey island model (not in cake) but, while I will never make the Thunderbirds world in cake, I am sure there is an opening there for someone....

I will do.
And this is the point at which I, who am never organised for anything, have to admit that his birthday is actually not till June but that, as we talk about it together already I have been trying to get it all organsied in my head so that it defintely happens and he will, hopefully, love it.
So yes, if I can do the technology I will definitely post (least I can do) but meantime....enjoy Winter and Spring!
Sadly will have to go as the Uninvited has just ended and I have to do stories.
Many thanks for your help and happy baking everyone!

Now if he'd wanted TB1, I could have given some tips! - this was DS's cake for his 5th birthday - rather a long time ago, as he was 22 last month, but iirc the body was a large swiss roll & the wings were carved out of madeira cake - it's the easiest to cut without crumbling.

More Gerry Anderson fans here - actually DH writes Captain Scarlet & Stingray fanfic...

RustyBear - that is AMAZING!!!! And looks delicious.
Madeira cake is also a good idea, also swiss roll....lots of food for thought, literally!
But I bet your son loved it. My mum made a brilliant football pitch cake for my brother (over 30 years ago) and I can still remember it.
Silver fold launch pad also good idea.
Thank-you!
Until we got the videos from my SIL I hadn't actually realised how good the Andersons were! Compeletely get the cult following now.
Thank you!

One tip - if you're using the ready-made white fondant icing, don't try colouring it yourself. I just had to make a Tardis for DD, it took me well over an hour to mix the right shade of blue into the icing. I didn't get it dark enough, I gave up because my arms were aching! I wish I'd just mixed the colouring and painted the bloody thing!

It did look good though. Pic here

Mrs camomile...have dug out a picture of a cake i made years ago of thunderbird 2...its on my profile. Hope it might give you some ideas

alypaly that cake is impressive!

just put lion king on too...thanks omicron

I know im being thick but how do you put a direct link to your photos.....cant find how to do it other than putting on profile

Tried to upload DS1's Tracy Island cake,failed (and got distracted looking at all the birthday photos )

Anyway:

Bake cake in pudding basin, upturn and cover with mottled green sugar paste for the island. Put on a shiny blue board, with a marzipan beach. Add some grey sugar paste for the launch pad, a plastic TB2 and some cocktail stick/green tissue paper palm trees.