Cakes by Kimberly: October 2010

Dinosaur Train Cake - From PBS show "Dinosaur Train"

My son, Elijah, wanted a Dinosaur Train cake for his 4th birthday party. I made the cake half vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and half chocolate with mocha buttercream. This was the first time I did that and the cake kind of dipped in the middle where the two cakes met. The dinosaurs on top (the Pteranadon family) are plastic, but everything else is made from marshmallow fondant, buttercream icing, or royal icing. The nest is made from choc. buttercream with Wilton's tip #233. I made a template on the computer of the dinosaur train and cut it up (puzzle like) into sections and cut the rolled fondant using the puzzle template pieces. I molded the dinosaurs in the train (Mr. Conductor, Buddy the T-rex, & Shiny Pteranadon) from fondant and stuck them on a toothpick, so I could insert them into the cake.

Lightning McQueen Cake

For my son's 3rd Birthday, he wanted a Lightning McQueen (Disney Pixar movie CARS) cake. So I designed the race track in the shape of a 3 with "advertisements" from the CARS movie. I didn't make the cars, but everything else is made from marshmallow fondant. (I also used foam board behind the "Happy Birthday" sign to help it stay up) I made 2, two layer circle cakes. Created a "3" on the computer and used that as a template to cut the racetrack "3". The extra cake I had from cutting the three, I bunched together (very messily, but that was the point) and stuffed it under rolled out green fondant for the hills.

The "pavement" on the racetrack is Wilton's sparkle black gel. It came out a little too shiny... didn't dry well, so if I had to do it again, I'd just "paint" the gel on. Making the fat tires was so much fun! I just had a ball creating this cake!

This cake was a lot fun because the advertisements were sooo creative! I didn't come up with the ideas, just copied them from the movie. Like below, it says "Leak Less - Adult Drip Pans" and "Retread Tire Deoderant" LOVE IT!

Had to show this picture of his present... a Lightning McQueen Power Wheels car! He obviously loved it!

B's Baby Shower Cake

Baby Shower Cake

This was my first attempt at a fondant cake, as well as a 2 tier cake! I used Marshmallow Fondant for covering the cake and for the pussy willow decorations. I designed the invitation (and the cake) using the print from the baby's bedding.

I also made these caramel and chocolate covered pretzels as party favors! They were sooo yummy! I dipped the preztel rods in melted caramel (I used Kraft's carmel bits and added a Tbsp of water when melting in the microwave) and placed on parchment paper. Once they dried, I dipped them into melted Ghiradelli white and milk chocolate baking squares and drizzled pink candy melts over them.