Decorating a train cake

[BonBon]

I bought this pan for DS's birthday cake. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products ... %5Fsrc=SCH The kid has been eyeing it for months and I caved.

You can view a pic of the finished cake. I would love some suggestions on how to make it look nice! (Heidi??) I stink at cake decorating. I also have some concerns of making sure it leaves the pan intact.

I'm not sure why I do this to myself, knowing full well that I have *never* made a decent cake.

Re: Decorating a train cake

You can do that Chris! It's mostly candy glued onto the cake w/frosting. It's too detailed to try to actually frost it, but if you really want to decorate it w/frosting, you could just use various sizes of stars on the different features. I wouldn't cover all of the cake - rather use the frosting to do what they did w/the candy.

That's cute.

[BonBon]

Re: Decorating a train cake

I feel compelled to post a photo of DS's car cakes for his second birthday. I did the red one, DH did the blue one. Both are remarkably bad.

Re: Decorating a train cake

You can do it, Kris! I saw that cake pan at W-S last week. It is too cute!

Re: Decorating a train cake

okay ... those are a little rough, I'll admit. If you go the "accessorize" route w/the train rather than the "frost the whole damn thing" you'll be in good shape.

[Vanquisher]

Re: Decorating a train cake

You can do it! The cake is remarkably detailed, but you can do it with some small candies.

For frosting, you must use a piping bag with appropriate tips.

This one looks good with just the candy:







You can see the differences, and hopefully that will help you go in the right direction. Sometimes the best way to make something look nice is to have a visual like this.

[DCJenn]

Re: Decorating a train cake

W-S sells candy kits, too.

We have that very same train mold and I'm planning on making it for dude's birthday, too. I'm going to use the minimalist approach as well.

Jenn

ETA: I'm also planning on using white cake batter and using food coloring to make the cars different colors. (like blue for Thomas, of course)

[BonBon]

Re: Decorating a train cake

Sadly, I wasn't even thinking about frosting it. I think my candy application will be pathetic! Maybe I should go super minimalist and leave the cake totally naked.

DCJenn, good idea on coloring the batter of the individual train cars. I'm thinking of making the snickerdoodle cake recipe that came with the pan.

I'll post a pic of the cake after the party on Sunday. Hopefully it won't be a train wreck. :>

[samssugarmomma]

Re: Decorating a train cake

Happy decorating Chris! Natalie is on a train kick so I was going to use the same pan for her birthday in Feb.

[BonBon]

Re: Decorating a train cake



Help urgently needed! My mom thought she would make the cake tonight with DS using the recipe that came with the pan. What a mess! The batter floofed way up past the pan and went over to the point that it became all one piece and there is NO detail to the train cars.



So what next, cake gurus? Pound cake? A Betty Crocker?

Re: Decorating a train cake

Betty Crocker to the rescue, IMO.

Re: Decorating a train cake

I'd use a mix, and I'd use the Pam baking spray (w/flour) on the pans. Fill them about 2/3rds of the way full ... possibly 3/4's ... a bit overfull is more desireable than too little.

Re: Decorating a train cake

You can also use Crisco and then flour. I have a mini-bundt pan and a decorative cake pan that is a real PITA to get cakes out of. One of the pans came with the tip to grease with Crisco into the nooks and crannies and then flour -- it works better than anything else I've tried.