When I was growing up I remember my Mom making fun and creative cakes for us each year on our birthdays. From cookie monster cakes, to favorite movie cakes – like my sisters “Tremors” cake for her 16 birthday. The cake just always seemed to be a big part of our celebration and was something I looked forward to each year.
I’ve tried to carry on that tradition with my own kids and every year they get to choose what kind of cake I make. They choose everything from the cake mix, to the frosting, to what is on the cake. We’ve had all sorts of cakes from a “snake cake” Branson choose one year, to one in the shape of a bed with Toy story characters on it, to a spiderman cake for Harry’s 4th. Its fun to come up with new ideas each year.
This year Branson decided to go with an Army cake since he was going to be having an Army party. So we got online and found some awesome looking cakes. Bransons favorite though was one in the shape of a tank. Only problem was – the tank looked WAY harder than what I knew my abilities were and most of the good looking cakes were using fondant (a thick like frosting that you roll out and put over the cake) which I had never used before. I was really intimidated by the fondant – but figured “what the heck” and decided to give it a try. It was my little boys birthday after-all.
So I went to Wal-mart to look for fondant but wasn’t able to find any (apparently its in the craft section not the food section). That led me to deciding to make my own and a google search for recipes. But then what to do with the fondant once I made it? I had no idea. Back to google I went where I was able to watch several tutorials and learn from them. Eventually I got to the point that I at least had some semblance of a clue as to what I was doing and I set out on my fondant adventure!
First was to make the cake. I had to use two cake mixes where I did 1 9×13 chocolate cake, 1 large bread pan, and then a pan of cupcakes. The below picture is the 9×13 cake with the top cut off (you want the cake completely level) and then flipped over onto a foil lined cookie sheet.
Then I made the fondant using a recipe that allowed me to use my kitchenaid mixer. That made it SOOO much easier – but I couldn’t believe how much sugar the recipe called for. I ended up using over 2lbs! Yikes! Below is the fondant all wrapped up ready to put in the freezer for a few hours.
Next I had to frost the cakes with frosting (I just used store bought chocolate for sake of ease) and then I had to work the fondant until it was pliable. Then I rolled out the fondant so that it would more than cover my 9×13 cake.
Then I did the same for the other two layers. I ended up making each layer separately and then carefully placing them on top of each other. The middle part is the bread loaf size, and the top part is a cupcake.
After that I cut out little thin strips of fondant to go around the cake to hide the edges and seams of where the cakes met up. Then I frosted one side of an oreo and placed a bunch on the cake as wheels. Then I took Hershey’s chocolate bars and frosted one side of those as well to place on the cake as the tracks. And then I put chocolate frosting and used dots of that for the camouflage for the cake (I was too lazy to make a different colored fondant for that!)
Lastly I stuck an army guy I had bought as a treat bag giveaway into the top of the cake with an oreo behind him as the tank door and then found a party noise maker that was the perfect shape of the tank gun and covered that in fondant to complete the cake.
And then I frosted some of my leftover cupcakes and stuck army guys in them to finish it off.
Sure was a fun activity for Branson and I to do together and Brans said its his best cake yet! And two big thumbs up to google and all the great ideas and tutorials out on the internet! I so heart You tube!
I need to get this recipe from you. I always mix my fondant on the counter and end up with different colored countertops! You did a great job on the cake. It is so cute!
Great job for your first time using fondant! It can be tricky! Looks like a fun birthday.