How to Decorate a "Thomas & Friends" Cake
The Rev. W. Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine, a cheeky blue train, for his ill and bed-ridden son, Christopher. The character got its start in storybooks, teaching morals such as teamwork, persistence and choosing right from wrong. Now Thomas and his railway friends star in a TV series and videos, and children around the world enjoy toy versions of the trains. Thomas captivates children, so they frequently ask for him to appear on their birthday cakes. This Thomas cake design uses two round tiers as its basis, with toy trains accenting fondant decorations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 8-inch round cake pans
- 2 10-inch round cake pans
- Pastry brush
- Simple syrup
- Buttercream frosting
- Icing spatula
- Baby blue fondant
- Green fondant
- Brown fondant
- Knife
- Four wooden skewers
- Piping bag and tips
- Food coloring
- Thomas the Tank Engine figurine
- Annie and Clarabel train figurines
Instructions
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1
Prepare two 8-inch round cakes and two 10-inch round cakes according to your favorite cake recipe or using a store-bought cake mix. Bake and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Refrigerate the cakes for up to an hour for firmness. Evenly slice the raised cake mound off the top of each round for ease in layering. Brush with simple syrup and coat the cakes with a very thin layer of buttercream frosting. Place back into the refrigerator for one to two hours.
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3
Layer the two 10-inch cakes on a platter or display board, with buttercream frosting between the layers. Scoop a mound of icing on the top of the cake and spread a 1/4-inch layer across the top and sides of the cake.
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4
Roll out green fondant to 1/8-inch thick and large enough to completely cover the 10-inch cake. Smooth the fondant over the cake and trim the extra from the bottom. This cake will be the bottom tier and serve as the grassy ground for Thomas the Tank Engine's track.
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5
Layer the two 8-inch cake rounds using buttercream. Spread a 1/4-inch layer of icing over the top and sides of the second cake. Roll out blue fondant, for the sky, to 1/8-inch thick and large enough to completely cover the cake. Smooth the fondant over the cake and trim the excess to complete the top tier.
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Carefully center the blue top tier onto the green bottom tier. Press thin wooden skewers through all four layers of cake from the top down. The skewers will secure the cakes so they don't tip over.
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Create fondant trees and a train track. Roll out the brown fondant. Using a sharp knife, cut out 1-inch-tall tree-trunk shapes. Roll additional bits of brown fondant into thin strips, like a Play-Doh snake, to create the track. Make two long strips, one for each side of the track, and numerous short pieces for the wooden railroad ties. Re-roll green fondant scraps and make 1-inch tree tops for the trunks. Allow the fondant decorations to dry overnight.
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Add the fondant decorations to the cake. Brush the back of the fondant pieces with water. Stick the tree cutouts to the side of the blue cake tier. Lay the long brown strips for the train tracks on the top of the green tier, all the way around the cake, next to the top tier. Add the numerous short pieces across the strips to make the wooden railroad ties.
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Tint buttercream icing to the color of your choice. Attach a small tip to a piping bag and fill it with icing. Pipe "Happy Birthday" or another message onto the side of the green tier. Place the Thomas, Annie and Clarabel train figurines on the fondant track. Pipe the very top of the cake with the child's age or a "1" to represent Thomas.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are transporting the cake to another destination, use a waffle-style rubber shelf liner under the cake board to prevent it from slipping in your vehicle.
