My baby boy turns 4 this week so the pressure has been on to equal last year’s digger cake! So, after a lot of time on Pinterest and a few experiements, here’s how to make a train cake…
Luckily, J loves my vegan chocolate cake so that part was easy. Then I had the idea to make the carriages out of Bourbon biscuits with mini Oreos for the wheels and top them with Haribo and marshmallows. The whole cake and decorations are dairy free (Oreos are may contain), egg free, nut free (and vegan if you replace the marshmallows).
I made one standard 8in cake and used a cake board as the base but if you were feeling adventurous you could layer it on to another cake at the bottom.
The cake was a huge hit with J and his friends and surprisingly straightforward and sturdy. The carriages were still going strong even after the whole cake had been devoured. Now I guess I better start planning next year’s…
How to make a train cake
You will need:
8in chocolate cake and buttercream (I use my vegan chocolate cake recipe)
6 Bourbon biscuits
8 mini Oreos
Few handfuls of sweets
Two packs of fizzy cola straws
Green spinkles
1 Thomas toy
Directions:
- Layer together sponges with buttercream
- Lightly map out the slope with a knife or using cocktail sticks (I used this tutorial) and then cut away the sponge.
- Cover the cake with buttercream (This can help even out any bumps from the previous step!)
- Lay the train trackround the edge by cutting fizzy cola straws to length.
- Add sprinkles
- Cut a Bourbon biscuit in half width ways and remove side with filling. Stand two Bourbon biscuits on their side and attach a half at either end, using buttercream, to make a box. (There is not much space inside when it is complete.
- Cover the top with buttercream and stick on sweets.
- Repeat this process for second carriage.
- Carefully position carriages on the base and add Thomas to the bottom of the train track.
Those green sprinkles were such a good idea, pretty creative! I gotta 10 year old with a birthday in a few months so I need to remember I bookmarked this, haha. Thank you!
I hope you remember!
What a fab cake!I can imagine it went down a storm.I love making Birthday Cakes for my children too.So lovely to make them feel special x
Thanks Jenny. Yes, I think it’s a bit of a ritual. My mum always made us great cakes and I want to carry it on.
Wow, this looks fantastic! I’m not surprised your son loved it. The fizzy cola straws make a brilliant track. I’m definitely pinning this one! #brilliantblogposts
Ooh yes, give it a go! The fizzy cola straws worked really well.
Ah Happy birthday little man! what a fab cake! I love the carriages! YUM!
How is my baby 4?!
I love this! It looks so fab. Happy birthday little man x
Thanks Vicki. He’s had a busy day at the natural history museum and rainforest cafe!
This is such an awesome looking cake!! x
Thanks! It did turn out pretty well.
What a fab cake! Im good at the baking part but no good with the decorating, i have the ideas but unfortunately not the talent.
Wow Emma this cake looks amazing!! My little boy would love this cake! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
This looks awesome. Simple and effective. Pinning for later xx #brilliantblogposts
Ooh I love this. I made a train cake for my son’s second birthday this year and it didn’t look anywhere near as good as this!
oh my son loves Thomas is the only thing he is watching in TV! He would love this cake and in next month he will 1yo so maybe I try to make it
#brillblogposts
Happy Birthday J. My boys would love that cake too!
This is such an epic cake, you are a culinary genius as well as just being a standard genius!