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Mikey’s Truck Cake

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I think you guys know that I’m definitely more tutus and sparkles than trucks, but someone very special had a birthday last week!  My little nephew, aka my nugget, turned 3 and I wanted to create a cake he would love.


Boy cakes scare me, they are way out of my comfort zone, but jumping into a project that scares you helps you grow.  My mindset was this: Mikey loves trucks, I love Mikey, so I’m making a truck.  I didn’t know how it would pan out, but I had to try.  I mean look at that little face!  He also has quite the thing for cupcakes, buttercream to be exact.  He swipes cupcakes, eats all the buttercream, then puts them back.  It must run in the family 😉

 The first step was to make the “dump” part of the truck.  That’s a real technical term, huh?! Anyway, I made this part out of gumpaste which makes me nervous especially when it’s humid.  As you can see in the photo, this was a process.  When I bust out the ruler and start making templates, you know it’s serious!  I measured, rolled, and cut the gumpaste.  I kept the pieces in a cool, dry place, and patiently waited for them to dry out.  It took 48 hours, and I kept checking like a nervous ninny worried they wouldn’t dry in time.  For those of you not familiar with gumpaste, think hard like plaster.  It’s also pretty delicate, so you have to be careful that once it dries, it doesn’t crack, or you’re screwed.  Next I glued all the pieces together with royal icing.  It also comes in really handy if you have a million votives hanging around which help hold all the pieces in place while it dries.

Part two was the cake itself.  I baked a 10″ square pound cake and stuck it in the freezer over night so it would be easier to work with.  I always use pound cake when I have to sculpt a cake, because they are very sturdy and will not crumble.  I cut, stacked, crumb coated, and doweled it.  Next up was the fondant, and it was a little trickier to cover than I expected. I used a combination of sky and royal blue to yield a color that really pops.

Once the cake was covered and I could see it taking shape, it was all about the details.  Wheels, bumpers, lights, and so on really brought the cake to life.  Do you have any idea how hard it was for me not to bust out the disco dust??  All I’m saying is it took a lot of self control.  I think my favorite part is the windshield.  I brushed it with some luster dust to create the look of frost.  I also brushed some on the wheels to give it a little shine.

Last, I added little door knobs and decorated the gumpaste with polka dots and a number three.  I popped two dowels into the bed of the truck so it would be raised up, and tada the dump truck cake was complete!  Mikey loved it, and kept asking if he could play with his truck! Happy Birthday Mikey!

* For those of you who have been inquiring: Yes, I am always taking new clients for both cakes and dessert catering in Boston and NY.  You can find more info on the work with me page and please email me for availability.

 

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Comments

  5. Very, very cute truck cake. Lucky little Mikey–I’ll bet all his preschool pals were jealous! You did a wonderful job on this. Amazing that, as you said, it was out of your comfort zone! You are a natural cake decorator, if that is true!

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