Just before Christmas I seemed to have a run on Disney themed cakes, including a special request for a ‘Lightning McQueen’. Not exactly your ‘run of the mill’ double layer sponge with some detailed icing. No, this needed to be a 12″ replica of the famous Cars star, complete with all the decals. But I do like a challenge.
I started by doing my homework – sourcing images of Mr.McQueen from every angle, along with studying my son’s model cars. After a trip to the Disney store I even managed to get a remote controlled car shell that was almost as big as the actual cake needed to be. Perfect. Next was the decals to sort out, a job I gladly handed to my husband who worked his magic with Photoshop. These were printed onto edible icing sheets before being carefully cut out.
And then began the cake carving. A sharp serrated knife is essential, and a small amount of bravery helps. Less is more. It’s better to take your time, gradually carving the shape. And it helps to have a reference … like the Disney model.
Once the carved cake has been crumb coated, it’s time to apply the red sugar paste…
Here the cake is nearing completion, with a few last details yet to be applied. One element I wanted to get right was the illusion of the car sitting on it’s wheels, rather than looking like it was flat to the floor. So, the final board has a hidden black block which supports the main part of the cake.
Here’s the finished cake.
the chronicles of betty 