This race track cake will bring plenty of cheer to a special birthday. With a simple butter cake and delicious chocolate icing, it’s easier (and speedier) to make than it looks. This kids’ favourite is from our classic Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book.
Looking for more number cake ideas? We have every age covered with this collection of number cake designs.
Ingredients
Method
Make cake according to directions on packet, pour into greased 20cm (8in) ring tin, bake in a moderate oven (180°C) 35 minutes or until cooked when tested. Turn on to wire rack to cool.
CHOCOLATE VIENNA CREAM ICING Have butter and milk at room temperature, place butter in small bowl of electric mixer, beat until butter is as white as possible, gradually add about half the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder, beating constantly, add milk gradually, then gradually beat in the remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder; mixture should be smooth and easy to spread with a spatula.
Cut cake in half horizontally, then cut small piece from one end of each circle, as shown; this helps the two halves fit neatly together in a figure eight. Discard the cut-off pieces. Assemble cake on prepared board.
Cover cakes with Vienna Cream, decorate edges of track with liquorice bullets. Cut two strips of cardboard, about 15cm x 6cm (6in x 2½in), to represent bridge and ramp. Cover strips of cardboard with Vienna Cream. Place on cake, outline with small sweets, as shown. Place small lollipop on cake to represent stop sign. Make flag from cardboard, stand in cake. Arrange racing cars on track, as shown.
Which lollies are used to decorate this race track cake
We used milk chocolate liquorice bullets to outline to cake, and a red lollipop as a stop sign. You can slice liquorice allsorts and stick the squares on to toothpicks to represent flags. Finally, decorate the finished cake with colourful toy cars.
A covered cake board makes it easier to handle the cake (right).
How to prepare a cake board
To make the birthday cake easy to handle, assemble race track cake on a board which has been covered with decorative paper. The paper should have a greaseproof surface to prevent butter from the Vienna Cream being absorbed; aluminium foil, also available in pretty patterns, is ideal.
A covered bread board or chopping board also can be used. Boards should be about 5cm (2in) larger all round than the cake. Cake boards of wood or heavy cardboard can be bought from cake decorating suppliers and some cake shops.
Covering the board
Place paper, pattern-side-down, on a bench. Position board on paper, mark all the way around the board with a pencil. Remove board, cut out a square 2.5cm (1in) larger than the marked square. Using sharp scissors, cut out a piece from each corner, as shown above, to avoid bulky corners; only cut to within 3mm (1⁄8in) of point of board. Place board in position, fold over the sides, secure paper with tape.
