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The car makes a great theme cake idea for the little or big car enthusiast in your life.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Racing Car Cake

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  1. You will need:
    • 1 rectangular vanilla or chocolate cake (bought or homemade) (around 30cm/1" in length)
    • 5 x round cookies (biscuits), chocolate coated
    • Smarties or similar candy-coated round candies
    • Butter icing/frosting (red and white)
    • Length of black licorice/liquorice (soft round lengths that are easily bent)
  2. The cake is the body of the car and you only need to shape it at the ends.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    This becomes the back end of the car.
    • Start the slope about 5cm/2.5 inches from the end.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    This should be cut as a slope to halfway of the middle of the cake, then cut straight across (horizontally) to the end of the cake.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
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Adding Windows

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    Use the tip of a sharp knife to carve out a window at the front of the cake (an oval is ideal) and small round or square circles, two each per side of the car. Leave the back windowless, as there's a cheat for this one.

Icing or Frosting the Cake

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    Pop the whole cake into the freezer. This will freeze the red icing in place.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    This time, spread it only in the window spaces. Once again, place in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
    • Do not mix the white and red together or you'll cause the red to bleed into the white. The gaps between the two will be taken care of by the licorice.
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Defining the Car Features

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    To attach, add dots of icing to the back parts first and press in place.
    • Cut two small lengths and attach at even spaces just under the top line of licorice on the front window. These serve as the visors of the car.
    • Cut two small lengths. Place diagonally across the front window, upwards, to look like windshield or windscreen wipers in use.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    These portions make the car look realistic, so work with care. If you cannot use licorice, use any other sort of bendable candy length. If you can't find candy, use a dark colored icing or frosting, and pipe in place.
    • Run a length each side of the car from the front the very back of the car. This should be at the edge of the cake on each side and provides the top of the car doors, as well as defining the car.
    • Add a small length down the middle of each side window. This makes the doors.
    • Run a length across the front end of the cake. This marks the end of the hood or bonnet.
    • Run a length around the entire base of the car. This just neatens it up and gives definition.
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Adding the Finishing Details

  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    Use yellow or orange Smarties (or similar) to make lights at the front of the car. Use Lifesavers or similar hard round candy with a center hole, to form lower lights under the Smartie lights.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    Use the icing or frosting to glue on the chocolate coated cookies as wheels. Place two at the front end on the side and two at the back end on the side.
    • Add the last one on the back slope. Instead of a window, this car has a tire (tyre) on the back.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    This gives it the look of a fancy wheel with hub caps.
  4. The cake is now ready to go on display.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Cake with Car Topper

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This cake does not need sculpting as the cake in the prior method does. You have a fair bit of decorating leeway with this cake.

  1. It can be any flavor but be sure to choose what the party person likes best. The cake should be large enough to handle a decent amount of decorating on top, as well as providing enough slices for the guests you'll have at the party.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    There are a few ways you can decorate this car cake:
    • Frosting the shape and design of a car across the top of the cake. Use differently colored frosting to denote the car, its features and the background. Features can also be made using candies, etc.
    • Use royal icing to cover the cake. Make a road of black royal icing; have it curving across the cake. Add a model car on the road; either made from sugar paste or similar edible modeling food, or chocolate, or a clean plastic model car, which is removed once the cake is cut.
    • Frost the whole cake. Make a border of clean plastic toy cars or foil-wrapped chocolate cars around the cake. When the cake is cut, each guest also gets to keep the car that came with his or her piece of cake.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Car Cake
    For example, add Smarties in traffic light formation and colors; add road signs and barriers (use clean model toys); and even add some plastic people to the top.
    • Frost the cake. Make a giant number for the child's age and use this as the road. Add cars to the number road, either edible or plastic ones. Include racing flags for a finish line.
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Expert Q&A

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      Tips

      • The racing car design can be made into a standard car as desired. Simply use colors and features that fit with your needs.
      • If you don't like certain ingredients, such as licorice, simply substitute these for other candies or edible cake decorations.
      • It is possible to purchase edible designs in the shape of a car or a character car. These make it very easy; simply make or buy the cake, frost it and stick the design on according to its accompanying instructions. A great solution when you're short on time or lack the desire to spend precious time shaping a cake.
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      Things You'll Need

      Racing Car Cake

      • Cake board (rectangular)
      • Foil to cover the board (optional)
      • Kitchen knife for carving with
      • Icing/frosting piping set
      • Butter knife or frosting spatula
      • Bowls for frosting

      Cake with Cake Topper

      • Cake board (shape of the cake)
      • Frosting implements (and frosting in suitable colors)
      • Assorted candies
      • Plastic model decorations, where relevant; ensure that these are clean and in good condition
      • Chocolate-wrapped cars (optional)
      • Other car-related decorative items


      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about baking, check out our in-depth interview with Maria Short .

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To make a car cake, start by baking a rectangular cake and cutting off the ends at an angle to make the windshields. Next, carve out a window at the front of the cake as well as smaller ones on the sides. Then, spread colored icing or frosting over the entire car, except the windows. After this layer of frosting is on, freeze the cake for an hour, then spread white frosting over the window areas. Finally, add details to finish the car, like orange Smarties for headlights and chocolate cookies for wheels. To learn how to frost the top of a cake with a race track, keep reading!

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