Welcome to How To Cook That I am Ann Reardon
This week my baby boy turned three, his favourite thing at the moment is firetrucks.
If I was your mum and you could have any cake you liked what would you choose?
firetrucks, firetruck cake, Let me know in the comments.
To make the firetruck cake you need to print out the template which you can get from the
shop on howtocookthat.net, I'll put a link in the description below the video.
Now firstly you need to make the cakes.
If you regularly watch How To Cook That then you'll know I usually bake the cakes in flat
trays and then stack them up, your other option is to bake in a large tin or box like I'm
doing here and then cut it into layers.
The advantage of doing it this way is you get neat and perfect layers.
The disadvantage is that for a cake this big to bake it takes a long time and it also tends
to get overcooked on the edges and the top and the bottom.
That means you have to cut all that off and throw it away.
So you can choose which way you'd rather bake it.
Use the template for the top view and cut rectangles of cake.
If you used the one big tin method to bake it like i did then cut off any overcooked
parts.
Use a cake leveler or knife to cut it into layers.
Stack them up to make the level of the back of the truck.
Then fold your top template on the line and cut another layer of cake to the right length
for that top shorter section.
Then make your frosting of your choice, if you go to the Frostings taste test video you'll
see recipes there for 7 different frostings recipes.
Today I am using the French buttercream one.
Use your template for the top of the cake and cut a sturdy piece of cardboard in that
shape.
Then cover it in foil and tape it into place.
Cut some extra rectangles of cardboard and stack them to the height of under truck so
they can support the cake.
Tape those together and then stick them firmly into place on your cake board.
Lining it up with where the wheels of the cake will go so that they will hide those
supports.
Add some tape and place your cake board on top of that.
Put a thin layer of buttercream onto the cake board, then add your first layer of cake,
then add more frosting, and another layer of cake.
If you are not using the cake the same day then add some simple syrup to each cake layer
because that helps to keep the cake really moist.
And simple syrup is made by heating equal quantities of sugar and water in the saucepan
until the sugar is dissolved and then let that cool down and then just use a pastry
brush to dab some of it onto your cake.
Continue to stack your cakes and your frosting until you get to the height of the back of
the truck and then add your smaller piece to the front.
Now what you need to do it put the side template over your cake and follow the template to
shape the cake at the top and the front.
If you don't trust yourself to keep the knife straight in a straight line you can print
two templates and put on on each side of the cake so you can line the knife up with both
of them.
Now you need to cover the entire cake in a layer of frosting and smooth it as much as
you can and then put that in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
While it is chilling we are going to make some fondant details.
Firstly to make the ladder roll out some white fondant fairly thickly and cut a straight
line using a pizza cutter down one side.
Now I've made my own rectangle cookie cutter here and I show you how to make your own cookie
cutter on the twitter dessert video.
If you don't want to make a cutter you could cut these holes out by hand it will just take
longer and they wont be quite as even.
Once you've cut them then use a ruler and a pizza cutter to cut down the other side
to make it match.
And then leave that out to one side to dry.
Cut the side panels from the template and roll out some light grey fondant.
Using your template as a guide cut around each one.
If you go to the firetruck cake post on the website it will detail there how much you
need of each colour fondant and it will link you to the frosting recipes and the cake recipes
and everything else that you need.
Then use a ruler to indent lines all the way up each one so they look like a roller door.
Take some more fondant and roll a thin snake and using a little bit of water attach it
to the lower edge of the roller door.
Then roll a tiny ball of fondant and add one to each end of the handle.
Then repeat that so that you have panels for both sides of your firetruck so you should
have 6 altogether.
Now we are going to make the small square panels, you can cut it out of the template
or just guess and make a couple of squares.
Next to make the horns for the top of the cake.
Take a ball of light grey and place it on the bench top and gently roll it between your
little fingers applying more pressure in the middle to make it narrower there.
By keeping it on the bench top it helps keep the base of the horn flat.
Make two of those then leave then upright to dry.
roll out some more grey and cut two circles using a drinking straw, we will add these
to the horns when we add it to the cake.
Moving on to the dark grey fondant we want to make the small square and then the rounded
rectangle.
To do that cut a rectangle and then just trim a small amount off each corner.
Then make the door handle cut a thin rectangle, then put an indent across it on one side.
And a couple more lengthwise.
Now for the side mirrors roll a ball and cut it in half, place it flat on the paper and
smooth out the shape then turn it on one side the way that it will sit on the cake and flatten
it to one side.
Repeat those so you have two sets, one for each side of the cake.
Then cut some thin strips for the windscreen wipers, bend them to the right shape, cut
them to the right length and leave them there to dry out.
If you will be short on time when you are making the cake then you can make all of these
fondant details up to a month before hand, leave them flat on baking paper on a tray
somewhere that they won't get bumped.
And once they have dried out you can put them in an airtight container.
For the small bit at the front roll a little snake and then cut it in half.
Now to make the hose attachments at the back of the cake cut three circles out of dark
grey using a straw.
Then using a small round piping tip indent on each one with little circle.
Now cut two small rectangles the size shown for the back corner of the cake.
Now cut another rectangle in the size of the panels on the back of the cake.
Take the cake out of the fridge and roll out some red fondant and work quickly lift it
over the cake and then lift and smooth the fondant on each side.
At the corners of the firetruck you can either lift and smooth your fondant around the corner.
Or for an easier option you can bring the fondant out at the corner and squeeze it together
to form a join and cut off the excess with scissors.
Take a ball of fondant and gently rub it over the cake to smooth out any lumps and bumps.
Using a knife trim off the excess fondant from along the base of your cake.
Roll out some white fondant and cut out the front windscreen and put that into place.
Cut a white strip for along the front, using a small amount of water attach it to the cake
and then use a ruler to straighten it up once it's one the cake.
Cut some light grey head lights and stick those on top.
Cut a strip of white fondant and then cut some thinner strips of red, and lay the red
across the white to make stripes.
Trim off the excess red.
Cut another rectangle of red in the size shown for the front of the cake and then make some
indents down the front.
Add that to the front of the cake and add your stripy piece just below it on top of
the white strip there.
Just above the stripes add your two dark grey bits that you made earlier.
Add the windscreen wipers, using a little bit of water to stick them on.
Next cut a thin strip of yellow and place it across the front of the cake, trim it to
the right length and then use a knife or a ruler again to straighten it up.
Roll out some blue and using your straw to cut out circles and place them on for the
head lights.
Take some more blue and roll two cylinders applying more pressure at one end to make
them thinner at the top.
Place them on top of the cake.
Roll a thin snake of red and wrap that around the base of each light.
Now to make our door, cut the shape out of red then flip the template over and cut another
one.
Cut out the window shape out and cut it out of white fondant and place it on the door.
You can then add the door handles and the side mirrors that we made.
Cut a circle out of blue, I am using a piping tip to do this and add it to the door.
Then roll a tiny ball of yellow and place it on the door.
Using the tip of your knife indent and drag it out to make it look more like a diamond
or star shape.
Add the horns to the top of the cake and add the little circles that we made just behind
them.
Carefully place the door onto the side of the firetruck.
Then using a little water to make it stick add the side panels into place and grey squares
into place.
Add a yellow circle into the centre of the dark grey square.
Now on the back of the truck add the two dark grey rectangles that we made.
Then cut a rectangle from red and add the firehose attachments, then place that on the
back of the truck.
Roll out some thin yellow snakes and cut them to the size shown on the template.
Roll out some blue and cut out the shield shape and place the sheild over the yellow.
Take a small ball of yellow, place it in the middle and indent it just like we did for
the side doors.
Add the shield to the side of the cake And then make another one for the other side.
Then add your two grey rectangles to the back off the cake and add two yellow snakes to
one and a grey snake on the other.
Just like we did for the front of the cake roll out a strip of yellow fondant and criss
cross that with red.
Then trim off the excess red and wrap it around the back of the truck, then use your knife
to make it straight.
To make the wheels roll out a strip of black fondant and use a fork to indent it all the
way along.
Flip it over then take a mini oreo and roll it up.
Trim it off when you get all the way around and gently press the fondant around the edges
of the oreo.
Using a piping tip cut a circle of red and place that into the centre of each wheel.
Next roll out some white and cut circles, then cut semi circles from the edges and place
them onto the red of the wheels.
Repeat that so that you have 6 wheels.
Add those to the side of the truck.
If you want toto before you add the wheels you can put some black fondant on the cake
platter to make it look like a road like I've done here.
Cut a thin strip of dark grey and place it over the wheels bending it down at the front
and the back.
To make the fire hose you can roll a snake by hand but if you want it really smooth and
even a fondant extruder makes the job quicker and easier, place the fondant in the tube
and twist the end.
To make the end of our firehose roll out a cylinder and make it thiner at one end then
using a knife make indents around it and trim it to the right length.
Using a dry paintbrush brush it with gold luster dust.
Now I've added a couple of dark grey strips to the top of the cake and to the sides of
the road, you can do that too if you want to.
Then coloured the leftover frosting green and smeared it over the cake platter for grass.
To give the grass like look of not looking like smeared frosting but looking more like
grass just get a fork and put that through the frosting pulling it up until you are happy
with it.
Add the hose attaching it to the back of the firetruck.
Then add the gold nozzle to the end.
Roll some teardrop shapes in blue and add them to the end of the hose.
Get your fireman to check the cake is OK.
Then you can store it in the fridge until you need it.
Just before serving to the table you can add the ladder and if you want you can add a fireman
Sam toy to the front as well.
Then it's Party time...
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Have a great week and I'll see you on Friday
[music: Gypsy Dance YouTube audio library]