It is my son's 3rd b'day soon & i am going to try & make a lightning mcqueen cake.

I have bought the tin from Wilton & have had a trial run making the actual cake & it was ok.

I have a couple of questions though & believe me any advice will be absorbed like a sponge!!

When i greased the tin i used spray oil & flour for my 2st attempt but the features of lightning didnt quite stand out,2nd try i used butter & flour & the features came out a bit more but not as much as i would have liked.

1/ What do you use to grease your tin to make sure the features stand out?


2/ What icing set do you use? I have just had a practice using a bag & it wasnt good, do you have your buttercream very soft?

3/ Is there a technique to piping the perfect stars?

I am a complete novice so i apologise if i sound a bit dim
Thankyou!

I did one of these in May. I always use the Wilton Cake Release. Works like a charm. I use disposable bags and the tips you need are listed on the instructions for the pan. I also used the Cars colors that come for making that cake. Gives true colors that you are after. As for stars, it's really just squeeze and release. Practice a few times to get a feel for the pressure you need for the size star you want. Just follow the directions and no the buttercream doesn't have to be really soft. I prefer a cool room temperature that way it isn't too hard to squeeze. You will do fine, but your hand will be tired. Good Luck!

1) Pam baking spray - I just have to keep looking at the pic as I am decorating and get it as close as I can.
2) homemade buttercream and follow the instructions from the insert
3) Controling your squeeze (practice makes perfect) is the only way I have heard.

Don't apologize for asking something, EVERYBODY started as a newbie or novice at some point!

Use shortening and flour to grease your pan. If you want the features to stand out, use a heavier cake, like a pound cake. If you don't have your own go-to recipe, use the buttercream recipe on your cake pan instructions.

Here are directions for making a star:
http://www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com/techniques/star.cfm?cat=9

Good luck!

Thanks so much for your help & advice,i am in Wales so cannot get a hold of wilton cake release over here, what does it consist of,i wont have time to buy it off the internet as it is his b'day very soon.

So would you recommend a bag for the icing? I need to buy the proper sized icing nozzles.

One trick is to try and squeeze the stars about the same size in each color area. It looks nicer. Also, stop squeezing the bag before you pull the bag away. This technique will minimize messy pullover from star to star. You'll get a better finished product. Either mix more buttercream than you think or have the ingredients ready. Also mix enough of each color. It is awfully hard to match colors with a second mix. And lastly, get a good no taste red and get a lot of it. Remember the reds darken considerably after they sit a few hours, so trying it ahead a little might alleviate any concerns.

Hi Handbag-Queen! Welcome to CC. I made the cake from the pan two years ago and found that the imprints do not come out very well either. You simply have to refer to the photograph on the paper insert many, many times to see if you are placing things correctly.

Absolutely use a bag to pipe the stars. I think the directions call for a medium sized star tip. You will use the same tip to make the tires look as if they have treads, so you do not need anything but a round tip and a star tip. If you are making your icing, I'd recommend one that is shortening based since that is a good consistency for piping things that need to "stand up."

Wilton Cake Release is basically the same as Pam for Baking, or Baker's Choice. It is a vegetable spray with flour incorporated into the spray which coats your pan and allows the cake to pop out easily after baking. If you do not have access to any of these in Wales, simply grease your pan with shortening, add a bit of flour and shake it around until it has coated the pan as well. It is okay if it shows when the cake is released, it will dust right off.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions! We are happy to help if we can!

One thing I found when piping alot of stars is that I have hot hands so have at least one possibly two extra bags filled with icing to be able to trade off with as you are decorating because your stars will start off nice and firm then as your hands heat the icing in the bag the stars will come out and not hold their shape. Good luck, I'm sure that the love you put in it will be evident!

Hi and Welcome to CC, Handbag-Queen.

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html

Duplicate post, please also see:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-642010-.html

HTH

As far as cake release-it works great, and if you can't find it in Wales, there is a recipe for it on here. It consists of 1 cup flour, 1 cup veg. shortening, and 3/4 cup veg. Oil. It is stored in a container-not refrigerated. Look in recipes for more info on how to use this.
BTW- where are you in Wales? I visited there and loved it! We were in Llangloglen(sp?) stayed in the infamous Hand Hotel. Beautiful place.

Thanks everyone for your lovely welcome

I will make a trip to our local village & buy some more icing bags & tips.

Fingers crossed for me

Piano-cat - we are about 15 miles away from Llangollen,a little village just outside of Mold.It is very beautiful around here,we are very lucky but i do love America,you guys sure know how to live & enjoy life.

We were there in July I think and I just remember it being cool there and daylight very late! Roses as big as dinnerplates! Very pretty place.

Practice your stars on piece of wax paper or baking tray. When you have the hang of it, just scrape the frosting back into the bag and proceed to the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.

I've only done a couple of cakes and my best advice is to GO SLOW! I had to make lots and lots of stars and when I went too quickly, the stars looked terrible and I had spaces between them. Good luck! I bet your son is going to love the cake.