Hi all,

 

I am hoping to pull off a Gravedigger cake for my boy in about a month.  I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along, but here's what I'm struggling with to start...

 

1. TO RKT or CAKE?  Can I pull off a Gravedigger made out of cake? Or should I just make it out of RKT completely?  I would like to make the Digger out of cake.  I'm pretty sure he would like that best.  

I was thinking I could simply bake a 9x13 cut it in half, put one layer on top of the other (ice in between) and cut some of the second layer off to make it shorter giving the cake the truck shape.  (I would actually cut the top layer of cake prior to putting it on the second layer.)

 

2.  TO STRUCTURE or NOT My next concern is I see so many 3d Monster truck cakes with dowels and boards etc.  As I am trying to go easy as possible on myself - knowing my inabilities, time, etc.  I was hoping I could somehow do this WITHOUT some big structure?  Do you think this is possible?

Here is a photo of what I'm trying to mimic (even if I mimic badly)  

 

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2086955/gravedigger/

 

I was thinking this looks like they avoided the whole board, dowels, and all?  But I wonder would a 9x6.5 double layer cake work on top of something like this?  I was thinking putting it on top of a mud pie? Or too soft? Or I could put in top of more cake?  My husband thinks I wouldn't need to attach wheels, just immerse in cake/icing and push next to truck - but I figured I'd at least adhere w a few extra toothpicks to be safe. 

 

PS.  I may attempt this 2x - one for kid party, another for family party.  Hoping I can pull off 2 in 2 weeks without losing mind.  ;)  

Hi again hoping someone can still help me with my original questions.

 

A few more I have. If I go ahead with cake covered in fondant (3d).  How thin/thick do I roll out my fondant?

If I start with Wilton Fondant (I don't have time to make my own.) do I knead it before I roll it out? Or is this unnecessary.  I feel like when I try to do this I tend to get cracks/seams in my fondant.

 

How soon could I do any of the elements of this in advance?

You could carve that out of cake. Cold cake is easier to carve, so make sure it is cool to do it.

I would think you'd have to knead the fondant just to get it pliable enough to roll out.

I'd think you have to at least have a board cut to fit and elevated a bit to sit the truck body on. But that should not be hard. Your bottom board would be for the mud, then glue a block of some kind, maybe brick size , or a little taller, then put your cake board on top of that to elevate your cake enough for the wheels.  I'd dowel them into the cake, or at least toothpick them onto the truck body part of the cake.

Good luck. Post pictures :-)

Hi there.

 

I am a hobby baker so one of the pros here may have a better/more stable suggestion but...I did something along the lines you are talking about. I made wheels out of RKT, stuck dowels in the RKT to connect two wheels to each other - axles - and let the RKT get really hard. Once they were hard I covered them with fondant to make tires - I let the fondant get hard too. I attached to the two axles to a board covered in fondant then placed the cake on the board. I had a groove cut in the bottom of the board to keep the axles in place. The whole thing was set on a larger board. It all just sort of sat together. It only moved from fridge to counter to table and I was the only one to touch it. Oh and I flattened the wheels a little on one side so it looked like the tires were digging in and to help make it more stable.

 

Definitely try carving your truck body. Freezer the cake and carve it frozen - it will defrost as you go but it works.

The wheels don't need a toothpick - you attach them the same way you attach the other fondant decorations. And yes, one kneads fondant before rolling. If you're not used to working with fondant, this an ambitious project. Why not make a cake in the shape of a tire and put a toy truck on top or something like that?

Thanks howsweet!  This is ambitious for me, but I want to try anyway.  Last year I tried a 3-d dragon cake, w fondant wings and a few other pieces.  In Sept. I pulled off a fondant scalloped top w ears and bow.  This would definitely be a step up.  I asked about kneading, because I just wanted to be sure.  I feel like sometimes when I'm working w Wilton fondant I seem to get big cracks, creases in it which I have a hard time getting out.  I usually start w some crisco on my hands so the black is not all over them (with white and pink fondant, I'm not sure I put crisco on hands.)  Is this correct?  Am I not kneading enough or too much? Or too much crisco or not enough?  Since it's packaged fondant, I never know if it should be more soft to start with or what.  And I worry that maybe most of the time I roll it too thick because I'm nervous of it being too thin.  I thought maybe not kneading would help w less cracks.

AYou probably don't have it, but I'd add a tiny amount of glucose to prevent cracking. Some people say corn syrup works, but I've never tried it. Teeny itty bitty bit. If you're mixing color in, my guess is overworking.

thanks howsweet and SkisandBakes.  yes no glucose but I may try corn syrup.  skis and bakes - how far in advance did you do the wheels rkt and fondant? i was really hoping / trying to avoid the whole big board attachments and all... i've seen a video somewhere, but if i have to maybe I can enlist hubby.  

 

still wondering about fondant thickness and can I put this all upon a pie (mousse pie or such) vs. a cake?  

Doesn't pie filling have to be refrigerated? And isn't isn't it soft and mushy, more so than icing?

yes but if you look at the photo link, I thought that looked more like a choc. mousse pie? rather than cake?  And that sounds so yummy!  Thoughts?  That was why I was wondering if I should RKT the whole thing, although this pic still looks to me like it is a cake truck on top.

A

I think if it was directly on the "mud" it would look too low on the tires.

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3117043/default/sort/display_order/ Here's one I did. Used toy vehicles.

You can do the one you posted! Go for it. But I think you have to elevate the body because that's just how monster trucks are! Lol

You could always stack/fill three or 4 leveled out 9x13 sheets so it's tall enough to be a truck with wheels.  

 

Always cut cold cake.  Carve out the roof line and down the front and back of the truck all the way down to the board.  Trim the sides of the truck to be as wide as you want and continue cutting down to the board.  Slightly carve out wheel wells...not so deep that you lose support, but just enough to put your wheels in.  Keep your cutoffs.  

 

Cover the cake in black.  Add your details.  You can really, really mash your RKT together to make it hard...this also makes them look more smooth when covered in fondant.  I would divide the RKT into 4 sections, mashing the heck out of them.  Flatten them out using the bottom of a cake pan (not your hand) so they are even. Cut with desired circle cutter.  Cover in fondant.  Attach with toothpicks or melted chocolate.

 

Take your cutoffs and randomly break them apart, maybe mix in a little melted chocolate to make a muddy mess and place around cake, mostly to cover up where the truck SHOULD be elevated.

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

I can't guarantee that it will work since I have not personally done this, but it seems like it would be the easiest way.

 

You are quite ambitious!  And post pics, please.

 

I think I have a gravedigger cake posted in my pics.  It was done soooooo long ago and there is so much I would do differently.  I was a newbie back then and have learned so much from this site.

 

We are always here if you need us!!

Here's mine...as I said, so much I would change.  Not bad for a first truck, I guess.

Thanks johnb and beesknees!  I just know how much my little guy would love this, and I like a challenge - even if it never comes out like I wish... still good practice and learning for next one.   Plus it's like therapy for me...although it can be very nerve-wracking therapy while i'm trying to actually do it.  

 

I just had another thought.  As I plan to do 2 cakes (1 family party, 1 friend party) maybe I attempt this (structure, the putting fondant on a scupture, decorating it, etc.) first as just a RKT model (which I then use on top of a cake).   I could keep this for the family party and then have had a little run-through before doing it with cake for the friend party.  If I do this, how long can I keep an RKT covered with fondant truck.  Could I make it 2 weeks in advance? And then freeze? (I may make it smaller than the Cake truck - but at least I'll have practice with steps and all.)

Not sure about the RKT...I know they say to eat homemade ones within 1-2 days of making them when they are most fresh.  Your fondant will be very hard 2 weeks out.  Maybe someone else can pipe in about freezing it...

 

If you get the sheet kind of ready-to-eat RKT that they sell at GFS and, I am sure, many other places...they should be good for a very very long time with the preservatives they put in them.  Just squash them together for a more firm RKT.

AI've decided to go for the RKT truck as prep for cake truck. Worst case I will use it for first pastry and delay the cake truck fir second. I will see how it goes. Will def use cake if RKT truck. Fear too heavy. If I can freeze it I will try.

Beesknees Noticed you used royal icing on truck. Any thoughts out there as to what might be easier for a beginner ... Royal icing or paint? I've sen both done.

Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I made my tires a week in advance. They were not to eaten just decoration/support so I didn't care if the RKT got really hard and nasty. Just follow the standard RKT recipe, grease a large muffin tin or what you determine is the correct size for your tires and really pack the RKT in hard. Crush the rice krispies. Once they harden a bit cover them with icing and then fondant. I found a tutorial how to somewhere but I'm not sure where - I think it may have been a Cake Central member who did it. Try googling RKT monster truck tires or searching for it here.

AI did it! :D 2x even! with some cupcakes I'm happy with considering... not as hot as the ones I saw online here, but had problems w the pulled look. :D

[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3201057/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3201058/width/200/height/400[/IMG] [IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3201040/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3201042/width/200/height/400[/IMG] [IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3201043/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

In the end structure-wise, I put the Cake truck on 3 toy blocks. Saw this on a tutorial somewhere? It was mostly hidden under truck. Truck was on top of a cardboard covered in foil. Then I used kabob skewers? Or Chopsticks under the truck on top of cardboard w wheels each side. Cake truck wheels not as sturdy because too wide for my sticks. On RKT truck it all worked better (didn't even need the blocks) because the sticks were the entire width of cake. And the RKT wheels were nice and sturdy! :D

I did all the RKT work (cept for icing n fondantJ) in advance which helped w prep. Also made Icing in advance.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice and encouragement. We had a Bounce party and a Home party. He loved it all. At the home party, he had a moment and just sat looking at the cake and cupcakes. (While cousins played downstairs.) It was So worth it just to see him enjoying it all. And highest compliment .... he said ... "Great job mom. I knew you could do it. It looks JUST like the pictures!" :D

And I'm glad to be done now! ;)

AAw wow! Well done you! Isn't it lovely when your kids think you're the best mam in the world! :-) my little girl was the reason I started decorating cakes and I get the most pleasure out of making a cake for her. :-)

Thank you! Absolutely!  It's what lead me to this site. :)  And to think the first birthday cake I ever made for my 1st child - was the Healthy Cake recipe in the back of the What to Expect When You're Expecting book - It was bad (too healthy).  And not very pretty.  I did make a yummy backup cake w yellow Peeps on it.  Six years later, he's no longer eating his cake, but he enjoys looking at them - and having Special ones!  Thanks Cake Central.

AGood job!