I've been asked to do a 40th birthday cake. It needs to be the birthday boy's 1989 mustang doing burnouts. It also has to be 3D if possible. How do I acheive the smoke effect? Any help would be appreciated - here is a picture of the burnout... (I know nothing about racing)

cotton candy makes great smoke!

What if you did a 3D cake like this:

http://members.nuvox.net/~zt.proicer/cakepict/cars.htm

But, instead of just on a board, put a MOUND of grey or opaque white icing down first, and the car in it with the icing surrounding it. That way, it looks like the "smoke" is coming from behind and going around the cake?

Dry ice, maybe?

THanks Doug! I initially thought of cotton candy. But last year I tried to use it on a gingerbread house and within 1/2 hr it started liquefying - even in December. It must have something to do with the salt air around here...

Thanks Chris - that sounds like a neat idea. I was afraid BC would be too heavy?

ooo dry ice! very scientific debsuewoo - just like Alton Brown! LOL. Where do you get dry ice?

re: dry ice

ice manufacturing company might have.

places that ship medical supplies (vaccines, etc) almost always have.

some bait/tackle stores might have (for shipping frozen fish long distance)

can be hard to find & expensive --- usually sold only in 5lb blocks (that's a lot of dry ice!)

know someone who works in a sience lab that uses it?

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and remember:

no touch w/ bare hands!!!!!

need HOT water for best smoke effect

Some grocery stores even carry it now. I know the Kroger here in Texas does.

What if you made a larger mound behind and around the car of cake covered in gray swirled/fluffed icing and a partial 3D car coming out just like your picture? The mound with the swirled/fluffed icing could be the main cake and the car a tad smaller. You would only have to create part of the car in this case. Just a thought that ran through my little brain just now!

Good luck! Can't wait to see the picture!

Thanks for all your help! I couldn't find dry ice around here, so I ended up just doing a little smoke w/ BC.

That looks REAAAALLLYY good!!! Excellent job! You should pat yourself on the back. I love it!