Hi - I just had someone call me to do a cake for their son's 10th Birthday this coming Saturday. He wants a TORNADO on it. Their "first" baker backed out on them today, so she's calling a bit last minute. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm drawing a complete blank. I'm not very good at using fondant, so the easier the idea, the better. Thanks.

I'd do a sheet that has a grassy field on it, and put a tornado about 1/3 of the way into it with a ripped-up path following behind it (but that's just me!) That would give you room to write happy birthday on it. Or you could do a regular flowery-bordered cake that's ripped up where the tornado has passed... I just asked some 12-yr-old boys and they said they'd like the flower one that was ripped up. I guess they like seeing flowers torn apart at that age...

To make the tornado I'd take an ice cream cone and cover it with grey royal icing,t hat way it willharden and if hte cone gets softer it will hold the shape. Or you could make a form from tinfoil and ice it with grey icing. Anchor it into the cake with a dowel and it should work.

what about a covered styrofoam cone.

oh that sounds awesome...i love tornados! Carve a tornado shape out of a sheet cake and cover in gray icing or fondant and then with black you can make swirly lines and such and write happy birthday on it.

Styrofoam is a great idea...I didn't even think of that one! You could also do rice krispy treats covered in grey chocolate melts, and it wil be light enough but still keep it shape and be edible.

or half rounds of gradually decreasing size on edge

carve and cover in BC or fondant.

make mess of stuff being blown around at bottom

have a few things flying up the cakeboard in empty areas

stick parts of things (cow's head, bicycle, boat, tree, witch, etc.) so they look like whirling inside the tornado.