Hi CCer's! It seems like I have been making a post like EVERY day... but on Saturday, I'm making a Sweet Sixteen cake for my brother.... and we are having a lot of people over- so if I fail this cake; I think I'll die. My plan, as I have said before is: Ice the cake, TRY to smooth it with copy paper and my fondant smoother dealy. Next: use my tip 104 to make a BLACK race track. Let it crust, smooth out. Use tip 12 to pipe an outliney thingy around the track. Put some hot rod cars on it so that it looks like they're racing. (does this sound dumb?!) Write Happy Birthday Aaron, or shall I write Sweet Sixteen. Maybe that sounds girly? Shally I do a border? I had in mind.... for the top, mabe a big star, then a small one, big star, small star. What about the bottom? Just leave it or stars? What color should I use for the stars and writing? Thanks!

sounds fun! i think red and yellow or black and white are good for a race course...same colours as the flags etc... look forward to pics

Honestly, I'd cut the race track out of black fondant and attach it. I can't personally imagine trying to smooth out black bc on top of white bc.

@Leah_s: Our family really doesn't like the taste of fondant, gumpaste OR marizipan. The black icing would be on top of BROWN icing so it might look okay.
@moonbabel: I REALLY like the red and yellow idea! I am SO going to try and do it! Thank you!

I agree with Leah I'd do fondant- OR I'd do crushed up oreos.

Also, Idont write onmy cakes. I've learned that A. you dont HAVE to write on a cake and B. That sometimes it takes away from thebeauty of the cake, and in my case, makes it look cheap.

If I feel that it would be cuter with, or has to have some sort of writing on it, I do it with a sign of some sort that is made from gumpaste.

If you feel you need a border around the outside edge, I'd cut white and black blocks, then put them on in a checkerboard pattern.

I would also probebly do the same for the edge, a black rope and a white rope twisted together.

I dont know what tools you have, what ingrediants you have, or your budget. I know that making a cake with out all the cool stuff makes it really hard.

BUT, you did say you had a dollar store right? fondant can be made from what you find at a dollar store. marshmellows and powdered sugar.

I'd try to put some coco in one batch of fondant to make black easier to achive, its HARd to do.
even if it tastes bad (I havent tried it, but plan to soon) just tell folks not to eat it.-

I understand your comment about not liking the taste of fondant, but if they are only decorations on top of your regular icing, you can easily pull them off. I'm afraid that black buttercream would make their mouths black. There are a lot of race track cakes here on cc. I even make one last year for a friend, and my skills are not that great. It is in my photos. You might want to give it a try.

DO NOT write "Sweet 16" on a boys cake, he will NEVER forgive you.

Depending on how big you're making the track, you can use the Wilton large icer tip to do it. Here is one of the first paid cakes I did a billion years ago! It's all buttercream, and I was happy with it. And of course, the birthday boy got to keep the cars so he was doubly happy!

I think it sounds like you have a good plan. One thing I have learned from experience is not to over think the cake design. Try and sketch the cake out to help you stay on task while decorating.

The only thing I would suggest is not write "Sweet Sixteen" on the cake for a boy. Typically, "Sweet Sixteen" parties are reserved for girls.

LOL at tinygoose's reply! I have to agree.

When I did a race track for my son, I used crushed oreos. I removed the cream from the middle, placed them in a ziploc bag and pulverized them to powder. I outlined the track with chocolate icing that I had tinted black. Worked perfectly! No bleeding onto the white or worrying about smoothing it.

The sides of the cake I used the star tip and piped black and white blocks like a checkered flag. It was a minimal amount of black so no black mouths. I used the flower former to just measure off increments all the way around. Super easy and no messing with fondant....and the cake didn't need anything removed prior to eating except the racecars!

I'm not a sixteen year old boy and only know one but do 16 year old boys really like race tracks for their birthdays? Just curious cause it seems very childish.

I think the crushed Oreo idea is great! And I would skip the Sweet 16 and opt for a simple "Happy Birthday!" instead. Good luck and have fun with your design.

@Everybody: Thank you!! Unfortuanantly, I don't have any crushed oreos! I'll have to make something else work and try to use not to much black. Yes, I will skip the "Sweet Sixteen", it was just going to be a joke...

Yes please do not put sweet 16 on the cake...and I have to agree. The race track cake for a 16 yr old? My son is 15 and he likes some cakes like dirt track and monster trucks with the big hill and things but not really a race track. Is that what he wants?

I'm with Leah. I would use fondant for the race track. If your family doesn't like fondant, try flavouring it. The wilton fondant used to taste pretty nasty but I've heard it's improved, and there are others that do taste pretty good.

If you do choose to go with the buttercream for the track, definitely make it black after adding the cocoa. Otherwise you run the risk of bitter flavoured buttercream (even with all that sugar).

Good luck!

@patticakesnc: He seriously doesn't care one bit! The only two things he is intersted in is mechanics and getting his lisence! I think I can make it so it won't be to babyish.

Thank you everyone!

Can't wait to see the pictures. I don't think that a racetrack is babyish for a boy who is getting his license and going to see every road as a racetrack!

Ah! Thank you SO much awattwerson! He DOES see every road as a race track, and has to look at evey big truck, and he's always on buggy forums,

I made a dirtbike cake for my cousin who was turning 30. After I made it I was really worried that it looked too childish. My cousin, who rarely appreciates anything, was really touched by it and so proud and made sure that all of his friends saw it.

Is he a NASCAR fan? If so, pick up a model car of his fave driver and plop it on the track. Or maybe incorporate the driver's number on the cake somewhere. Makes the racetrack more manly. As a man, I feel qualified to give this advice

I haven't read all the post so i apologize in advance ,but I now live down south and boys of all ages love race car but at 16 i think I would forgo the primary colors as they seem young. how about colors of his favorite race car driver. they even sell cars in the dollar stores of lots of the drivers.
Most of all enjpy it and no matter what you decide to do I'm sure he'll love it along with all the guests. Have fun,karen

Hey, my daughter just make a Pokeball cake for a college friend. You wouldn't believe what their password is for their Internet, either. Some things never grow old, I guess. LOL

Vroom, vrooom!

Sorry, I completely forgot the original question. Fondant or buttercream for the track? My preference is fondant but if buttercream is your preferred method, just go slowly to keep from smearing it places you don't want.

well, if he's always on buggy forums.... a little "dirt" (brown icing) showing up through the paving (black icing) would be fine...


of course could ditch the race cars, substitute buggies and then just go with brown.

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and as a man who still is a "boy" -- the only difference between the two boy & man is the PRICE of the toy (ok and how fast it will go! VRROOOOOOOOM!!!

heck, I @ 57yr old almost went off the road today while craning neck to see a fancy dream vehicle go by!


we DON'T outgrow it.

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if go with buggy instead of car -- crushed graham crackers/vanilla wafers/snickerdoodles all make good sand/dirt

@Joshua_Alan: LOL!! We are hopefull having another couple over, and her birthday is on the fourth, so I was thinking red white and blue borders and flags?

Of course a track is a great idea for a 16 yr old boy! Anything that has to do with speed and possible wrecks is very appealing to the male gender no matter what age they are
You could always make a little stop sign or speed limit sign out of GP w/ "16" on it. My handwriting is terrible so I try to avoid writing on any of my cakes.
Your brother will love his cake! Have fun with it

Melanie Mc.