Hi everyone,

I was asked to make a cake with "a choo choo train and an elephant." Oh boy. Any ideas for this? I'm really just a beginner at decorating, so I don't dare to attempt anything too structurally complicated.

Hopefully someone more experienced at planning these things can help me, because I think I'm in over my head! TIA.

It's hard to say, whats easy for one may be difficult for another. With only one pic, I can't tell what might help you. I would just google or look in the gallery here to get some ideas. There are all levels here.
One thing I've learned, that if i'm not comfortable in doing a cake for someone, or I don't have a clear vision and idea, I don't do it. Even a free cake....I wouldnt want to let them down if they are expecting a certain clelbration cake.
Blessings, and have fun...look foward to pics!

Could you use the Wilton 3D train pan to do the engine and then make train cars from loaf pans? The elephants could be riding in each of the cars.

There are a tutorials on here for how to make jungle animals from fondant and I think the latest edition of the Wilton yearbook has circus animals, including an elephant, on the cover.

If you don't feel confident doing fondant animals, each train car could be loaded w/sugar cookie animals.

Just some ideas, HTH

Kristy

what about just having the elephant/s peaking out the top or side of a train carriage, then you'd only have to do the head and trunk?

here's a link to a great tutorial list posted by Rylan
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-672099-rylan.html

How about doing a train with a elephant conductor standing beside it?

A circus train seems like the obvious solution...think Dumbo.

Or the Little Engine That Could -- there's a version of the story with a toy elephant prominent among the "passengers".
Cover illustration: http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/lilebook.jpg

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "structurally complicated" but if a 3D elephant is beyond you, maybe just do the train, with a toy elephant? The sugar cookie idea is good too.

Thanks for the ideas! This is just for a friend, so it doesn't have to be professional looking. This is more or less along the lines of what I was thinking.

(the last one is in Spanish with the Argentinian decorator Marcela Capó, but you can easily see what she's doing)

Maybe you can put the train running on the bottom (your board) and the elephant on top, if the don't have to go together?