I have seen many cakes with what looks like sand on them. I am creating a cars cake for my son with a road and then dirt. What has everyone used to portray dirt. I usually just make the regular buttercream icing. I have considered just tiniting the icing but then that is no fun! I tried the luster dust but it didn't spread very easy. HELP!

People usually use grahm cracker crumbs. I haven't tried myself, but obviously works! Or you can use cake crumbs, or brown sugar. HTH!

dirt- crushed oreos? or fondant road.

sand- crushed graham crackers or brown sugar

I have always used graham cracker crumbs (see in my photos). The only thing using graham cracker crumbs is that your buttercream needs to be dried/crusted. If it's not, the graham cracker crumbs will absorb the moisture from your buttercream icing.

Some folks use brown sugar, but I prefer to use graham cracker crumbs as they are not as sweet.

Good luck and please post your cake when you're done!! I just finished a Cars cake this past weekend. I will post it tomorrow!.

Ground up cookies make really good dirt or sand, just get which ever cookie is the closest color to what you need and grind 'em up! You can mix them too, for even better color matching. Added bouns they are yummy
HTH

You can use either light brown sugar or graham crumbs.

I agree with everyone else. For small areas (sand) I have used brown sugar and for larger areas graham cracker crumbs.

There are MANY things you can use. It depends on the look you want.
sand: graham cracker crumbs, vanilla waffers, brown sugar, etc....Oreo crumbs if you want a darker dirt look. A comination of ingredients listed above will work too.

HTH

I put Nilla wafers in a small food processor and used it as sand on a Sponge bob and Hawaiian cake I did.

Oh I used wilton colored sugar sprinkles for the side of a cake once to make a white beach sand (ocean resort beach) I just mixed a few colors together and srinkled on. It turned out okay. I know this is probably not the look you are trying to acheive on this cake but I just thought I would share.

Sorry , should have said dirt, I am just worried that it would be too dark with oreo. I will try graham cracker and make sure that the icing has crusted over first.

I did a test run last night with the luster dust. It was a mess. I even considered using the spray coloring, but with that you don't get the same effect.

I guess my lil guy will be happier either way!

Thanks everyone!

For dirt, I've used crushed chocolate chip cookies (it looks kinda like sand with chunks of dirt when crumbled-Chips Ahoy works well). I've also used crushed dark chocolate cookies, or oreos with the filling scooped out. Crumbled brownies work really well too.

For sand, I use turbinado (sometimes called demerarra) sugar. It's light brown with a larger grain than brown sugar (which I have found to be too fine). Some stores sell Sugar in the Raw, which works the same. Crushed Nilla Wafers cookies work great for sand, if you don't want to use the sugar.

I'm looking forward to seeing your cake. I'm doing a Cars cake in March and would love to see some new ideas! Good luck

What if you mixed oreo crumbs and graham crumbs together?

i haven't tried it but one of my books suggests gelatine for sand. Not sure if it would taste any good though.

I use vanilla oreo cookies for sand. they taste great and look just like sand.

I agree with cake angel...I think if you mixed in some oreos with graham crackers or vanilla wafers, you would get a good effect.

I made a contruction cake for my sons first birthday. I used oreos with a couple plain white biscuits to make the dirt and everyone commented how much it looked like dirt...lol

If i had any left overs from white or yellow cake i put them on a cookie sheet...tosted it, let it air dry them put them in a bag, crunch em with a rolling pin and i had insant sand! Im sure this could work for choc cake mix for dirt.