Hello everyone. I am planning to make a fire engine themed cake, with a small fire engine 3D shaped cake covered in fondant, sitting on a fondant turning circle (to be made using a round cake board). All this on top of a round cake. The fire engine and turning circle is like this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/margishaw/5652403279/in/photostream/

My question is, how do I make the turning circle like in the picture above? I would like to make it just like the picture, except I want it round and using a round cake board, so the edge of the circle would be the yellow and black stripes.

The other question is should I make the fire engine cake and turning circle separately, then when they are both done, transfer the fire engine to the turning circle? How do I do this? Or alternatively, should I make the fire engine on top of an already made turning circle? If I do it this way how do I stop messing up the turning circle with cake crumbs etc?

i would make the turning circle a few days ahead of the fire engine

to allow it to dry so you don't mess it up accidentally touching it and marring it when it's soft

then you either

1. cover that dried yellow circle with parchment or waxed paper (so that it protects the board but can be removed later) and make the fire engine right on it
2. or make the fire engine on it's own board cut to fit and place it later on the circle board--put a dab of icing so it adheres well

and i would secure the boards so they have no chance to warp or crack or move

example

1. use foam core
2. slide bamboo skewers in to the corrugations
3. use two corrugated cardboard circles cross ways for strength

and a tiny design note

the cake this is all sitting on is going to be a bit bigger than the circle yes?

two tiers basically right? firetruck sitting on a round cake?

and the top of the cake that the circle and firetruck is sitting on needs to be the same color as the inside of the yellow circle which in the picture is gray

otherwise it won't come off as well as a turning circle but just a nice border

just a random random random design thought

Hi K8memphis,

What I have been thinking lately is to have a cake board (and yes smaller than the diameter of the actual cake) and cutting out a gray circle for the middle of the turning circle, and just cutting out yellow and black stripes for the outermost part of the circle. I think there's pretty much no other way of doing it! It just leaves a question of the cake board showing... I guess I could colour it with a black pen and and hope it blends in well. The actual cake will be blue- either blue icing or blue fondant on icing- because I will be putting 2d fondant decor on the sides of the cake. 

I thought if I put dowels in the cake that should secure both the turning circle and fire engine, especially if I put lots? Could you tell me what you mean by sliding bamboo skewers in the corrugations?

I think its a great idea to make the fire engine on a cake board cut out to fit... Gosh I would never have thought of it (Duuuuhhh lol). 

this is a half sheet board and not the best photo

but see the bamboo skewers sticking out the corrugation of the board on both sides??

uber strong--i just have to slide/force them the rest of the way in or clip them off

to explain my fine point up thread for you is

you want the black & yellow circle bordered on both sides by the grey or you might loose the effect

if the black & yellow circle is the outside edge of the board it won't look as much like the turning thing

you can let the fondant slip over the edge to cover it 

but just be careful--it's easy to touch it and mess it up--breaks easy if dry

~~i would cut a template to do the striped thing

Yes I see what you mean, that would be pretty strong! 

Thanks very much for all the suggestions... I'll do more planning before diving in, so to speak. I think its best to think twice (or more) and do once. Hopefully that works with fondant!