FARM TRACTOR CAKE 

This farmer is ready to roll in from the fields and onto the birthday table 

MATERIALS

• 18cm ( 7in ) square cake, 
• 30 x 20cm ( 12 x 8in ) oblong cake board.
• 1.75kg ( 3½lb ) sugarpaste / rolled fondant
•  yellow, black, blue, flesh & red food coloring pastes
•  icing/confectioners' sugar in a sugar shaker
•  375g ( 12oz / 1½ cups ) buttercream.
•  sugar glue

EQUIPMENT

• large rolling pin.
• sharp knife
• ruler
• cocktail stick/toothpick
•  2.5cm ( 1 in ) & 3cm ( 1 / in ) circle cutters
•  templates 

FARM TRACTOR CAKE METHOD:

Color 560g ( 1lb 2oz ) of sugar paste pale yellow. Using icing sugar to prevent sticking -roll out 440g ( 14oz ) and cover the cake board. Press the edge of a ruler over the surface to indent and create a straw effect, then trim the excess from around the edge.

Trim the crust from the cake and slice the top flat. Cut the cake exactly in half and put one half on top of the other. Cut the top layer in half and take one of the top pieces away. Trim a slope in the back of the piece left on the base. Cut the other piece of cake into an oblong shape for the trailer. Trim at an inward angle around the base of the tractor.

Sandwich the layers together using buttercream, then spread a thin layer of buttercream over the surface of each cake. Position the tractor on the cake board. Color 250g ( 8oz ) of sugar paste black. Thinly roll out and cut a 2.5cm ( 1 in ) deep strip of black to fit around the base of the tractor. Carefully roll up, position the end against the base of the tractor, then wrap around the base, smoothing the joint closed.

Color 500g ( 1 lb ) of sugar paste blue. Roll out 345g ( 11 oz) and cover the top of the tractor. Smooth around the shape, then cut away around the base leaving the black strip showing Roll out the remaining blue sugar paste and cut pieces to cover all sides of the trailer, then position on the cake board. Roll out the remaining yellow sugar paste and cut a square the same size as the trailer, Mark with a ruler to create a straw effect as before, stretching out the edges, then position it on top of the trailer.

To make the farmer, first color 315g ( 10oz ) of sugar paste grey and 60g ( 2oz ) flesh. Model a fat teardrop for his body using 90g ( 30z ) of grey and stick it to the tractor with sugar glue. Split a 30g ( 1oz ) piece in half and roll two sausage-shaped arms. Bend each arm halfway by pinching in at the elbow, then stick on the farmer's body. Roll 45g ( 1 oz ) of flesh-colored sugar paste into a ball for the head, then with the remaining flesh model two ball-shaped hands, an oval nose, and two oval ears. Press in the center of each ear to Flatt and stick in place. With 7g (1/4  oz ) of grey sugar paste, model two teardrop shapes for his mustache, then shape little pieces and stick them over his head for the hair 

Roll 7g ( 1/4 oz ) of black sugar paste into a sausage and loop it around to make the steering wheel. With the remaining black, roll two tiny eyes, shape a circle measuring 5cm ( 2in ) for the hat rim, then roll a ball and pinch either side for the top of the hat. Indent the hat at the top by pressing in with a cocktail stick. With some of the blue sugar paste trimmings, roll out and cut the hat band. 

Color the remaining sugar paste red. Using 22g ( 3/4 oz ), roll a sausage and stick it around the base of the farmer for the tractor seat. With 7g (1/4  oz ), roll a sausage for the fund cut both ends straight, then put aside to set for 10 minutes before sticking in place. To make the large tractor wheels, roll two balls from 125g ( 4oz ) of grey sugar paste. Flatten each ball, then mark the edges with the end of a ruler. Indent the centers of the wheel using the circle cutters, then put it aside to set for 10 minutes.

With some of the remaining grey sugar paste, make two small tractor wheels, pressing in the center of four trailer wheels. Then, using the templates, cut out the grilles. Thinly roll out the grey sugar paste trimmings and cut to size. Mark lines on the grilles with a ruler. With the remaining red sugar paste, model flattened balls for the centers of the wheels and the top of the funnel.

USEFUL TIP

Instead of filling the farmer's trailer with yellow sugar paste straw, you could pile on a few mini chocolate rolls or chocolate sticks to look like logs. 

Also Read: GIRL'S DRESSING UP CAKE