LITTLE BLUE TRAIN CAKE

 This bright train brimming with sweets will chug onto the birthday party table 

MATERIALS

• 18cm ( 7in ) square cake
• .30cm ( 12in ) hexagonal cake board
• 1.5kg ( 3lb ) sugarpaste / rolled fondant
•  pink, blue & black. food coloring pastes
•  icing/confectioners' sugar in a sugar shaker
•  sugar glue 440g ( 14oz / 1 ¾   cups ) buttercream
•  length of licorice/licorice
•  assorted liquorice / licorice candies
• licorice Catherine wheels licorice wheels 

 EQUIPMENT

•  large rolling pin
•  sharp knife 

 LITTLE BLUE TRAIN CAKE METHOD:

Color 500g ( 1lb ) of sugarpaste pink. Using icing sugar to prevent sticking roll out the pink sugar paste and used it to cover the cake board, trimming any excess from around the edge Put the covered cake board aside to dry

Trim the crust from the cake and slice the top flat, using a sharp knife. Cut a strip measuring 8cm ( 3in ) from one side of the cake. Cut this slice into two pieces one 7cm ( 2 in ) long and the other 10cm ( 4in ) long. Put the larger piece upright at the end of the smaller piece to form the engine Trim a curve in the top of the larger piece. Cut the remaining cake into three equal pieces to make the carriages.

Sandwich the engine together with buttercream, then spread a layer of but the team over all the cakes to help the sugar paste stick Colour 875g ( 13/4 lb ) of sugar blue Roll out 375g ( 12oz ) of the blue sugar paste and use to cover the engine completely smoothing down and around the shape, trimming any excess from around the base Cover the three carriages in the same way, using the leftover blue sugar paste

Color the remaining sugar paste black. Roll out and cut an that will fit the top 4 of the engine, sticking in place with sugar glue. Thinly roll out black sugar paste and cut four strips for the windows and stick them in place, then model two flattened ball shapes for the pupils of the eyes and put them to one side.

Cut three small lengths of licorice to link the carriages and engine together and put them aside. Position all the licorice wheels ' against the engine and carriages using a tiny amount of sugar paste moistened with sugar glue to stick them in place.

Carefully place the engine and carriages on the covered cake board and link them together using the lengths of licorice put aside earlier. Decorate the engine with the assorted licorice candies and pile candies onto the top of each carriage, securing them in place with sugar glue. Use two square pieces of licorice to form the train's eyes, sticking on the black sugar paste pupils made earlier.

USEFUL TIP

Gently rub the surface of the sugar paste with your hands to remove excess icing sugar and give it a sheen.

Also, Read: CIRCUS CLOWN CAKE