Recipe: Fireman Sam Birthday Cake

This is, if I am being honest, more of a way to store my recipe so that I don't forget it for two weeks time when I am making the actual cake. However, it will also allow my readers to make the cake themselves if they so wish. So, here it goes:

To make the cake base:

Equipment Needed:

Mixing Bowl
Scales
Oven
Electric or Hand-held whisk
Butter Knife
Spoon
3 Rectangular Cake Tins (greased)
Wire Rack


Ingredients:

4 eggs
275g Margarine/Butter
275g Caster Sugar
275g Self Raising Flour
1 and a half tsp Baking Powder

Method:

Using 3 of the eggs and 175g of each other ingredient (and 1tsp of baking powder), mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl using a hand held or electric whisk. When the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy, divide it between two of the cake tins. Using the remaining ingredients mix as before in the bowl and pour into the remaining cake tin. Put all of the tins into a preheated oven at 170 degrees and leave to bake for 30 minutes or until the cakes look well risen and a golden colour. To test they are cooked through, insert a knife into the middle part of each cake. If the knife comes out clean then the cakes are ready to bring out of the oven. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.

Once the cake has cooled, place one of the cakes onto another to make the engine base and then cut the remaining cake in half and place the two halves on top of each other at the front to make the engine cab.

To make the Icing Decorations:

Equipment Needed:

Rolling Pin
Mixing Bowl
Latex Gloves
Sharp Knife
Butter Knife

Ingredients:

500g White Ready to Roll Icing
Red Food Colouring
Black Food Colouring
Ready to Roll coloured icing: Yellow, Blue, Black
Strawberry Jam

Method:

Spread Jam in between the cakes as a filling and then spread a thin layer of jam all over the engine shape to allow the icing to stick. Take 2/3 of the white icing into a mixing bowl and add a few drops at a time of the red food colouring, kneading the dye into the icing as you go (make sure you wear latex gloves as it will stain!). Once the colour is nice and bright red then place the icing onto a floured surface and roll the icing out to roughly 1cm thickness. Place this over the entire cake, moulding it around the engine shape and ensuring every part is covered. Then wash the mixing bowl and start again with the remaining white icing and a few drops of black food colouring. The colour should be a metallic grey.

Once finished, roll this out as before and then, use a sharp knife to cut out the shapes of three windows, a grill, a registration plate, and a windscreen for the engine as well as 4 small balls for the bases of the engine lights and two mini horn shapes. Using the black ready to roll icing, cut out four round wheels. Use the yellow ready to roll icing to make two legs for the fireman, a hose, and a ladder as well as the fireman's hat and a star for the badge. Use the blue icing to make four lights, a badge and the body and arms of the fireman, as well as three droplets of water for the hose.

Once you have finished making all of these shapes, start applying them to the fire engine using a tiny amount of jam to fix them on. The fireman should be propped up against the fire engine. His head can be made from a any leftover red icing, either mixed with white icing or rolled in flour. You may want to use a Fireman Sam figurine instead of making him yourself, as it proves quite difficult! They can be found online.

Once all of the decorations have been made you can then add writing to the cake board to say Happy Birthday, and add a candle to the cake itself.