VW Camper Van Cake

I was asked to make a VW Camper Van cake for a colleague earlier this month, and I have had great fun working out how to make all of the different bits that go together to create a camper van! My original thought was 'Oh no I've got to carve a cake!' but from doing a bit of research and a chat with my client we decided that a flat decoration was best for this cake. I have been able to experiment with lots of techniques and different materials, and have made a list of 100 other bits I need, but I've thoroughly enjoyed getting into back into my stride with sugarcraft again.

As with all my projects i start of by making detailed lists, timetables and sketches days before I even start so I know exactly what needs to be done. Only when I am happy with a plan do I start kneading!

I first cut out all of the letters required for the cake and then the daisies, topped with small pearlescent balls for the centres. 

I made a small indent in the centre of each flower using the end of a paintbrush so the balls have a little dip to sit in when attached.

Next I made all of the small bits for the front of the van like the headlamps, numberplate, windscreen wipers,  wing mirrors and of course the badge. I picked up some edible silver paint to use for these metallic parts and I'm really glad I did, they wouldn't have looked as good if I had just used lustre dust. I used a gold shimmer for the centre of the indicators and painted the numberplate using dark brown food gel to give a slightly more vintage look. 

The next step was to cut out the large parts of the van. I used a small knife for this part but even so it snags the icing and can pull your design out of shape. I think I may have to invest in a scalpel to stop this from happening as it can throw out your detailed design if the icing stretches. I built the van up in layers and added each piece separately to make sure that it was correct. My favourite part is watching it all come together so I was very excited to stick on all the fiddly bits I had made. The background of the cake is a lovely grass green, so I am hoping that all of my elements will stand out against this colour when added to the cake and it is all assembled and ready to go. 

I used the textured edge of a lid to create the tread on the tyres which gives the design an extra little piece of detail. 

I used a mix of professional grade red gel food colour and a Dr Oetker's gel for the red velvet cakes this time, and was amazed at the results! The cakes were so vibrantly red and when I filled and put the crumb coat of cream cheese frosting on, I was really pleased with the finish. It was beautifully smooth and perfect for it's sugarpaste cover. 

Once the cake was covered I decided to hide the baseboard as it was larger than the finished cake.

 I cut strips of icing in different lengths and cut into them with a knife to create grass. 

Then to assemble (my favourite part!) I placed the letters on the baseboard to check the spelling and then stuck them on. The camper van was then stuck on top of the case and I placed the daisies at random across the sides of the cake and the baseboard. 

A silver ribbon around the cake board finished the design perfectly. 

I was really pleased with the outcome of the cake, however I hadn't released how much the camper van had stretched whilst making! Although I had used a template drawn inside the circumference of the tin, it still came up bigger than the top of the cake. In future I will have to make sure that I scale down any decorations to make sure that they fit onto the finished cake, as the original design saw the camper van sit neatly in the middle with no overlap.