CAT Truck Birthday Cake

Micah Turned 27 today!!! We never make a huge deal out of birthday's...just kinda do as we feel when they come up. Last year Micah was wanting a cake and I just didn't feel like making one. I still bought the mix so he could make it himself, however this was not what he wanted to hear. For our wedding I was wanting to surprise him and get him a grooms cake that was made into a Cat Truck. Of course i could not find anyone who would make it for me. So that fell through. So this year I felt ambitious.

I started out thinking i would just make a cake....Then I decided I had the day off so I was going to make a CAT cake. I hope to perfect this design as it would make a wonderful cake for some little boys birthday when kids come along (someday). Here is my low budget version:

Ingredients Needed for the Cake:

-2 boxes of cake mix (of your choice)

-3 eggs (per box of cake mix)

-1/2 cup vegetable oil (per box of cake mix)

-1 1/3 cup water (per box of cake mix)

Ingredients Needed for the Frosting: (Buttercream Frosting)

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

- 3 cups confectioner's sugar

- 1 tsp Vanilla extract

- 1 Tbs milk

Directions:

Combine vegetable shortening and butter. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Slowly add confectioners sugar. Once mixed fully add milk and continue mixing. Use food coloring to obtain desired colors.

(creates a light airy frosting)
Choose baking pans according to the size of cake desired. For a cake about 1' x 1' x 1' use a 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan. Wheels can be made with cupcakes or anything of your choice.

For the body of the truck use the 9x13 sheet and cut off about 2 inches from one end (this will be used for the hub of the truck) Cake can be layered for height of truck or a box wrapped in foil can be used as base under cake. * Next time i will use a small sheet of wood (plywood) wrapped in foil. Prop it up with small wooden blocks placed behind wheels. This will allow truck to be raised off the ground for a more realistic look.

The 8x8 sheet will be used for the bed of the truck. Cut out enough cake to form the bed as shown. Cake mix Box can be use to tip the bed of the truck. Smash one end of the box for the tilt effect.

Use 4 cupcakes as wheels. Attach to body of truck with toothpicks.

The section of cake cut off of the 9x13 sheet can be cut to desired size for the hub of the truck. Attach with toothpicks.
Begin Frosting....(take tires off for frosting time)

Detail truck as desired. I used brown frosting to highlight HUB and TIRES. Chocolate Chips for lettering and grill. White frosting was used for windows.

Use the cake cut out of the bed of the truck as dirt. Crumble cake pieces and place around truck. Oreo's were the crumbled and placed in the bed of the truck as more dirt.

With more time and more money these hints would improve quality of cake:

*More cake mix used and layered with frosting so entire cake is edible.

*Cake Frosting tools used rather than a spatula.

*Black frosting to detail Truck

Happy Birthday Micah :o) Love you