3D Lightning McQueen Cars Cake Tutorial
To make this Lightning McQueen, Cars Cake you will need:
Cake:
cake pans 11inch (27.94 centimetres) x 15inch (38.1 centimetres) (I had two so I could bake two sheet tins at a time)
chocolate cake x 3
This quantity will make about 40-45 serves.
Template:
Template for cutting the cake and fondant pieces
Frosting:
2 x my chocolate buttercream recipe
3 x ganache recipe cooled in the fridge
Fondant:
750g (26.46 ounces) Black fondant (I used Bakels Black Pettinice)
1 kg (2.2 pounds) Red fondant (will be just enough if you are new to decorating you may want to get a bit extra) I used Satin Ice RED
150g (5.29 ounces) White fondant for eyes and windscreen (get 500g (17.64 ounces) and split it up leave some white & colour some yellow/grey/brown)
250g (8.82 ounces) Yellow fondant for side logo
50g (1.76 ounces) Grey fondant for windows (mix a small amount of black fondant with some white)
50g (1.76 ounces) Brown fondant for ‘Rusteze’ symbol
Powdered food colour in red, orange and yellow
silver luster dust
metal piping tip for cutting out eyes – you can use something else round in a similar size
Drinking straws for cutting circles.
circle cutter
paintbrushes
thick card to cut for cake board
Platter or cake board to put cake on (see cutting templates for indication of cake size)
Oreos or other flat cream filled circle shaped biscuits x 8
Step 1. Do ahead of time for your Lightning McQueen, Cars Cake
Allow approximately 6 hours to make these well, I like to make extras of things so I can choose the best one.
Print and cut out cake cutting templates
Cut cake board out of thick card and cover with alfoil or tape to waterproof
Make the fondant details for the car that can be made ahead, see video for instructions:
silver dots x 4
eyes x 2, (I made four so that I could choose the best two)
‘Rusteze’ symbol for bonnet x 1 (I made two and chose the best one)
’95’ x 3 (for each side of the cake and the top)
headlights
brake lights
Back of the car with details
Side windows
Back windows
Step 2: Making the Cake & Frosting
Bake your chocolate cake x 3 this will make six sheet cakes of which you need five. In the trays this cake takes 15 minutes to bake (swap top tray to bottom and bottom to top half way through cooking). My cake tray is 26cm (10.24 inches) x 39cm (15.35 inches)
Make your frosting: double quantity of my chocolate buttercream
and triple quantity of ganache. Cool the ganache in the fridge until firm and then whip into the buttercream. I had plenty left over to use with the cake scraps to make cake pops, or you can put the excess in a ziploc bag and freeze it.
Step 3: Assembling & Carving your Lightning McQueen, Cars Cake
Watch the video to see this demonstrated.
Set up your cake board to sit 1cm (0.39 inches) above the platter in the middle and 1 1/2cm (0.79 inches) at the front 3cm (1.18 inches) at the back
Using your car template cut out 4 of the layers and assemble with ganache between on top of the cake board. Cut your 5th sheet cake in half and stack on top in the centre. Use your side of car template to check that the cake is high enough in all places and then carve using the side template as your guide.
Place the top of car template 1 on top lined up with the base of the windscreen and cut around to the level of the front bonnet. Then put the smaller roof template in place and trim across to meet the outline that you just made.
Trim down the centre of the bonnet and the centre of the back of the car.
Cut out the wheels holes deep enough until you reach the cake board.
Cover the whole cake in frosting smoothing as best as you can and the refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 4. Decorating your Lightning McQueen, Cars Cake
Make your wheels using fondant and oreos, see video for instructions.
Take the cake out of the fridge and use paper towel to smooth. Put the white in place for the teeth, cover with some non-stick baking paper in the shape of the smile. Cover in red fondant, cut out the smile and then add your pre-made details.
Make and add front windscreen and the side lightning flashes. Clean the cake board and lastly add your wheels.
Step 5. Photo Time
Smile, you did it! Take a photo and upload in the comments section below. Photo Tips: It is hard to get a good photo of the cake at the party so take a photo with the birthday boy or girl before any of the guests arrive. Pay attention to what is in the background of your picture.
by Ann Reardon How To Cook That
2013
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A few more pics. I really enjoyed making it. Flow and order of instructions was very well explained. It made my it simpler to follow.
Hey Ann. I followed your recipe quite closely and this was the end results. Pics is attached below.
Hi Ann, thanks so much for your amazing tutorials, i make one of you cakes every year for my boy 😊 he and everyone loved the cake and that chocolate cake recipe tastes so amazing! That recipe works so well with gluten free flour no one was the wiser haha
Another view 😊
Are you using a jelly roll type pan or a cookie sheet pan? Also how much cake batter are you pouring into each pan? And for the cake recipe it calls for the 70% dark chocolate. If I’m not able to find 70% would it hurt to use any type of dark chocolate? Or even another chocolate in general. Can’t wait to make this!!!
Hi Amber, Ann uses a standard baking trays 11 inch by 15 inch. Each tray is just over an inch deep. She made cake batter and divided into 3 approximately equal quantities for baking. Use trays that are similar in sizing but they don’t have to be exactly the same.
Hi Ann,
What is the measures for the simple syrup solution that you used to keep the cake moist ?
Hi.. the measurements for simple syrup is 100g sugar and 100 ml water. Just boil the water until sugar dissolves. Ms.Ann has given the recipe in princess cake tutorial. Once cooled transfer and store in an airtight bottle. I used it in my princess cake and cars too. It was useful.
Hi Sreepallavi,
Thank you for the info.
Thank you so much Ann.. your tutorial helped me a lot. Everyone enjoyed the taste too..
Great work Sreepallavi!
Hello, I am French and I wanted to tell you that your flash mc queen is beautiful. Where can I find the models you use to cut the car and make the windows, the 95 in sugar paste etc? thank you for your reply. Sorry if not translated well, I put the translator
Hi Lucile, The templates are available for purchase on the page. Just click on the ‘Buy it now’ button. You can also find them on the shop page here: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/shop/?orderby=date
Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for your tutorial!
The cake turned out fantastic, but too bad it did not make it to a party: the birthday boy got sick and party was cancelled. He was happy to have it all to himself, though. Please keep on posting your wonderful creations!
Wow Anastasiya, The cake looks fantastic with so much attention to details. Well done. Sad to hear that the party didn’t happen but it sounds like the cake was truly enjoyed!
Just finished!!!
Hi Marlo, great work. Your Car cake looks awesome!
Hi Anne
I love your you tube channel and your boys channel too. So cute! I love the way you make it look so easy for a mum to juggle so much so well 😉 I only have one little man and he keeps me on my toes enough 🙂 I would like to try the cars came but nervous as it’s my first 3D.cake. What fondant do you use? Do you make your own? Where do you purchase your luster dusts? Many thanks Kelsey x
Thank you for this tutorial it helped me to make my cake, awsome video.
i am adding better picture, i just cut out the windows rather then putting them on and i was lazy so i used addible paper for stickers. As well i did not have oreo so I improvised with cookie cutter. thanks again
Hi, Ann.
Thank you so much for the tutorial. I bought the template and made it !
I am happy about the results.
I bake cake at home for a living and this one took a couple hours more to be done !
Patience and passion, full of excitement and a little stress were my company for Mcqueen. Thank you again, you were a great asset to my ‘réussite’.
Gosh, I wish I would have had that inmaofotirn earlier!