Speed Racer Cake

by Susan
(Murfreesboro, TN, U.S.A.)

For the Racing Car Cake, you will need:

Foam board
Aluminum Foil
2 Round Cake Pans
Cake Mix
Chocolate Frosting
Decorating Icing
Green Cake Glitter
Green Food Coloring
Graham Sticks
Peppermint Lifesaver candies
Skewer
Printed checkerboard design
Speed Racer cars
Small trophy

I covered a foam board with aluminum foil to support the cake, then I made 2 ten-inch round cakes using 2 pans and two cake mixes. I placed the layers side by side to form a figure 8, and then I frosted both layers with chocolate frosting.

I made a half-recipe of decorating icing with the following recipe: 1 1/2 c. Crisco shortening, 2 lb. sifted confectioners' sugar, 1/2 c. water. I tinted the decorating icing green with a few drops of food coloring and spread the green icing, making a circle in the middle of each cake for the racing infield. Then, I carefully sprinkled green cake glitter on each circle to simulate grass.

Using the peppermint lifesavers, I pushed them down into the cake around each infield area. Using the graham sticks, I put a little chocolate frosting on each for "glue" and placed them around the perimeter of each cake to simulate a fence.

After printing and cutting the checkerboard design to size, I placed a piece on the cake to simulate the finish line. I made a checkered flag by wrapping a piece of the checkerboard design around a short piece of skewer and placed that at the finish line. I printed a "happy birthday" sign with the checkerboard design around it and attached that to the other cake with the rest of the skewer, using a peppermint candy to help anchor it.

I placed some Speed Racer cars around the track...with the Mach 5 in the lead of course! My son was very pleased with his cake and especially loved the fact that he got to keep the Speed Racer cars!