School Bus Cake

My boys are in love with school buses. They started Kindergarten this year and the only thing they were looking forward to was riding that "big kid's school bus". So to fuel the excitement, I attempted a school bus cake I found on the Family Fun's website.  It was a BIG hit and a favorite request in our house. For a novice cake decorator, this was simple, affordable and fun to create!

You'll have no trouble getting your kids on board when it comes to decorating and devouring this back-to-school dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 loaf cakes (pound cake or banana bread works well)
• 2 cups white frosting
• Yellow food coloring
• White chocolate chips
• 4 mini chocolate-covered doughnuts

• Round cookie wafers
• Black decorating gel
• Small red gumdrops
• Red Hots (I used red M&M's instead)

Instructions

1. Trim the top and sides of one cake to straighten them, if needed. Spread a bit of frosting onto the center of a serving plate and set the trimmed cake upside down on top of it (to keep the cake from sliding).
2. Trim the sides and top of the second cake to straighten them. Then slice off a 1 1/2-inch-thick piece from one end and use the remaining portion for the top of the bus, frosting the bottom and setting it atop the first cake.
3. Spread a thin layer of white frosting over the whole cake to seal in any crumbs and let it set for about 15 minutes. Spread more white frosting on the sides of the top layer (the windows of the bus). Reserve about a teaspoon of white frosting, then tint the rest yellow and use it to frost the rest of the cake.
4. For tires, use dabs of frosting to attach white chocolate chip hubcaps (tips down) to the centers of the mini doughnuts and then to stick the tires onto the bus.
5. Transform cookie wafers into people using white frosting and black gel to create eyes. Trim some red gumdrops for smiles, then press the cookie faces onto the cake.
6. Finally, add details such as black gel lettering, Red Hots for caution lights, and white chocolate chip headlights.

Racetrack Cake

RACETRACK CAKE

I found this cake idea on Family Fun Magazine's Website. This site is my go to site for all kid related fun! Now if you're like me, I enjoy short cuts. With 5yr old twins running afoot, short cuts help to keep the force stable :)  When researching possible birthday cake options for their party this summer I came across this nifty race car cake (or as my Husband would say .... "you gonna make that for the Daytona 500 this weekend?" ... yeah...that's it Honey! lol).

The cake itself can either be a homemade version or my go to stand by .... Betty Crocker! After following the directions to bake them in two rounds and they've cooled ... the fun really begins!

Here is what you need:

Ingredients

• 2 baked 9" round cakes
• 3 cups white icing
• 1 to 2 cups finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1 to 2 cups green sprinkles

• White Good & Plenty candies
• Checkered paper or ribbon
• 2 toothpicks and tape
• New toy cars, washed with soap and water

Here is what you do:

1. Cut a small semicircular notch from one cake, then position the cakes as shown and cover them with the white icing.
2. Place a small bowl in the center of each cake and sprinkle cookie crumbs around it to create the track.
3. Remove the bowls and sprinkle sprinkles onto each icing circle, then press the remaining sprinkles onto the sides of the cake for grass.
4. Lay a white Good & Plenty dotted line along the track and use a pastry bag to pipe a white icing border around the edge of the cake.
5. Create racing flags by taping small squares of the paper or ribbon to the toothpicks and place them on the track along with the race cars.

Enjoy!  If you give this a shot I'd LOVE to hear and see how it went, please comment below :)  I plan to try this out for their Birthday. My one Son LOVES Trains so I'm going to attempt a train version while giving my other Son this track theme with school buses & ambulances (his favorites).  Wish me luck!