Jane joked that we’d be up ’til midnight making a tractor cake for Reuben and Joshua’s birthday party (later today). She wasn’t wrong. However, I think you’ll agree that all the effort we went to was worth it:
Front
The body is made from two Victoria sponge cakes ‘glued’ together with raspberry jam. The wheels were cut out of another Victoria sponge using scone cutters and covered in black coloured icing; they’re stuck to the tractor body with butter icing (and prayer).
The eyes are made from marshmallows and jelly tots, which were also used for front and rear lights.
Back
The personalized number plate (R+J) was a last minute idea for which we used “writing icing”.
It was the first time that either Jane or I had ever decorated a cake like that, but we made a good team. If only Michel Roux Jr and Masterchef dining expert Gregg Wallace had been on hand to offer a running commentary.
We took photos throughout the process of building it. I’ll upload them to Flickr in the morning and link to them here. Off to bed now, I think.
“Baking doesn’t get tougher than this!”