Race Car Cake Recipes

RACETRACK SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, butter and eggs. Pour batter into pan. Bake and cool as directed for 13x9-inch pan.
• Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake; remove cake from pan to serving plate or tray. In small bowl, mix 1 cup of the frosting and the black food color. On top of cake, spread black frosting in oval shape to look like racetrack. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• In medium bowl, mix remaining frosting and green food color. Spoon frosting into decorating bag fitted with large star tip (or grass tip #233). Pipe frosting on sides of cake and on top of cake around track to look like grass. Pipe "grassy area" in center of track. Outline border of track with chocolate candies. Arrange fruit-flavored candies and cars on track.

RACE CAR CAKE

Steps:

• Place cake on cutting board; cut into pieces as shown in diagram to resemble a race car.
• Tint whipped topping with food coloring; spread evenly over cake.
• Decorate top of cake with fruit roll strips to resemble racing stripes and front grille of the car. Place 2 cookies on each side of car for the wheels. Place yellow chocolate pieces on front and back of car to resemble headlights and taillights. Draw windows on car and write the child's age on top of cake with icing. Use remaining icing to decorate cake as desired. Store in refrigerator.

LITTLE CAR CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of three 8x4-inch loaf pans, or spray bottoms with cooking spray.
• Make cake batter as directed on cake mix box. Divide batter evenly among pans.
• Bake 25 to 32 minutes (28 to 37 minutes for dark or nonstick pans) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Freeze cakes uncovered about 1 hour for easier frosting.
• Remove 1/4 cup frosting from each container; set aside. To make purple frosting, stir 8 drops blue food color and 8 drops red food color into 1 container frosting. To make bright green frosting, stir 3 drops green food color and 3 drops yellow food color into other container frosting.
• Place 2 loaves, rounded sides down, on tray. To seal in crumbs, frost one with a thin layer of purple frosting; frost the other with a thin layer of green frosting. Cut remaining loaf crosswise in half; taper the cut edges slightly to form windshields. Place one half on each cake for cab, placing about 3 inches from front edge and with tapered windshield side toward front of car. Frost windows of cabs with a thin layer of reserved vanilla frosting; frost top and edges with a thin layer of colored frosting. Refrigerate or freeze cakes 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting. Frost entire cars with same colors.
• Use licorice to outline windows and make bumpers. Add starlight candies for headlights and taillights; add cookies for wheels and the spares. Place gumdrop on top of 1 car for beacon and add candles for radio antennas. Store loosely covered.

RACETRACK CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake each cake according to package directions, using greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely., Transfer cakes to a covered board and position side-by-side. Frost top of cakes with 5-1/3 cups of frosting. Tint 1-1/2 cups frosting black. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; fill with black frosting. Outline edge of cake. Using a #17 star tip, pipe a checkered pattern on sides of cake with 1 cup white frosting and remaining black frosting., Tint 2/3 cup frosting gray; create an oval racetrack in middle of cake. Tint 3/4 cup frosting yellow; pipe lines around track and infield. For grass, sprinkle green glitter on infield. , Tint 1/2 cup frosting red; pipe lettering on corners of cake. Position cars and checkered flags.

CAR CAKES

Steps:

• Set up the grill for direct cooking over medium heat and oil the grates.
• Slice the pound cake into 3/4-inch thick slices with a serrated knife.
• Using car-shaped cookie cutters, cut out car shapes from the slices of cake. Brush with butter and place on the grill. Cook until nice grill marks appear, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the whipped topping, cream cheese, and coconut extract.
• Frost the car shaped cakes with a small amount of the coconut frosting.
• To decorate the cars: Use ribbon candy as racing stripes, rock candy as windows, and mini chocolate sandwich cookies as wheels.