First of all, let me say I am not a natural born event planner or cake decorator! The first couple of years on their birthdays the boys got the token chocolate cake (square, iced and a number shaped candle shoved in the middle). As they have got older I have had to get a little more creative but I have drawn the line at fondant or any other sort of fancy coloured smooth icing and instead adapted to the chocolate theme as best I can get away with.
Then out of the blue the other night Cohen (my 3, soon to be 4 year old) says to me ‘Mummy, for my birthday I want to be a pirate and have a pirate party and a pirate cake!’. I was completely thrown. Since when did he start having an opinion about these things? I thought I had at least a few more years up my sleeve of being able to decide what the cake would be, but apparently not! This birthday gig just got a million times harder. I have already used up the treasure chest idea two birthdays ago (which would loosely fit the pirate theme!) so that leaves me with a pirate ship of some description.
Which brings me to the topic at hand.
For Finley’s 2nd birthday last year I made the easiest boy cake that I could find the inspiration for on Pinterest and today I am sharing my adaption of that with you and wishing I could just repeat it! Pirate ship cake be damned (but at least my attempt will also warrant another post, perhaps a ‘Nailed it!’ version!).
So without further ado, for those with toddler boys looking for something that looks good but isn’t too hard to make, look no further! I bring you the easiest boys birthday cake ever, the Dump Truck Birthday Cake!
THE CAKE
The recipe I used for the actual cake is the delicious and oh so easy Annabel Langbein Chocolate Cake (check out the recipe by clicking on the link!). It is literally a ‘throw all ingredients in a cake mixer and hit the go button’ kinda cake. But be warned it makes a large amount of cake batter! I made it in two square tins and sandwiched them together with icing to make a tall cake.
THE ICING
I always use Nigella Lawson’s Sour Cream Icing (Note: That cake is also one of my go to’s and AMAZING but it is quite a dense thin cake, as opposed to the other one which makes a much larger cake which is what you want for this). Don’t let the sour cream put you off! I know it sounds weird but trust me, it is delicious. Don’t cut corners with sieving the icing sugar or cocoa though or you will end up with a very lumpy looking icing! The reason I know that is because I have done it before, let that be a lesson to you all!
Now onto the fun part!
So what do you need to recreate this:
SHOPPING LIST FOR DECORATING THE CAKE:
A Mini Dump Truck (I got a John Deere one from Farmers)
Two packets of Tim Tams, Chit Chats or similar (for you foreign folk, that would be chocolate coated biscuits with a biscuit middle)
2 x Crunchy Bars
3 x Flakes
1 x big bag of Maltesers (or 2 to be safe, you can always eat them later!)
METHOD
Put the two cakes together with just enough icing to hold them and then spread the remainder of the icing all over the cake including the sides.
(TIP: I made the cakes the night before and wrapped them in plastic wrap before putting them in a sealed container in the fridge, this stopped the cake from crumbling and the icing from melting. I also put a strip of baking paper just under each of the fours sides of the cake covering the edges of the plate so you can just remove them after you have finished the decorating and the plate is clean!).
Chuck an entire packet of chocolate biscuits into a blender (I used my smoothie maker) and blend it to a find crumb (you can always do more later if you need it but start with just one packet). This is the dirt. Sprinkle the ‘dirt’ all over the cake pressing into the icing to hold in place. Next, place the dump truck where you want it positioned. Break apart the Crunchy bars and position them under the dump truck and down the side (remove the baking paper from this side now) followed by the Flakes and Maltesers until it covers the side as if dumped by the truck. Insert candles and remove the rest of the baking paper, wiping any excess ‘dirt’ from the other three sides. And you’re done!
See, how easy was that!
If you ever decide to give it a go, I would love to see the photos!
What do you do for your kids birthday cakes? Are you a fancy cake maker or would you rather pay someone else to do it for you?
Joining Jess at #IBOT today!
I’m putting this on my list of cake ideas for my son’s birthday next month. Actually. I have zero ideas on that list next to yours. Thank you!! I’m a terrible cake decorator and this looks so fun!
It was actually really fun! Please let me know if you do go ahead with it, I would love to know how you get on and see photos!
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
That is so cool!
Thanks Leanne! 🙂
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
What a fab cake!! I’m a fan of just sticking stuff on top….
Lydia C. Lee recently posted…Ships in the night
The token pebbles! 😉
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
PS: I commented on your blog accidentally with my old Blogspot account name ‘Mummy in Waiting’. Oops! Thought I’d better let you know that was me!
Oh kids and their cake demands! They have NO IDEA that poor Mumma has to find a way to make them!?! My 4 year old plans his cake for a good 10 months prior to the event! I do make them myself, to date. I have made this dump truck cake and yes, I agree, easiest option ever and it is always SO LOVED! Win, win!
Vicki @ Knocked Up and Abroad recently posted…The Bikini Wearing Basketball Lady
10 months prior?!! Is that what I have in store for me next year?! OMG! What other ones have you made? I’m always looking for inspiration on the off chance I can talk him out of the pirate ship! Haha.
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
Love this idea – fail proof and the kids would love it! As a kid I always got to choose my cake out of the Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake book, it was always a winner in our household!
Ashlea @ Glamour Coastal Living recently posted…It’s Party Time: Palm Fronds + Pink
The good old Women’s Weekly Cake book! I haven’t browsed through one of those for years! I’ll have to go and look one up, thanks for the tip.
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
That looks so awesome and bonus points for being pretty easy. Now for your next trick – a pirate ship! Good Luck!
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages recently posted…A Story to Remember
Thanks for the luck, I’m gonna need it!
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
What a great looking boy’s cake! I’d definitely need 2 bags of Maltesers due to the amount of sampling that goes on in this household!
Ingrid @ Fabulous and Fun Life recently posted…OPI Hawaii: Is Mai Tai Crooked?
Haha, I totally sampled! We deserve it after all that hard work 😉
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
I am not a fancy cake maker at all! Sure they look pretty, but when they are just going to be cut and eaten I can’t be bothered going to all the trouble. Basic chocolate cake, either round, square or their age number (got some awesome cake tin from Coles that you bake the cake in specific moulds depending on the number you need and then ice together) and now that Punky is getting older I let her go nuts decorating the cake herself with sprinkle and those shiny metallic ball things you can get. Letting her decorate her own cake is much more satisfying for her and easier for me!
Poor second child Zee hasn’t had a proper birthday cake yet (she’ll be 2 in July) but I plan to make up for that this year (though it will still be simple!). Your dumptruck cake looks really awesome!
#teamIBOT
Kylie Purtell – A Study in Contradictions recently posted…What is a WeMo Switch? {And why would I want one?} | Technology
Second child always gets a little neglected, I remember last year scrambling for a present at the last minute for my youngest (he’s a December baby too, poor wee tyke!) and for my oldest I had had stuff stored away for months. Letting them decorate it themselves sounds like a fab idea, I bet she has a blast!
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
I am very much a pay someone else this year. My little boy turns 3 next week and is getting a George Pig cake, made by someone else. This cake looks pretty awesome too, and I wouldn’t have minded making one like that. I’m making my daughter a standard heart shaped cake for her 1st birthday, with some piped roses. Do you think the sour cream frosting would go with that?
I get really annoyed about the expectation that all mums to be expert cake decorators these days!
Great post, thanks so much 🙂
Dani @ sandhas no home recently posted…Getting through the day
The sour cream icing may not have a smooth enough finish to go nicely with piped roses but maybe give it a trial run and see what you think. Ah, Peppa Pig strikes again! If my son asked for a George pig I would be outsourcing too! Far easier 🙂
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
This cake is awesome and looks like I could even achieve it!! My son would love it. Thanks.
Karin @ Calm to Conniption recently posted…Free Download To Pick You Up
You’re welcome, would love to know if you do try it. My son loved it too and bonus, they get a new toy to keep out of it!
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
Sheesh, well I could have used this post about two weeks ago! Looks fab.
Sorry! Your post actually inspired me to share in the first place! So thank you 🙂
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
I’ve actually done a very similar cake myself – I called it a demolition site. My little chap was super impressed, and it was super easy. We both had a win!
Jo @Countrylifeexperiment recently posted…Chocolate bread and butter pudding
Got any photos? Boys love that kind of thing!
Haidee recently posted…The Easiest Boys Birthday Cake Ever!
Love it how just a few small toppings turn it from a basic cake to a theme. Great job.
Vanessa recently posted…Puppy Love
It’s cool aye, and not just a few small toppings but yummy ones too! Can’t beat a chocolate cake covered in chocolate!
This looks and sounds great. I am the kind of person who could mess up even this, though. My hubs is in charge of cake baking and decorating here. Which means his birthday cakes are always abysmal!
Becky from BeckyandJames recently posted…10 things I’m loving about my newborn
If you mess it up just cover it in more flakey goodness and tell him it was a construction site that had been demolitioned recently! Hehe.
That cake looks epic! The kids would go wild over it 🙂 I am a fancy cake maker for birthdays, BUT I am no good at it. I try and try, but it always ends in tears. My two year old wants a clifford the big red dog cake for her next birthday. Yikes!
Renee recently posted…The difference between four and two
A RED Clifford cake?! Eek! My worst nightmare! Good luck with that! How long have you got to prepare? I need to start looking up pirate ships pronto on Pinterest so I can get a plan of attack in order.
I made that cake too, for my oldest’s 2nd birthday. The cake even came out lumpy but it was all good, fit right in with the dirt theme. I’ll never forget his face: “Wow!!!” For a pirate ship cake, could you try for the same thing? Frost a cake in bkue, find a toy pirate ship, and stick it on top? Good luck, however you make it!
What a great idea! I was think literally make a pirate ship but this sounds waaaaay easier! Maybe I could just coat it in blue lollies and plonk a boat in the middle … hmm …. thanks!
Haidee recently posted…When Your Kids Have a Favourite (Parent that is)
That cake looks awesome! Mr 5 wanted a monster truck track cake last year and it was surprisingly easy. It got lots of woah that’s cool from the kids so I’m calling it a success too.
Tegan recently posted…5 More tips for better sleep
I really want to know what this monster truck track looked like! Do you have photos? If so can you post one on my FB page? Just hit the coffee cup on the side bar 🙂
Oh wow, Haidee, it does sound super easy! And girl, what a cake! Now I’m thinking how to use this for a girls b-day party..hmm. My youngest turned 7 and sooner or later will be her party so I will have to think of something like this. I love it! This looks amazing! So cool!
You should be able to figure something out. It tastes delicious too! Who doesn’t like a cake loaded in chocolate?!
That cake looks AMAZING!