Camouflage Tank

I was asked to make a chocolate cake that fitted with an army theme, after ideas were presented, it was decided that I would make a camouflage tank cake. I made a large rectangle cake in my standard rich chocolate cake, I also made a smaller rectangle. I cut the larger cake in half and then layered these up, sticking it together with chocolate butter icing. This was then covered in green sugar paste. The smaller rectangle was also covered sugar paste and then placed on to of the other cake. 

Covered Cakes

To create the camouflage cake I used brown and cream icing, rolled them into a tube and then cut into pieces and stuck onto the cake. These were thinned, before putting on the cake, so they were random shapes. 

Started to camouflage the cake

To create the wheels and the tracks I rolled some green into a sausage and cut out 8 wheels for each side. I placed a smaller dot on top of these and then pressed, with a ball tool, to create the nut. Finally using a spike I marked out 5 holes on each side. For the track I rolled out a thin strip, marked out lines with a knife and then placed next to the side. The wheels were placed on top of this and then the remaining track was placed around the wheels and stuck down. 

To create the gun I placed a skewer inside a sausage of green icing, I then placed some extra icing around the end and middle to make it thicker at these points. 

Finally I created the detailing on the top using green icing. 

I was asked to make an army man so I made this out of sugar paste, placed a bit of spaghetti down the middle to prop him up. 

Almost finished

I was also asked to make a banner for the cake so I thought I try and make it look like it was fabric, painted on and then held on to the cake. I used some royal icing and piped this onto some white sugar paste. I had hardened this with some denture powder, so it would dry solid, this was then draped on the cake and stuck down with some water. 

Finished cake

Close up

Overall I was very pleased with this cake and thought it was quite realistic. I hope that the birthday boy likes the cake on Tuesday. Something a little different for him and his friends to enjoy that's a bit different from a standard 8" cake.