Coolest Dinosaur Cake

I made a triceratops birthday cake for my dinosaur mad sons 3rd birthday as he ate that cake he said “Dad next year I want an Ankylosaurus cake!”

So hear its is.

Vanilla sponge filled with Raspberry Jam (Jelly) and vanilla butter cream, covered in vanilla frosting and fondant Icing.

The first thing to say is this is a big cake, two 8 inch or 9 inch round cake tins. You need a big mixing bowl or split it into two batches.

Four 8 Inch cake tins
680g (24 oz) self raising flour
520g (20 oz) caster sugar
520 g (20 oz) butter/marg
10 eggs
6 tablespoons milk

Pre-heat the oven to 160 C.

Sieve flour into mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and mix when you have a smooth batter (it will be quite thick/stiff). Pour into already prepared tin I use cake release spray . place in centre of oven and cook for about 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 30 mins. Turn out the cakes and let them cool. Then you need 500g butter cream, Jam(jelly) of choice, 500g Vanilla Frosting, and Ready made Fondant Icing (coloured)

I cut all the shapes out of the two cakes first. There is a Diagram to help on how to cut the cake. Then it is construction. ( I recommend putting all the bits together dry first to see how you want it to sit on your cake board etc.). It is the basic shape which is needed doesnt have to be perfect it isnt too difficult with some thought.

Start with the body – the risen rounded sides of the cake form the curve on the sides of the body of the Dino, you can carve the top of the Dino for a curved on in this case flatter back, fill with jam and butter cream and position.

Next the tail you can see how the curved cuts in the diagram make the curve of a tail fill the tail with butter cream and Jam when building use vanilla frosting to join the tail to the body. Two squares of sponge go to make the club on the end of the Ankylosaurus’ tail.

Head is same fill with butter cream and jam and position, you can further cut and shape the head you will have gaps between the head and the body which you can fill with off cuts of the sponge “glue” everything with vanilla frosting.

Legs you will have cut two back legs and two smaller front legs, just place the sponge into place with vanilla frosting and carve if needed.

Once your basic Dino body is in place cover the whole thing in vanilla frosting ready for decoration.

I use packets of ready made fondant icing, for this cake I had white for the tail club, toes, beak, eyes, and the spikes on the Dinos head and body. I then used Orange for the main body color and red for the Ankylosaurs armour plates for a bold bright design.

First was the white icing for the tail club and the beak, I use basic bits from the kitchen to help model the things like the nostrils and mouth. Then the orange body color just rolled out and placed over the cake and cut and smoothed into shape. Roll white balls and flatten them to make the toes. For the red armour plates just roll out the red icing and cut out rectangles to fit and place them on the back head etc.

For the spikes just roll the icing and secure with a cocktail stick (remember these are there and take them out before you serve it to any kids.)

Usually I back the cake on a Thursday night (couple of hours to prep and cook), Keep in cake tin when cooled. then will carve and decorate the cake on the Friday night (couple or hours) ready for a birthday party on the Saturday. Just keep in a box in a cool dry place.

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