I made this Henry Hoover vacuum cake for my son for his 6th birthday. He has always loved hoovers and other electrical things, but hoovers are a firm favourite, he even used to try to eat the hoover tube when he was a baby! When my mum bought a real Henry Hoover last year, he fell in love with it. Last Christmas he got a mini Henry desk hoover and it was his favourite present. So for his birthday this year I decided to make him a Henry cake. I basically did this myself just using the toy one to copy from.
I first made a Victoria sponge but with three layers, jam and whipped double cream in between the layers. I bought ready to roll icing in poppy red and black, 1kg of each. Also a small bit of white ready to roll icing and a tube of white and a tube of black writing icing.
I made butter icing and covered the whole cake with it. I rolled out the red icing to a long piece to fit right around the cake and about 3/4 of the way up the side. Then I covered the top and 1/4 of the side down in black. I made a long sausage to go right around the cake at the bottom of the black. I made the wheels just by rolling the icing into balls.
For the tube I used jam mini Swiss rolls, cutting them length ways and covering them in black icing. I propped the tube up against the cake using cocktail sticks. I also used the writing icing to make the lines of the bendy tube. The end bit of the hoover was just shaped icing. The plug lead was licorice and the plug was a mini jam Swiss roll covered in black icing. I then used pick and mix sweets for the mess being hoovered.
I made the eyes using white roll out icing and black writing icing.
Lastly i wrote ‘Henry’ in white writing icing and also wrote ‘Liam is 6’.
I have to say I did feel quite pleased with the end result, it was quite hard work, but worth it, and my boy loved it! Not only that but everyone said it tasted great too!
That is AMAZING!!!
And how cute is your sons hoover obsession! haha!
This is such a funny and cute cake!
My son’s 3rd b-day party is a vacuum party. Looking for images I bumped into your cake. Maybe I need to rethink his cake. That is just so COOL!
omg that’s brill. my son who is 3 also has a hoover obsession…we have to say goodnite to it and goodbye before we go out….he knows everybody’s hoover at their houses…when we go in shops or anywhere he can spot a hoover at 100 yards….it drives us mad. First word in morning is hoover and last word at night is hoover and then all blinkin day its hoover….he even goes on the TV shopping channels looking for hoovers.
Must be a boy thing. My two year old is obsessed with any kind of vacuum. Was looking for ideas for his b-day cake and think I may have found it.
Your pattern for the cake was fabulous. Our 3 year old grandson is also fixated on vacuums. Last Christmas he asked Santa for a red shop vac. Grandpa couldn’t resist and bought him one. Now we “borrow” it from him. It’s a kick!! The cake I made today created big oooohs and aaahs from Logan. He like the “licorice” cord the best. Grandpa even cut up an old TV cord to put a real plug on the end. IT was a challenge to finish our creation and get it to their house, but we made it. Thanks so much!!!
It is reassuring to hear that my son isn’t the only one with a vacuum obsession. I am going to borrow some of your ideas to make him a shop vac birthday cake this month.
am so happy to see that my son is in good company. He is totally obsessed with Dyson vacuum cleaners and was looking for some suggestions on how to make a vacuum cleaner cake when I came across this. My son is also 3 and has been driving us crazy with vacuums. He only had a photo with Santa last Christmas to make sure that Santa knew which vacuum to bring him. Of course santa did. Great idea with the icing, does anyone have any other suggestions – Dyson’s seem a bit more difficult.
My son is 1 1/2 and has been obsessed with vacuum’s, brooms, swiffers, any cleaner since before he turned 1. He went crazy over a huge floor buffer at Wal-mart the other night. He calls them all vacuums. However, he really isn’t familiar with the shop vacs. Has anyone seen an upright vacuum cake pattern or related supplies for his 2 year birthday party? Thanks
Phew, glad to hear we’re not alone. My son is obsessed with hoovers. He has 3 toy ones now (including a Henry) and has to say goodnight to our real one and even kisses it. He also loves mops and brooms. He turns 3 in a few weeks and I might have to borrow your Henry cake idea.
My son will be 2 in just under a month and i wanted to make him a Henry cake as hes obsessed with him i even went to buy him one thinking he’d leave mine alone but no his obsession just got worse so i contacted the Henry company to ask for some pic of him and there very kind they sent him a lovely bg with Henry on it. now as hes due to turn 2 im throwing a Henry themed party for him the things we do for our kids lol
my son is 12 and loves vacuums of any kind.thanks for the vacuum cake idea – very cute! I think we will use it for his birthday as well-never to old to love vacuums
I’m making this cake for a 2yr old who is OBSESSED with vacuum cleaners.He will flip!!! I love that I found this. My first thought was shop vac….you made exactly what i pictured in my head!!!