I made this rocket cake for my son’s 4th birthday as he was mad on rockets! For a black space background I just used a black baking tray with little glittery star stickers and a moon stuck on it.
For the body of the rocket I used a ready made sponge roll but I also baked a small deep butter cake and cut it to shape the nose cone of the rocket and to prop up the side fins at the bottom.
I iced the rocket with butter icing and blue tinted icing on the nose cone. I bought tubes of red and blue icing for the finer details. I cut out a picture of my son for the window, it adds a nice personalized touch!
It took forever but I used silver balls for the rivets, very tricky placing those tiny things precisely with big my chunky fingers! They pinged off in all directions. I used a wide strappy type of sweet, not sure of the name of it, and cut it to form the fins and rolled it to make the exhaust pipes. Very thin strips of the same stuff were used to define the panels and I also used two ‘C’ shapes of it to circle the window.
I inserted sparklers into the pipes and lit them just as the cake was carried out to the kids – it looked absolutely brilliant!
this is awesome, love the pic on it, makes it really look real
I’m going to have to make this cake myself. My son loves anything that has to do with outer space.
My son changed his mind about his party theme at short notice. Thanks for the inspiration! I feel saved!!
fantastic cake … thanks for the instructions! looking forward to his fifth birthday for another cake idea!
great cake – try using tweezers to place the silver balls on
What are the silver balls?
I’m love baking but have never tried kids birthday cakes, my son had his birthday planned at a playhouse and I was sure he’d pick the room with the ocean theme and had thought easy a square cake iced with pics of fish done but he saw the space room and had other ideas!! I have been racking my brains all week to find an idea that I could use thank goodness I found this site and this cake looks perfect!!!
I can’t find a sponge roll anywhere. Does anyone have suggestions for the cylinder of the rocket?
I bet you could use a pumpkin roll for the cylinder. I love those things and it would make an awesome addition to a birthday cake!
That is brill! Well done you, might have to nick a few ideas for my son’s 4th next week!
I’m making a rocket cake for my son’s 8th and this is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind. Thank you for the words of wisdom!
I am going to roll out black icing with silver balls for the background.
I can’t wait to make this for my son’s party! I’ve been looking for a rocket cake recipe for a while now and this one looks great. I especially like the sparkler touch! Thanks
Fantastic design. I’ll be giving it a go this afternoon for my son’s 4th Birthday party tomorrow. Great work – I hope my attempt looks as good as this yours.
Thanks for the rocket cake idea!
I made the rocket shape using Nigela Lawson’s buttermilk cake. I baked it in an empty can that had about 28oz of beans in it. I washed it out and lined one with oil and flour, and the other with tinfoil-both methods worked. I sliced off one thin part of a rounded side to make the cake lay flat.
I borrowed your sparkler idea for my son’s rocket cake this weekend. You are right they are inspired. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you! I made this cake from your pic and it’s just awesome! I used the tweezers with the silver balls – and it was easy. Thanks for sharing!
I’m going to try this for my son’s birthday– not his 4th, but his 22nd! The same week, he’s graduating with a degree in aerospace engineering, so I think it’ll be fun. I really like the 3-D design. And the detailed instructions are especially helpful, as are the suggestions from other commenters. Thanks! CJ
Must be something about 4 year olds – my son also wants a rocket for his 4th birthday cake. I will give this a go. Thanks for sharing your tips – I especially love the photo in the window – he will love it!
My almost-4 grandson has requested a rocket cake, and while I had wanted to make a dramatic vertical standing rocket, this one looks great, ‘specially with the sparklers coming out the bottom. His father will definitely go for that too!
For placing those silver dragees, use large angled tweezers. Pretty easy.
O this is great!!! I had no idea how to pull the rocket cake of without dishwater! Now I know!!! :O) Thank you !!!!
Bonnievale ,South Africa
Thank you, My grandson Samuel will be so excited when he sees a cake like this one for his 3rd birthday at the weekend. I hope it turns out as well as this one. I like the idea of the sparklers and the picture of him in the window, its brilliant.
Thanks for your great ideas re the rocket cake my grandson is obsessed with rockets and space ships. He is having his 4th birthday 19 Dec and I am looking forward to making the rocket cake.
The Silver balls are actually an edible candy you can find in the cake decorating aisle or at a craft store where they sell cake supplies.
Love the cake! I agree putting your son’s photo on it and the sparklers make it truly unique!
ready-made jam roll = yay! every other cake I’ve looked at meant baking 2 cakes and cutting etc. And this one looks awesome! Thanks for the great ideas
That cake looks so brilliant I love the sparkler idea I’m going to make it for my Son’s 5th B’day, feel so inspired !!
That cake looks so brilliant I love the sparkler idea I’m going to make it for my Son’s 5th B’day, feel so inspired !!
I love this idea if the jam roll and sparkles. Just wondering how you would make the cone shape for the top the rocket. Any suggestions?
Thanks Karen, it is awesome! I am convinced that no one beats australians on birthday cake designs!!