Coolest Thomas The Tank Engine Birthday Cake

Like all three year old boys, my grandson was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. So his Mom decided that Thomas would be the theme for the party. Since I have been designated his birthday cake maker, since his first birthday, I made him a Thomas The Tank Engine Birthday Cake.

My daughter just wanted me to make a sheet cake, so I did, I just got a little carried away. The cake itself was very simple, just a yellow cake mix with butter cream icing between the cake and the fondant. Total time for this cake was approximately 40 hours. The cake was a 14×14 sheet cake.

The train on the cake was made with a train baking pan. Once all the cars had been baked, they were then covered with fondant and details. This train allowed for each one of the kids to get a train car of their own. The hardest part of the cake was trying to make Thomas’ face correctly.

Each of the train cars was covered in fondant. Sir Topham Hatt, trees, tracks, lake and rocks are all made of fondant. All of these items were made weeks in advance allowing for them to dry and harden. The bridge I took from a plastic toy village. The rails on the sides of the cake are black shoe string licorice.

In total the pre-work for this cake took about 30 hours, because of all the hand sculpting of the tracks, bridge, etc. One day prior to birthday my daughter came to my house and every inch of counter space in my kitchen was covered with pieces for the cake. Her first remark was, “Mom, have you lost your mind?” Which after seeing the finished project I would have to agree with her. But I had a ball making my idea come to life.

The cake was a huge hit. Especially loved by my grandson who wanted first and foremost to each Sir Topham Hatt.

Here is what you will need –

Supplies for this cake include –

14×14 square cake pan (fill with your choice of cake mix as needed)

Train cake pan or you can always hand carve your train (I was lucky enough to have his other grandmother give me the train pan the Christmas before his birthday).

Fondant (I used Wilton Coloring instead of purchasing colored fondant

Butter cream

Sculpting tools

Icing bags with grass tip

Black Shoelace licorice

Letter cutouts and tree cookie cutter

Thomas book so that you can have images of Thomas and Sir Tophem Hatt