Coolest Waterfall Camping Cake

This waterfall camping cake was conceptualized and created by my 11 year old son,Robert. Every year we would make a cake for his cub scout Blue and Gold banquet for a cake auction. Pack 81 out of Chelmsford Massachusetts would have this auction as a fundraiser for the local food pantry. All proceeds would go directly to the pantry. What Robert liked most about the cake auction was that he strived to have his cake make the “live” auction.

Many families would bring various cakes. So most of them were part of a silent auction. But a few special cakes were chosen for a live auction and every year our cake would make the live auction. Robert especially liked it because he would insist on us winning it back so he could eat it. Needless to say we would spend lots of time making a cake that we ended up buying back. It was fun just the same and became somewhat of a tradition. After each Blue and Gold Banquet Robert would start thinking about what we were going to make the next year. Well, this past year and his final year in cub scouts we ended up moving to Ohio and his new cub scout pack did not have a cake auction.

Robert was very disappointed and still wanted to make a cake. Since this was his last year as a cub scout and because it became tradition we decided to make a cake anyways and submit it to this cake contest. Robert decided he wanted to make a cake with a waterfall. He likes gingerbread cookies and I have a great recipe that makes a lot. He designed the cake on paper and then together we created it.

The step-by-step write up explains how we put it all together. As a final touch we put an 81 on the back of the waterfall as a tribute to pack 81 and the many years we spent with them. I sent a picture via email to Robert’s previous den in pack 81 and posted it on Facebook. We got lots of great feedback like “amazing” and “wow”. Robert and I had lots of fun making it and he thoroughly enjoyed eating it.

Coolest Waterfall Camping Cake

Making the Waterfall

We started off by making gingerbread cookie panels for the waterfall. Robert first cut out a template of panels from poster board which we then used to make the cookie panels. We basically created an 8 x 8x 3 inch box using Royal frosting as glue. The recipe I have for gingerbread cookies makes a lot so we had made some small 2×2 panels for the tents.

Making the Waterfall Cake

Making of the little people

While the waterfall box was setting, Robert used some Wilton fondant and made 3 little people. He used the natural colored fondant. I can’t make people so this was his creation.

Coolest Waterfall Camping Cake

Making the Waterfall cake

We then made a 13×9 yellow cake. I use 2 cake mixes and measure 7 cups for a fuller cake. We then leveled it and frosted it with green tinted butter cream.

Making the Waterfall cake

Putting it all together

When our waterfall box was set we placed on top of the cake. I used a little royal frosting to help secure it to the cake. Robert then began his creation. Once the waterfall box was set on the cake we created the waterfall. We used light blue tinted butter cream to create the waterfall then we covered with light blue tinted piping gel to make it look like water. We used a flat tips #47 and #45 to make it look wavy.

Putting it all together

Adding the finishing touches to the waterfall Cake

Robert then added mini marshmallows at the bottom of the waterfall to make it look like water spray and froth that you might see at the bottom of a waterfall. He also added Cadbury chocolate mini eggs and multicolored jelly beans for rocks around the base of the waterfall and at various places on top. He used some chocolate covered toffee pieces for rocks as well. We used the grass tip #233 with green tinted butter cream to create tufts of grass along the top, sides and bottom of waterfall. Next we placed a tree on top made from inverted sugar cookie cone iced with green tinted butter cream using leaf tip # 352.

Adding the finishing touches to the waterfall Cake

Creating the camping scene

Then we made the tents from the small gingerbread panels and covered them with orange tinted fondant. We used tootsie rolls for sitting logs by the fire that was made with pretzel sticks and candy corn surrounded by multicolored jelly beans for rocks. The coolest thing we made was a canoe out of a tootsie roll. I placed the tootsie roll in the microwave for 10 – 20 seconds. This made it soft enough for Robert to mold into a canoe. Then we used pretzel sticks for ores. Robert placed the fondant people around the campfire and in front of one of the tents. Finally we did a grass border around the cake along with some scatter Cadbury mini eggs and jelly beans for rocks.

Creating the camping scene