It's a Dirt Bike Racing Cake!
This cake was fun to make! As much as I generally dread buttercream cakes - I was really looking forward to this one! It didn't have to be perfect - in fact it needed to be a little messy.
It also sort of made me reminisce about my childhood. It might surprise you to know that I got my first dirt bike for my 12th birthday and it sparked in me a love of motorcycles! Sadly I haven't ridden one since college - but I would ride again in a heartbeat!
Anywho... I knew I wanted this cake to be rough and somewhat wonky, so I started with 4 different sized cakes. I baked 6", 7", 8" and 9" round cakes. Then I stacked them randomly and filled and crumb-coated them.
This is a photo of the cake when I first stacked it up. After tossing around a few ideas, I decided to carve the top and make it angled (or wonky or topsy-turvy)... so this is the next shape I ended up with:
I doweled it, then covered it with (brown) vanilla icing. Weird, huh? Making icing brown that is not chocolate always seems strange to me... it's just supposed to be chocolate 😉
Anywho... after that, I started piling on the brown icing and making a "path" for the bikes. I had to build it up in a few places and carve a little down here and there but for the most part, I stuck to the shape created with the cakes.
I also added some cake ball dough to the bottom to build it up around the base, then I added more "dirt" frosting over that. For the extra sand texture, I used graham cracker crumbs, and I used these jelly rocks ( jelly beans) for all of the rocks.
You might notice from the first picture to these last ones that the brown icing is much darker. Before I added the final (outside) layer of frosting, I added a couple of different shades of brown coloring and a touch of black. Then it all darkened overnight to what you see here.
I made all of the flags out of paper and craft string and dowel rods and I bought the dirt bikes on Amazon.
Here's a picture from the other side (or the back - sort of)... just so you get an idea of the whole shape. The path truly when all the way around and up the cake without stopping.
Sorry about the background... I kept trying different things and I never really liked any of the backgrounds for this cake.
The cakes were vanilla cake and I think that's all I can tell you!
Do you have any questions about this cake? Leave me a comment or question and I'll help out if I can!
Heather - Chickabug
I love the details on this cake - the rocks, the grass and the contours of the "track". It's really exciting to look at it. Amazing job! : )
Rose
Thanks so much Heather! Sorry I missed this comment earlier!
Karen
I assume you did not use cake boards between the layers. How the heck would you cut this cake? Lol, I've been asked to replicate this cake.
Rose
It was years ago but I'm 99% sure I still used a small board between the tiers about halfway. I'm sorry I can't remember more details than that!
Ashley
Great cake!! Where did you get the toy bikes please? Thank you! 🙂
Rose
I ordered them on Amazon I think, but they're harder to find now. You might check eBay or ToysRUs. They're called "MXS" bikes, I think.
Ashley
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Toni
How did you carve in the trail?
Jessica Varner
Hi Rose,
I was wondering if you had a tutorial on how to carve a cake? Do you freeze it first? Is there a special recipe you use?
Thanks!
Rose Atwater
I don't have a tutorial but I can tell you that I like to work with cold cake. Not frozen - but cold for sure! I use the same recipes that I use for any other cake.
Paula
This is awesome! I so want to make one of these now.
jennifer ries
where did you find the motorcycle bike and rider for the cake decorations??
Rose
I got them on eBay. I've also had a customer buy them at Walmart before.
Kayla
I am in love with this cake. My son will be four an I just bought him a bike for his birthday next month. He loves bikes! I need all directions an step by step an where you buy the mud an dirt looking toppers. I am not a cake decorating person lol an im scared to mess this up. I have ask 3 bakery stores an they say they cant make this cake.:( any help is appreciated.
Rose Atwater
Hi Kayla - I'm sorry but there's no way for me to really explain all of the details over the internet - especially if you're an inexperienced baker. It's not an easy look to achieve. I can tell you that the "mud" is chocolate buttercream: https://rosebakes.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/ and I bought the bikes on Amazon or eBay but they're no longer available. You might check a local toy store.
Brenda Fehringer
Hi! I love this Dirt Bike cake!! My son turns 18 this Saturday! He loves dirt bike racing. I want to make him this on Thursday the 14th. Can you please tell me step by step hoe to do it?!! I would so appreciate it!! I'm not sure how to dowel it? Not an expert like you, but I have decorated character cakes. Thank you! Sincerely, Brenda
Rose Atwater
Hi Brenda, I'm sorry but it's just not possible for me to write out step-by-step how to do a cake this. I have a tutorial on stacking/doweling here that might help.
Leonora
Hey Rose I really love this cake and I will try to make it; of course it won't come out as good as yours but I will do my best. I just have two questions for this cake. First, did u bake just one 6,7,8,9" cake or did u make two of each and filled them with buttercream? And, the second question is once u covered them with buttercream did I put chocolate buttercream on top of vanilla??
Susan at RoseBakes.com
Hi Leonora, thanks for stopping by the blog. The cakes are one layer of each size with dowels/board put in after the second layer. All the buttercream used was vanilla buttercream that was dyed different shades of brown, but of course you could use all chocolate buttercream if you prefer. Hope that helps and happy caking!
Melissa
What size board did you use? How do you put the dowels in and how many do you use?
Rose
I'm sorry - it was such a long time ago, I can't remember.
Wendy Begy
Hi Rose, I am working on this cake design now.
I personally had trouble trying to make the dirt bike trail so I cut a cake board into a swirl pattern and made a template that so far is working...giggle.
Its chilling now but I will share a picture after I finish it.
Thanks so much for sharing this
Rose
Awesome! I hope it came out fantastic for you!
Helen bower
Lovely cake where did you get the bikes and figures from thankyou
Rose
Amazon and/or
?! You can click those links to see if they still have any.
Cindy
Hello! Do you remember how many this cake serves?
Rose
I think it was around 30-35.