Buttercream Icing/ Frosting on Thomas Train Birthday Cake

This is the first cake I made with Icing. Mainly I used Butter cream Icing in this cake. Sheet cake and tunnel I frosted with buttercream. Pond, Rails and trees I made with fondant Icing. Train is a toy.I made Butter cream Icing at home and gave colors using Wilton Icing colors. Fondant Icing I brought from store and colored it using  Wilton Icing colors and I shaped it to ponds, Rails and trees.Tree's bottom is cinnamon stick. For Pebbles, I used chocolate covered raisins. Birthday wish was written in edible ink. But that was a mistake. Edible ink work better on fondant icing not on butter cream frosting. You can see it on the cake.

This I made for my eldest son's 4th Birthday. He is fond of trains especially Thomas train. So I decided to make a  Cake with Thomas train theme for his birthday. He was really excited and started asking me for his cake I week before his birthday.

Finally his birthday was approaching. I baked one sheet cake and some cupcakes one night and kept it for cooling at room temp. Cakes should be cooled well before frosting. Next day I made Icing and started frosting. I haven't attended any Icing classes so far. So it took me hours and hours for the frosting and decoration. I slept around 2'O clock that night. My son's excitement and happiness worth all the hard work and 2 night sleep. He sat with me during Icing section till 1.30 am. Saying thanks in between. He had lot of questions and want to help me in between.(You can see his hands and legs in some pics). Sometimes his child like curiosity, naughtiness  and help  was giving me more trouble than help . He tried to move his train on his cake's rails and since Icing was not dried yet, I had to stop him. I promised that he can do it on his bday. He helped me with the pebbles and he enjoyed doing it.  I asked him to go to his bed since his eyes looked heavy. But he sat till decoration was somewhat over. Here, goes the Buttercream Icing Recipe.

Ingredients:
1)Solid vegetable shortening - 1/2 cup
2)Butter - 1 stick or Margarine softened - 1/2 cup
3)Clear vanilla extract or Clear Almond extract - 1 tsp
4) Sifted confectioner's sugar - 4 cups
5) Milk/ Water - 2 tbsp

Method:

• In a large bowl, beat shortening and butter. Add extract. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. In between scrap sides and bottom of bowl. Icing will appear dry when all the sugar has been mixed. Add milk. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Source for buttercream Icing Recipe: Wilton

Note:

• Keep the icing bowl in fridge when not in use. Refrigerated in an air-tight container this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.
• For thin (Spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tbsp light-corn syrup, water or milk.
• For Pure White Icing ( Stiff Consistency), omit butter, substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 tsp no-color butter flavor. Add up to 4 tbsp light corn syrup, water or milk to this for icing cakes

My inspiration into cake decoration is my friend, Manju. She got a real talent in cakes decoration and baking. Check out this link : mmkakes.wordpress.com, www.mmkakes.wordpress.com