3D Thomas Train Cake Recipe
Would your Thomas obsessed pre-schooler love a themed birthday party with an amazing cake in the shape of the famous little blue train? Well, you’re not alone. Thomas the Tank Engine toys are amongst the best-selling preschool items in the US, UK and Australia. Kids everywhere love a Thomas party and thankfully, plenty of other brave parents have paved the way (check out their party ideas here). And read on for step by step instructions to make the 3D Thomas train cake.
To make this Thomas Cake you will need:
The Cake & Fondant Template
This Thomas cake will serve 40 people, you can scale it down if you have less guests.
Cake: two and a half times the rich chocolate cake recipe baked into five trays 25cm (9.84 inches) x 38cm (14.96 inches) baked at 356F (180 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes.
Fondant for thomas train cake
400g (14.11 ounces) black fondant
650g (22.93 ounces) blue fondant
450g (15.87 ounces) red fondant
30g (1.06 ounces) yellow fondant
160g (5.64 ounces) grey fondant
Note: Fondant quantities are actual amounts used on the cake, so allow extra for rolling out.
Frosting for train cake:
Two quantities of buttercream recipe in flavour of your choice
Two quantities of ganache recipe, allow to cool completely at room temp overnight. Whip together with the buttercream, use to cover the outside of the train before adding fondant.
Equipment needed for train cake:
Fondant extruder (makes it quicker and easier but optional you can roll long skinny snakes instead).
Circle cutters
Ruler
Pizza cutter (optional)
drinking straw to cut small circles
rolling pin
non-stick baking paper
spray oil
metal piping tip or something with 1.7cm (0.67 inches) diameter to cut circle
To make the thomas train face see this previous post:
Instructions
1: Make the fondant details ahead of time so they can dry out (see video)
2: Bake the cakes, prepare the frosting and make the simple syrup. This can be done 2 days before the party. See above for quantities.
3: Construct and decorate the cake the day before the party. See the video for demonstration. You will need a very strong cake board that is at least 35cm (13.78 inches) long and 20cm (7.87 inches) wide.
4. If it is very hot where you live, store in the fridge otherwise room temperature is fine.
5. Enjoy the birthday boy or girl’s face when they see their Thomas cake. Don’t forget to take photos!
by Ann Reardon
2013
My Cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country:
http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
Hi, im going to prepare Thomas cake however I have no idea where to take the paper form to cut the shape of the Thomas as on video showed. pls if you are so kind and send me the paper form by mail or just link to find it on net.
thank you
regards
Monika
Hi Monika, you can purchase the template via the link on the page or via the shop page here: https://wellness-wave1.news/public_html/shop-cook/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I am getting all set to make the Chocolate Cake, but have a quick question. The receipt call for 1 1/4 cup (7.05 ounces) of plain flour.
I’ve been checking my cookbooks and find that 1 cup of plain flour weighs only 4 ounces, so by my calculations 1 1/4 cups of plain flour
would weight 5 ounces. Although if your receipt actually was calling for 1 3/4 cup of plain flour then the 7.05 ounces would work.
Therefore, do I add 1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) of plain flour OR 1 3/4 cup (7 ounces) of plain flour? Thank you!
Hi Ann
Bought the templates to make Thomas the tank cake and it turned out great I was so pleased with the result and my daughter burst into tears when she seen it she loved it and so did my 2yr old grandson thanks Ann can’t wait to try something else Kath
Hi Kathleen, That is lovely to hear. Well done with your baking!
Hi,
I am very excited to be making this cake this week. Fondant decorations already made and I am gathering ingredients for cake… I see the recipe calls for margarine, is there a reason for margarine instead of butter? I know margarines can vary in terms of oils and ingredients. thanks!
Hi Erica, Yes you can. Ann prefers to use margarine because of the health benefits.
Hi Ann!! i just bought your bundle templates….i don’t have the exact tin size..is it okay if i use a few trays of 25cmx25cm tins and extend them according to the template?
thanks!
Hi Ann..I made the cake…but it turns out sloppy….i find that your video is too fast on some section….i had trouble covering the body with blue fondant…i have creases everywhere….please help..how do i cover that part correctly…thanks
Hi Christine, Thanks for your comment. This is an adventurous cake to learn how to handle fondant on. We can’t make the videos too long for use on the web, though I thing Ann’s demonstrates the technique well, where you ease the fondant gently onto the cake and pat it into place, avoiding stretching and folding. Some of other Ann’s other videos show this technique well too. You could check out her Minion Cake or Cinderella Cake for example.
Hi Christine – I just made this and also found this part really hard. It helps to have a second person for such a large cake – my husband held and very slowly unrolled the fondant (under my instructions!) while I secured it to all of the corners and crevices. Then you carefully lift and smooth the fondant down on the back and sides to remove the pleats. (I still had a couple of small pleats near the corners – they were covered by the decorations). There are lots of tips and free lessons on other cake sites too that explain the technique.
Hi Christine, Yes of course. Just use whatever you have and ‘build the cake’ to match. Just make sure you construct the cake on a cake board or surface that it can remain on. Moving it to another could cause it to disassemble!
Hi Ann
First I would like to say I absolutely love your you tube channel it’s amazing, your so talanted:). I was wandering if you could help me. How would I scale this down? I need to make it about half the size.
Thanks
Qudsia
Hi Qudisia, to reduce the size of the cake, simply scale the template to your desired size and adjust the quantity of cake accordingly. This version makes 40 serves but the smaller you go, the hard it will be to achieve the details.
Hi, I am getting ready to make this wonderful cake,, and I am having issues with the cake pan, in the us what size are you using, thanks so much in advance
Hi Lonnie, Ann used five trays approximately 25cm x 38cm.
What depth are the tins ?
Thank you
Hi Carol, Trays this size are usually 2.5- 3.5cm in depth.
hi i live in australia. can i download your templates?
thanks
Where is the template for the Thomas train?
Thank you for the inspiration to make this cake. I made it for my Grandsons 2nd birthday and it turned out beautifully. The templates were a great help and I couldn’t imagine having done it without them.
That is great to hear Barbara.
I would like to get ahead making the cake for my son’s wedding (see post of 14 July). Could I make the cake ahead and then freeze it until I am ready to assemble? In other words, does the chocolate cake freeze well?
Hi Christine, the baked but undecorated cake can be frozen as long as its fully wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an air tight container. BUT, before use they must be fully defrosted otherwise you will have terrible trouble with the frosting and fondant.
Thank you – the chocolate cake froze beautifully and the final Thomas cake was a great success, even if not quite so professional -looking as Ann’s!
Great job Christine.
i am interested in getign the template for hte THomas the train cake but your link does not work. I need it asap thanka
Hi Yasina, The link is working fine at the moment. If you are having trouble, it could be that you can’t purchase in your region or your local permissions prevent you using the link. Try the shop page: https://wellness-wave1.news/public_html/shop-cook/%3C/a%3E .
This cake turned out very well for me. It take patience for planning, prep and time. See my experience below.
I made this cake last year for my one year old nephew and enjoyed the process. There were times I was frustrated, but that was a planning issue on my part. My nephew wasn’t old enough to appreciate the cake, but he is my first niece/nephew and I love doing things for him and with him, so why not. I will definitely do this cake again in a year or so when he can truly appreciate the work of it.
Because I hate fondant I made my own marshmallow fondant so it was tasty and functional for the decorations. The pieces from the template held up well and didn’t dry out and they were solid at the same time.
I started this cake 2-3 week prior to the event (marshmallow fondant in all those colours take lots of time!) I also had help from my spouse since I had some physical ailments at the time. I started carving the pieces two weeks prior because I couldn’t spend hours at one time working on them.
The cake recipe turned out perfectly and tasted so good. It’s kind of brownie like which gives the cake a good solid structure to carve and maintain it’s shape. That’s why I’m back. I need to get that cake recipe again; great job Anne!
I’ve attached a picture.
Great work Darryl. Thanks for the feedback.
I baked the cake last evening using the chocolate cake recipe and was disappointed. It did not appear as in the video. The batter was very thick and the cake was not a bit ‘fluffy. I used confectioners sugar instead of granulated sugar. Could this be why? Also, I had two extra trays of cake that were not used. What should the templates be printed at to replicate the cake in the video? I need this cake in two days and I have to start all over. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Karin, Sorry we couldn’t get back to you in the time frame. Confectioners sugar is very different from granulated sugar, so it would have a great impact. Granulated sugar is caster sugar sugar in Australia and s great for making cakes. Confectioners sugar is powdered sugar or icing sugar and is used primarily for sweets and frostings. It would give a very different consistency! Templates should be printed at 100% and not scaled.
My son would like a Thomas the Tank Engine Cake as a ‘Groom’s Cake’ for when he gets married later in the summer. As we will be travelling several hundred miles by car to the wedding and then staying in a hotel for a couple of nights beforehand I would not be able to assemble the cake the day before. How long in advance could I assemble it and it still be OK on the day?
Hi Christine, I think its probably a bit of a stretch. Several hundred miles, summer and the need to assemble in advance would be a problem. Assembling the day before is ideal.
Hi there, I purchased this, and it did not work the first time, but now I have a second confirmation, and have been charged for the Thomas the tank engine cake template twice. How do I get a refund for the second purchase? thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Karen
Hi Karen, Has this been resolved for you? I will forward your comment to tech support for assistance just in case.
Hello I am going to attempt your Thomas cake. Is there any way I could use a Madeira cake recipe- how would I work out how much cake mixture I would need? Also how deep are your cake tins? Many thanks
Hi Katrina, Ann used standard sized baking tins 25cm (9.84 inches) x 38cm (14.96 inches) and they are about 4cm deep. I can’t comment on how a Madeira Cake mix would work as it depends on the recipe and what volume it makes. It is something that we haven’t tested. Ann recommends this sponge recipe as an alternative: https://wellness-wave1.news/public_html/sponge-cake-recipe/%3C/a%3E . You need a cake that handles the shaping well and this sponge copes well. You would need 2 and a half time this recipe also.
Hi, do you have a plain sponge recipe for the cake, rather than chocolate? Maderia or something? I guess it needs to be firm and strong to hold it’s shape? Thanks.
Yes Daisy, Ann has a really good sponge recipe which is great for shaping. You will find it here: https://wellness-wave1.news/public_html/sponge-cake-recipe/%3C/a%3E . Ann uses this all the time.
I am having trouble sticking the whole face section onto the cake. how did you get it to stick so easily ?
Hi Toni, One or two other subscribers have had trouble with that. The weight of the face should be supported by the cake underneath. The black fondant around the face should be enough to hold it in position so it doesn’t fall forward. But if you are having difficulty, some subscribers have found it good to apply the buttercream and then position the face, with a toothpick or two to hold it in place till it firms up.
Do the quantities for the fondant include they layer of blue you add to the train before the detail goes on?
Hi Tami, Yes it does, but please note the Fondant quantities Ann provides are the actual amounts used on the cake. You can see from the video that Ann used more when rolling out, so you make sure you allow extra for this as per the method on the post.