Toad and Racing Car 8 Cake

My husband is a huge gamer. You wouldn't really know it unless you know him super well. He has been excited about Mario Kart 8 coming out for a long time! So when his birthday came around the kids and I decided to do a Toad Racing cake with all the items we could make from the old and new games. I confess (quite to your surprise I'm sure) that I didn't make everything on this cake. I actually let go of my design enough to let the kids make stuff! :)

 Everything is fondant and buttercream with the exception of the flags which are gumpaste. This was a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free strawberry lemonade cake from a doctored Betty Crocker mix recipe I found. I then changed it a little more to make it strawberry lemonade. It had fresh strawberries in it which really added to the moistness of the cake and allowed it stay moist longer than the first day! This was a huge win for us (most cakes dry out fast when made allergen-free)!!!

The kids made most of the items. I made the stars, banana, bob-omb, and the sign. I piped the grass along the raceway with buttercream. I made Toad last minute as my first attempt failed and was too purple. Toad is not purple! But it still worked. Because he didn't have time to dry he was leaning back too much, but when I make cakes that are staying at home it isn't an issue.

The cake was not flawless, but it was precious since the kids helped so much. I think it meant more to them when daddy ate it and when they got to eat the items they helped create. I hope they remember all our baking endeavors with smiles.

Blessings!