Kids and baking: Vanilla train cakes

December 1, 8:00 AMOrlando Parenting ExaminerRobyn Kurth

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How your train cakes might look (credit: www.williams-sonoma.com)

The Christmas season is upon us, which means that I will be recruiting both of my children as apprentice bakers in the kitchen. As my biography has warned you, when I am not parenting or writing I am channeling my inner Martha Stewart. I’m not bashful about saying that my baked goods are always well-received, although unfortunately I have never had the artistic ability to create picture-perfect desserts. No matter what I do or how great these culinary creations taste, you won’t be seeing any of my sweet treats in the pages of a parenting magazine or a Food Network Challenge.

That being said, I did discover one way that amateur bakers like myself can create professional-looking treats and let the kids’ imaginations run wild doing the actual decorations. Williams-Sonoma sells a train cake mold that turns miniature vanilla pound cakes into artistic creations. Just follow the recipe HERE and come up with your own frosting and decorations, and your kids will have a great time baking and decorating in the kitchen during the holiday season.

Use the batter carefully, the recipe is extremely exact!

I have a discontinued car cake mold that is very similar (and available on eBay) so you can see what your cake might look like if it is decorated by a child without the help of a set designer. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you are ready to take on this baking challenge.

Tip #1: Fill the pans about this high (as indicated in the picture). It’s kind of a tricky deal because the recipe portion amount is so exact

Slice off the uneven tops and make yourself a homemade Suzy-Q. 

Tip #2: Slice off any excess cake before inverting the cake pan, so the cars have a flat, even surface.

An authentically kid-decorated car cake--no art director needed.

Tip #3: Decorate with the frosting of your choice. I whip up a pint of regular whipping cream with two tablespoons of Jell-o pudding for added firmness. With two tablespoons of frosting in a pastry bag and 10 M&Ms per kid, and your children are ready to start decorating.