Trains are always very popular among boys, my own son included. So I thought it would be time for another tutorial for the boys. I have made a sweet little train cake topper inspired by one of my sons “old” birthday cakes. I have tried to make the train very simple in the design, so that even the beginners in cake decorating can have a go with it. I hope that you will enjoy my tutorial on how to make a train cake topper.
This is what I use:
Gum paste
Rolling pin
A pair of fondant smoothers
Cornstarch duster
Small knife
Tylo glue
Veining tool (Jem) (if you dont have such tool, then just use a knife)
Paint brush
Gel paste colors
Round piping tips in various sizes. (circle cutters can also be used)
Tip! If your gum paste is little too soft, then knead in a little tylo powder. This will help the gum paste to thicken and hold its shape.
Step 1:
Start by coloring in the gum paste for the trains “body” in your chosen color. Take a piece of gum paste and roll it into a smooth ball without any cracks. Then place the ball on your work table and roll it into a thick sausage about 3″ long. This will be the “base” for the train. Take your pair of fondant smoothers and flatten all the sides.
Step 2:
Flatten one of the short ends with the fondant smoother (see photo). Set aside to dry a little.
Step 3:
Take another piece of gum paste, again roll it into a smooth ball. Then roll it into a short sausage on your work table. It should cover about 2″ of the “base”. Flatten the ends with the fondant smoothers. Brush a little tylo glue on the “base” and attach the “sausage” on top of the angled end. This will be the front of the train.
Step 4:
Next, roll another smooth ball of gum paste and form it into a block. It should be slightly taller than the “front” part, and about 1″ wide. Flatten the sides with the fondant smoothers. Attach with a little tylo glue.
Step 5:
Roll out some gum paste thinly and cut out 2 small windows for each side of the train. Glue them on with tylo glue.
Step 6:
Roll out some gum paste (about 4-5mm thick) and roll it out large enough to cut, both wheels and roof for the train. Find 2 different sizes of piping tips or circle cutters and cut out 1 pair of large and 3 pair of small wheels. I have used round piping tips to emboss the center of the wheels. Set the wheels aside to dry. Then cut out a square piece of gum paste for the roof and glue it on with tylo glue.
Step 7:
Now it is time to decorate the front “base” of the train. Roll out some gum paste (4-5mm thick). Cut a strip of fondant and cut the ends slightly slanted. Next make indentations in the gum paste with either a veining tool or a knife. Glue it on the angle front with tylo glue.
Step 8
Glue on the wheels.
Step 9:
Take a small piece of gum paste. If it sticks to your hands, then rub hands with a little cornstarch. First roll a small ball, and glue it on with tylo glue on top of the train (not shown). Make the chimney by rolling some gum paste into a large pea size ball and then roll it into a cone.
Step 10:
Rub some more cornstarch on your fingers. Slowly pinch the “thick” end of the cone all the way around. While you pinch, press down in the middle of the cone with your index finger. So that it get slightly hollow (see photos) Trim a little of the end, so that the chimney can stand upright. Attach it on the train with a little tylo glue. Set aside and let the whole train dry completely.
Step 11:
If you like, you can make small train wagons aswell for your train cake topper. Make them out of a ball of gum paste, that you shape into a block. Flatten all the sides with the fondant smoothers and attach some wheels.
Tip! It looks very sweet placing birthday candles on the train wagons.
Happy Caking!
Louise
98 comments
Phyllis says:
Feb 1, 2012
Absolutely Amazing! Thanks for sharing. My son is going to love this.
Asma Arshad says:
Nov 2, 2011
Love this. I have been looking for this for so long and you made it all so easy. Thank you
Willa@Armstrongfamilyfare says:
Oct 9, 2011
Thanks for this tutorial! I just made them to put on my son’s 2nd birthday cake! He’s going to love them!
Willa@Armstrongfamilyfare says:
Oct 12, 2011
Here’s the link to pictures of his cake! He absolutely loved the train. He wanted to play with the train rather than eat the cake!
http://armstrongfamilyfare.com/train-cake/
Anonymous says:
Nov 13, 2011
So sweet. Thank you for sharing.
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Willa@Armstrongfamilyfare (unregistered) wrote, in response to Willa@Armstrongfamilyfare (unregistered): Here’s the link to pictures of his cake! He absolutely loved the train. He wanted to play with the train rather than eat the cake!
http://armstrongfamilyfare.com/train-cake/
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Ashads75 says:
Jul 15, 2011
i enjoyed learning a simple train. thks it was great and simple to do
Anonymous says:
Jul 21, 2011
You need to cover the cake with buttercream before you can cover with fondant. It will not stick to the cake otherwise.
Anonymous says:
Mar 28, 2011
Very sweet cake
YayaCakes says:
Mar 16, 2011
i love this! u r a GREAT teacher! can i use fondant instead of gum paste?
Anonymous says:
Mar 16, 2011
You can, but it may take time to dry and it can have trouble holding the shape.
Gourdmother says:
Mar 11, 2011
This is so adoreabe! you make it look so easy.thanks for the tutorial.
Anonymous says:
Mar 4, 2011
Very sweet!
Marlis Andraschko says:
Feb 28, 2011
I just made this out of Mazipan for my sons 2nd birthday. He was watching me make it and just keeped saying toot toot.
Anonymous says:
Feb 28, 2011
Aww.. How sweet
I made train themed cakes for my son from his 1st year to his 4th. Then it was car’s and now Lego and Beyblade are the big thing 
I haven’t decided what I will make for him next month….
Claudia says:
Dec 27, 2010
Bello y perfecto!!
Girls Party says:
Nov 30, 2010
Another lovely tutorial. I am going to make these trains for the top of my Sons Christening cake in January.
zahra says:
Nov 15, 2010
I’m from Iran.I enjoy from your recipe.thank you very much!
Ruth says:
Oct 2, 2010
I used your tutorial and it is brilliant. Thank you so much. You can see the results if you like!
http://buyacake.blogspot.com/2010/10/train-cake-for-oliver.html
fries says:
Aug 9, 2010
thank you so much for your generousity to share all your wonderful and awsomme job for all of us, May God bless all your work and your family, too…love this site soooo much!!
Emily says:
Jul 29, 2010
Thank you so much, I have just followed your instructions and made this train for my sons Christening cake this Sunday, you don’t know how happy you’ve made me as I’ve been struggling for ages to know what to put on the top. Thank you
scrapbook layout ideas says:
Jul 21, 2010
very cute… my son like it so much…until he ask me to make it.
Louise says:
Jun 30, 2010
Jasmine: A simple and fast way to make gum paste is knead in a small amount of tylo powder (cmc) to your colored fondant. You can immediately feel when the paste thickens.
Jasmine says:
Jun 28, 2010
I love this train topper.. it looks so cute specially with the 2 little candle at the back … My son is turning 2 on Aug. Wish that i able to do this.. How to do the gum paste? Any recipe for it?
Luly says:
Jun 24, 2010
I love it! I just color my gum paste and hopefully tomorrow I would make the train for a boy baby shower. Thank You soooo much for the step by step, very helpful.
Thank You!!!
Nadia Gubba says:
Jun 13, 2010
What a fantastic tutorial! You make it look so simple!
Louise says:
May 24, 2010
I am so happy to read that some of you have made the train using the tutorial
Becky: I never pay attention on the time. But if working only with this you should be able to make it whitin a couple of hours, I guess.
Andrea: As long as you store it in a dark place you can make it weeks in advance. I would let it air dry for 1-2 days before placing it in a airthight container.
Lindsey says:
May 20, 2010
I love this tutorial! Thanks for posting it
Sue says:
May 19, 2010
Thanks for posting this; I love it!
Bimmer says:
May 19, 2010
Thank you so much for sharing! you are wonderful!
Wholesome Chow says:
May 18, 2010
What awesome pictures! I love the detail and all your great tips! Thank you so much for sharing! Have you ever done any vegan baking?
Much love,
Chef Veronica
Andrea says:
May 18, 2010
This is just great! Thanks for posting this.
How long in advance can this be made and stored?
Becky says:
May 18, 2010
Oh my gosh, every one of your designs is cuter than the next!!! How long does it take you to make the train???
Shira says:
May 17, 2010
Love it, simple and nice!
Amber says:
May 17, 2010
I made this over the weekend and it turned out adorable…thank you for sharing it.
Robin says:
May 17, 2010
You are so kind to share your tutorials! Thank you!
cinzietta says:
May 16, 2010
Hi Luise, I love all your tutorials and I love your photo. They are so cute. Thank you very very much.
:*
Andrea says:
May 16, 2010
So cool!
Jacqueline says:
May 14, 2010
So wonderfully cute! I always love your tutorials…especially your lovely photos! Thank you!
Leesa says:
May 14, 2010
How cute is that!! Thank you for sharing.
Leigh says:
May 13, 2010
I think thats a wonderful idea for a cake topper for a boy. Will keep it in mind for my next cake! Thanks again for a superb website, this is one of my favourites!
Jennie says:
May 13, 2010
This is just too adorable! I will have to try it out. Thanks for sharing, I love all your tutorials!
Naomi says:
May 13, 2010
I love this. It’s so simple in design and so sweet!
Louise says:
May 13, 2010
Shimmering: I do have a tutorial for a race car topper: http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-race-car-cake-topper
Shimmering says:
May 13, 2010
Wow that is so cute. the train topper is too cute. I think I make a car topper for my nephew, maybe just tweak your design a little bit. He loves cars.
Brandy says:
May 13, 2010
WOW! what a great cake topper. Thanks for showing how to make a train another amazing tutorial.
Brenda says:
May 13, 2010
I love the train. Your tutorials are so easy to follow. Thanks so much!
Margaret Ban says:
May 13, 2010
Another excellent tutorial. Thank you so very much. You make cake decoration look so much more fun and effortless. Thank you again and God Bless.
sgpmum says:
May 13, 2010
thanks so much for sharing this tutorial. I just love how simple you make everything look.
Michelle Bui says:
May 13, 2010
OMG it’s so cute, thanks for sharing:)
yan says:
May 13, 2010
neat !
cute !
love the train cake !!!
jaleesa says:
May 13, 2010
thanks for sharing this louise. will try and make them for my nephew’s bday.
Diana Viera says:
May 13, 2010
This is absolutely adorable! Can’t wait to try to give it a try. Thanks!
Itta says:
May 13, 2010
love your work, you are very talented
and this tutorial is very cute
Kavitha says:
May 13, 2010
Really nice tutorial, it’s so easy to follow. Thank you very much for sharing this. Your tutorials are always good.
Viv says:
May 13, 2010
Lovely tutorial as always, well laid out and photographed
lyzzie says:
May 12, 2010
Hi, Louise I lovet the train is beatiful and easy,tanks for the send
Andrea says:
May 13, 2010
You always have the best tutorials! These are adorable and you break them down and make them look so simple. Great job!
nickee says:
May 12, 2010
amazing….as always — cute!
Cathie says:
May 12, 2010
A big THANK YOU!!! My son’s having a train themed 2nd birthday party a month from today and this is going to help out for this beginner. I’ve been looking for ideas the past month, so again a big THANK YOU!!
Fernandez says:
May 12, 2010
I really look forward to your news letter. The demos are excellent and very detailed.
Tracey says:
May 12, 2010
So cute! You make it look and sound so easy! Can´t wait to try this out sometime!
Ali Cakes says:
May 12, 2010
Perfection as always.
Louise says:
May 12, 2010
imera: It sure can. It will look cute in a mix of soft pastel colors
Connie: Ohh im not that into Backyardigans. Im sure that you can find inspiration at cake central
Mrs. Cozy Home: They look very lovely.
MixxieB: I have just added it to the steps. But it is only 3″ long.
Dalia says:
May 12, 2010
Gorgeous!! looks so sweet
Marianna46 says:
May 12, 2010
I love making fondant decorations. Thanks so much for the step-by-step. Simple shapes that build up into cute objects are great for children’s cakes! I love all your tutorials and am a real fan of your site!
MixxieB says:
May 12, 2010
Great tutorial! I’m just curious how big your final train was.
Lisa says:
May 12, 2010
That’s gorgeous Louise! I might pinch that idea and do that for my little man’s 2nd birthday which is coming up!!! Thank you soooo much, you’re clearly a very talented person.
lolo says:
May 12, 2010
thank u Louise
Emma Tysoe says:
May 12, 2010
Amazing work as always, thanks for yet another great tutorial
)
Tee Cain says:
May 12, 2010
This is too cute. Thank you for the step by step instructions.
Ruth says:
May 12, 2010
Looks easy to do…Thanks for the wonderful tutorials!
Melinda says:
May 12, 2010
Where was this last year when I bought a molded Wilton train pan? I’m thinking I might make my son have a train birthday again this year just to get some mileage out of it.
Mrs. Cozy Home says:
May 12, 2010
HI!! I am a huge fan of yours, I tried out your petit four for a Mother’s Day brunch, I’d love to show you!:) The post is at:
http://cozyhomechronicles.blogspot.com/2010/05/mothers-day-brunch-tea.html
Gabby says:
May 12, 2010
Cute!
marielba says:
May 12, 2010
Thanks for this wonderful tutorial, I can´t wait to try it ☺
askii says:
May 12, 2010
Well done!!! This is so cute!!! I wish you made this one year back coz my son loves trains. Last year I made a cake for his B’day with Thomas the train. But I didnt know how to make a train so I just kept his toy as a model. Any way I can make this for my cousins babies later. Thanks for the tutorial. Love your work!!!
Mari says:
May 12, 2010
Looks great and fun to do. Have a blessed day.
Luisa says:
May 12, 2010
So adorable!! thanks you for all your tutorials .
fatmum says:
May 12, 2010
A very neat train topper. Your step by step picture is great! Looking forward more of such tutorial and thanks for your generous sharing!
Connie says:
May 12, 2010
Love your web site! !! Your step by step guide is Great…any tips on a Backyardigan cake??? my niece is turning one in june and i was asked to make her birthday cake.
I have an idea, but I’m always opened to suggestions!
Dawn says:
May 12, 2010
Love it! I did a train cake for my cousin’s baby shower last year..would have loved to had this then! I guess there’s always the next one!
SuzieT says:
May 12, 2010
Simply superb Louise! Thank you for sharing.
imera says:
May 12, 2010
I was looking for something cute to put on the top of the cake I’m planing to make for my sisters baby, but I didn’t want any car or doll or something like that because we don’t know the sex yet, this train is perfect! Thank you.
BIBI says:
May 12, 2010
NO DOUBT!You are some TALENTED lady;)Thankyou for all ur wonderful tutorials,i have learned soo much from you.God bless u….
Maureen says:
May 12, 2010
Really cute! Love your newsletters.
Bakee says:
May 12, 2010
Thanks Louise, very neat work and looks great
Lenora says:
May 12, 2010
Such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing.
Ella says:
May 12, 2010
So cute and simple. Brilliant tutorial!
gerda says:
May 12, 2010
Wow thank you!!!
Créaphine says:
May 12, 2010
Oh that’s so cute ! Thanks to share with us !
Mika says:
May 12, 2010
I follow this blog since the beginning and you have never disappointed me. Your posts and your ideas are so fresh and stunning in their semplicity and so sweet! I really admire you.
Crystal says:
May 12, 2010
Thanks for the tutorial. It’s too bad it wasn’t up 2 months ago when I needed it for a train cake that I needed. It looks pretty fun to make. Maybe another time.
Bianca says:
May 12, 2010
SO cool!
Linda Vandermeer says:
May 12, 2010
Great tutorial – I have a 20 month old boy now so I need to brush up on my boyish stuff. Thanks
Kez says:
May 12, 2010
Oh what a wonderful step-by-step. I can’t wait to have an excuse to give this a whirl
Thank you so much!
royalbuff says:
May 12, 2010
Wow!!! I think this will have to be on my son’s first birthday cake…he’s now 4 months old so I’ll have plenty of time to practice to get it looking as adorable as yours, Louise
Rebecca says:
May 12, 2010
Awww that’s so cute!!! This is a wonderful website. I just discovered it on the weekend from a link in bakerella.
Amber says:
May 12, 2010
Thank you! My firends just adopted a two year old boy and in a few weeks we are going to have a small welcome party for him. I am making the cake and wanted something sweet and simple like this to top his cake…adorable. Thanks again. Your tutorials are wonderful. This has become my favorite site.