School Bus Cake Recipes

RETRO SCHOOL DINNER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line a rectangular tin (mine was 23x29cm) with baking paper letting the edges hang over the sides.
• Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda in a large mixing bowl. If you can be bothered then sift everything into the bowl to aerate the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and butter or margarine (room temperature please!).
• Start beating at lowest speed setting until ingredients come together. Increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth - about 30 seconds to one minute.
• Transfer to a rectangular baking tray lined with paper and level using a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch. A skewer or knife inserted in the centre should come out clean - if not cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Leave the cake to cool completely then carefully invert so that you add glaze to the flat side. If the cake has domed while baking, level using a large serrated knife. This is likely to happen if your baking tray is a tad too small.
• Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake, letting it drip down the sides (you might want to do this over a large roasting tin to catch any excess glaze).
• Add sprinkles and leave the glaze to set slightly before slicing and sharing. You can serve with a little warm custard (I used tinned custard) for an extra slice of nostalgia!

SCHOOL-DAYS SPRINKLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20 x 30cm cake tin and line with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for a few minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour, milk and vanilla and beat again until you have a smooth batter.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, spread right to the corners and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, checking at 5 min intervals if it isn't ready after 45 mins. Leave the sponge to cool on a wire rack.
• Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Spread the icing over the cooled cake, then top with lots of sprinkles - the surface should be almost completely covered. Leave for at least 1 hr to set. Cut into squares and serve with hot custard, if you like.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• On a covered cake board, place a row of five cupcakes for top of bus. Arrange six cupcakes each in the second and third rows. Follow with a row of five cupcakes., Tint 2-1/2 cups vanilla frosting yellow; carefully spread over cupcakes. Spread vanilla frosting over cupcakes as desired for windows. Place a chocolate wafer on each tire; attach a miniature sandwich cookie hubcap with frosting., Tint a small amount of vanilla frosting black and a small amount red; set aside. Pipe outlines and desired details onto bus with black frosting., Place a vanilla wafer in each window. Tint remaining frosting as desired. Pipe faces on vanilla wafers; pipe hair, hats and shirts as desired., Spread red frosting onto cupcakes for stop sign and taillights. Fill in headlights with coarse sugar.

SCHOOL BUS CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix according to package directions using oil, water and eggs.
• Pour batter into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans.
• Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place cakes end to end on a 22-in. x 8-in. covered board.
• Level if needed.
• From the top of one end, form the front of the bus by cutting out a section 1 inches deep and 3 inches long (Save the removed piece for another use.)
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until fluffy.
• Add 6 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth.
• Add enough remaining confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is reached.
• Tint 3/4 cup frosting with black food coloring; set aside.
• Tint remaining frosting yellow.
• Frost top and sides of cake with yellow frosting.
• Frost cut edge of cookies with yellow frosting to form wheel wells; place two cookie halves on each side of bus.
• Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a #5 round tip.
• Fill the bag with black frosting.
• Outline windows on both sides of bus; pipe strips under windows.
• Pipe windshield and back window; fill in with black frosting.
• Pipe lines on front of grille.
• Place yellow gumdrops on front of bus for headlights; place red gumdrops on front and back for lights.