Catbus may very well be the ultimate feline party train – a flying fat cat faced furry magical bus that flies through the air, splaying eight fluffy spider-like legs, transporting sad children to catch a glimpse of their ill mother who is recovering in hospital. Continuing my celebratory snack attack EDIBLE TOTORO WEEK with I Am A Food Blog, I present to you: CATBUS CAKE!
You Will Need:
- 1 recipe for a cake of your choice baked in a loaf pan (I used a 9 x 5 x 3 inch) and cooled completely.
- 2 cups of vanilla buttercream, tinted a slight yellow/orange
- 2 cups of chocolate buttercream
- An offset spatula
- 2 piping bags fitted with a multi opening tip
- wooden BBQ skewers
- 1 inch ball of yellow fondant
- 1/2 inch ball of orange fondant
- 4 inch ball of white fondant
- 1 inch ball of black fondant
- Rolling pin
- Small amount of cornstarch
- A paring knife or pizza cutter
- Piping tips in two sizes to use as small circle cutters
- A cake board or large plate. I used a 10 inch round cake board.
Step One
Carefully remove your loaf shaped cake from the pan. Begin spreading it generously with buttercream.
Step Two
Cover the entire cake with buttercream – don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfectly frosted because you’ll be piping on top of it.
Step Three
Make your fondant details. Using the white fondant, make two triangles for the catbus ears. Cut a wooden skewer in two and place a triangle on each skewer. Roll out a log-like piece for the catbus tail. Using your rolling pin, roll out the remaining white fondant. Using the pizza cutter, slice rectangular “windows” in even sizes. Finally, Cut out a banana-like shape for the smiley teeth – indent teeth marks by gently pressing down with a paring knife (without cutting through). Make an upside down triangle catbus nose using the orange fondant. Roll out the yellow fondant and punch out two large eyes and a “slit” like shape for the cat’s pupil. Roll out the black fondant and punch out black circles for the irises. Adhere it all together with a tiny amount of water. Roll the remaining black fondant into cat whiskers!
Step Four
Place the eyes and teeth on the designated front of the loaf cake by gently pressing into the buttercream. Insert the ears.
Press the windows into the sides of the cake.
Place the “tail” on the cake board. Get your piping bags ready!
Step Five
Pipe an inverted triangle shape of chocolate buttercream onto the face of the catbus.
Step Six
Continue piping the entire top of the catbus with the chocolate buttercream.
Pipe a line of chocolate buttercream across the side, underneath the windows!
Pipe around the edges of the ears!
Step Seven
Using the tinted buttercream, fill in the rest of CATBUS! Give him fur, people! Let him live!!
Pipe the tail, too! Finally, place the nose and the whiskers on his face!
I made a few speech bubbly hand stamped signs for my Catbus Cake! GET ON MY BUS! (no presh). I also hand drew a fat and funny Totoro! You can also make a Totoro out of fondant, too!
CATBUS!
STUNNED TOTORO!
Slice in before CATBUS cruises off!
More Totoro-ness:
Steph’s black sesame Totoro donuts!
The green tea catbus cake I made for my nephew years ago!
Totoro Macarons! this is a sweet and easy-to-follow video via Nerdy Nummies, just found this gal! Awesome stuff!
How To Make A Totoro Cake – my post earlier this week!
Steph’s SUPER KAWAII Totoro jalapeno grilled cheesies!
Way back in 2009 when I made a million felt Totoros and my first fondant cake for my nephew’s 1st Totoro birthday!
The original catbus cake that inspired this tutorial!
Happy Totoro cake making, everyone! xo Lyndsay
Amanda Vuu
holy cow! i cannot belieeeve you made a catbus cake! i am seriously freaking out over here. this so unique, adorable and too much to handle.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
hehe! thanks so much amanda! ^__^
jaime : the briny
it’s perfect and beautiful and amazing. you are a catbus cake wizard!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! thanks jaime! i like the idea of me wearing a giant wizard hat while baking.
cynthia
Your tutorials are too freaking cool. As are you and Steph for the BEST THEMED WEEK ever! I love this!!!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
aw thanks cynthia!! we gots to get some wacky themed week together in the future, all of us! it’ll be FUN! xo
steph
i wanna get on the bus. i NEED to get on the bus.
i love this so much lyndsay!! i gotta find one of those multi opening tips :)
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
DUDE YOUR CATBUS PASS NEVAH EXPIRES!!! lifetime bus pass! you will be especially dangerous with a multi opening tip, steph! can’t wait!!
Sarah
This is my new favorite cake of yours ever. It put a huge smile on my face and I even sent a link to my boyfriend who also loves Totoro. :)
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
ohmigosh thank you sarah! i love that you totoro as much as i do … ^__^
kickpleat
You are a crazy ass piper, Lyndsay!!!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha – thank you so much jeannette!! crazy-ass-piper, why didn’t i think of that as my cake biz name??? :P
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Um, this catbus cake makes me want to jump up and down. OMG!!!!!! This is the best. The absolute BEST!!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
katrina!! let’s jump up and down togethah! aw thanks so much! ^__^
Nik@ABrownTable
I need to learn how to frost and decorate a cake from you, you’re simply the best!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
nik you’re sweet! i could learn many wonderful things from you in the kitchen! love your recipes. thanks for stopping by!
Millie | Add A Little
OMG Lyndsay!! This is so insanely cool – I would have to take a million photos before eating this if I ever made it!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! oh man i take way too many pics of my cakes too … then i have to edit edit edit … thanks millie for coming by!!
Amy
I LOVE how you mention CATBUS at any moment where it could possibly make sense. This cake is hilarious!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! gotta love CATBUS!! thanks burger!! xo
gyoza*girl
i love your catbus cakes! i love totoro! totemo kawaii desu! xo