Sand Rail

Hello again. About a month ago I was asked to create a cake with a few challenges. First, a German Chocolate cake without coconut or nuts. Second, a replica of a sand rail without fondant or butter cream. So, I made a chocolate cake (the chocolate mousse cake from my last post to be exact, because I really love how moist and chocolatey it is). Then, I made the German Chocolate frosting without the coconut or nuts. I added in a whole bag of Skor toffee bits. It turned out really good, although not as soft as a traditional frosting would have been.
I began with a recipe for Coconut Pecan Frosting.

Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 cup of sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs beaten
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, milk, butter and eggs. Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble, stirring constantly. Stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature. Fill and frost your cake.
Enough to fill and frost 2-9" layers

I modified this slightly. I omitted the coconut and nuts and waited until the frosting had cooled a bit so that the chocolate covered Skor bits wouldn't melt. Then I mixed in the toffee bits put it in the fridge (because it has eggs in it) until I needed it. Although I would recommend making it closer to when you need it because it really was too hard to spread after being chilled. But it tasted really good.
Then, instead of butter cream or fondant, I made whipped cream icing. This stuff is great on hot chocolate too.
Decorating Whipped Cream Icing
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp sifted confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp piping gel
1/2 tsp clear vanilla

Combine whipping cream and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whip to soft peaks. Add piping gel and vanilla, then continue to whip until you have stiff peaks. Do not over beat.

Note: You can find the piping gel at Michael's or other cake supply shop. Also, I recommend beating it or making it smooth before adding it. You will over beat the whipped cream trying to beat out any lumps in the gel.
To make chocolate whipped cream, I added a tablespoon or two of sifted cocoa powder to the cream and sugar.

I used the chocolate whipped cream to frost the sides of the chocolate cake and to create a border for the German Chocolate frosting.

Next came the dune buggy or sand rail cake. I baked 2 vanilla cakes in loaf pans. I had to adjust baking time and temperature for these but you will have to see what your oven will do.
I trimmed and layered them to make the frame of the sand rail. I stacked them on top of the German Chocolate cake and stabilized with a wooden dowel. (We didn't need another cake catastrophe.) I layered with whipped cream. Then I colored the rest of the whipped cream orange and frosted the body of the sand rail. I had to let it chill at this point.

After chilling for a little while to keep the whipped cream set, I cut out a stencil of paper and "spray painted" the detail in black. I knew that if I had tried to pipe it on in black, it would have bled into the orange.

I let it chill again before inserting the fondant wheels (a little out of proportion), fondant seats and floral wire roll cage. I added the finishing touches and I think it came out pretty good considering the limitations in decorating medium.