So your kids have asked you to make a Paw Patrol Lookout cake, or you have decided to try it yourself and that has led you here. Fear not I have been there and basically failed first, so you can learn from my mistakes as I share my wisdom and experience about how not to make a Paw Patrol Lookout cake.
My first piece of advice. Just don’t do it. Don’t even attempt it. No matter how much your kids beg, whine, plead, cry etc. Just say no.
If you fail at this and the little blighters wear you down to the point where you acquiesce then read on and heed my advice.
1. Do some research online, and DON’T scoff at the wisdom of others or their attempts and think you know more than them. They have been through more than you know. Unless you are a professional cake maker, in which case you probably do know more than eejits like me online who have have no clue what we are doing and don’t really need to read on.
2. Don’t choose the sponge of your cake based on your preference. Base it on the structural integrity of the sponge. Something firm and close textured like a madeira may work but don’t quote me on that.
3. Don’t try and make the tower out of sponge. Even with dowels to support it. Some suggest using rice crispies and marshmallows, or use a plumbing pipe or something covered in icing instead. Trust me on this.
4. If you ignore point 3, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
5. Also, if you do ignore part 3, don’t just put the wider top cake on top of the tower… It will fall apart and slide down the tower of cake.
6. Following this, don’t try and put a cake board on top of the towels which are already struggling to hold the cake tower up.
7. Don’t ask for your partner’s help then get mad at him for trying to ‘take over’ it may lead to an argument of epic proportions.
8. When it all falls apart don’t throw cake all across the kitchen. You are the one who will have to clean it up and you may need some of it when you have calmed down enough to have a second attempt.
9. Don’t expect sympathy from friends and relatives when it all goes wrong. They knew you were bonkers for trying in the first place.
10. Don’t be too proud to admit defeat and try something different or even to buy a replacement cake.
To be honest my first piece of advice still stands, save your sanity and don’t even try to make this cake. We did manage to get something vaguely resembling the lookout in cake form but it was very much a plan B scenario.
If you really want to know how we did it I will tell you though I can’t stress all of the above enough. The base is a simple sponge and the tower itself is a cardboard tube wrapped in fondant icing. We wrapped the tube in icing before putting it in the cake and let the icing firm up overnight.
The top part is 2 different sized cakes on a cake board which we made 3 holes in for the wooden dowels, which keep the cakes on top in place and then go down into the cardboard tube and into the base cake for some added stability.
The top cake is then iced along with the board it is sat on, to hide it. We actually had the top cake resting on a vase to decorate it so it didn’t put too much pressure on the actual cake.
You could do more embellishments than we did but I wasted time by making almost all of the above mistakes (I didn’t actually throw the cake around the kitchen though it was tempting) and had lost the will to do any more than the basics.
We assembled the cake pretty last minute and it survived the walk into the living room… Just.
I managed to blow out the candles as the cake toppled towards me so at least I didn’t set myself on fire haha.
I’m not sure this will go down as one of my most successful bakes, do you? Have you ever had any similarly epic fails?
Wow, well done on your efforts. And like you say, it stood tall until the candle blowing out bit. I blame that Paw Patrol cake episode where they make ‘making the lookout tower’ seem like a doddle to put together, and using paws 🙂 Looks tasty though. #MarvMondays
Hats off to you for even attempting it! I am so rubbish at baking even though I love it, so won’t be attempting a cake for Parker’s 2nd Birthday next month. It does look tasty! #MarvMondays
Full marks for effort! It turned out pretty good, better than I could manage, though the video was pretty funny. My daughter wants a starwars cake for her next birthday… #twinklytuesday
Oh my days! Well done you for trying and I am glad you didn’t set fire to yourself!! It’ll be one to show the grandkids for sure! #MarvMondays
Oh bless you! Good on you for trying though, it is definitely better than anything I could have made!
#bestandworst
This is hilarious! I giggled at the video and I would have rowed with Chris if he had tried to take over! Bet LM loved it. Thanks for sharing with bestandworst hun xx
Oh gosh! What a stressful thing to make, but well done you on getting there in the end. I would never be brave enough to attempt anything like this so hats off to you 😉 Thanks for sharing it on #MarvMondays. Emily
This made me laugh so much! I’m so full of admiration for you even attempting it, but I’ve got to say I’m kind of glad it didn’t quite come off as it entertained me A LOT. And for what it’s worth: you did way better than I would’ve!
Oh my this is too funny! Bless your heart! You definitely get an A for your effort and dedication. I made a Paw Patrol cake for my sons last birthday and considered making the tower of the trucks but in the end chickened out and just did a sponge with paw prints and the Paw Patrol logo (which was tricky enough) – and just added Paw Patrol toy figures to the top. I’m sure your efforts were appreciated by your little one xx #marvmondays
Hilarious! This reminds me of attempting Elsa from Frozen out of fondant icing…it was NOT a good look. Your cake looks great though! #twinklytuesday
Back again from #bestandworst – still love this post! #bestandworst
Oh no! I will absolutely take your word for it and not attempt this in any way she or form. Sounds like one of my Pinterest fails. Thanks for linking up to #FridayFrolics
Top marks for effort. I have only ever made those chocolate cornflake things and refrigerator cake. So not actual baking. #FridayFrolics
Well I think that you are a legend for trying to make a Paws Patrol cake! #FridayFrolics
Hilariously paw patrol is on my Tv right now and I am sympathy chuckling at this. I tried to make my sons first birthday cake and have never attempted since as it resulted in me crying. How did you get the sponge in the tower shape to begin with?! I am so glad those candles were blown out!! #Fridayfrolics
Haha – this is amazing! The point at which I determined that I would never try to make a fancy cake exactly coincided with the point where I learnt your point 2! I don’t care how pretty it ends up looking, I cannot be doing with cakes that compromise taste/my preferences in order to support elaborate icing! The cake is for eating and I don’t care how crap it looks as long as it is a cake I want to eat, that became my motto! For the kids, I will buy the fun character cakes (despite possible taste compromises), but I am well aware of my limitations in trying to make one! Good for you for braving it though!
Thanks so much for joining #FridayFrolics. Hope to see you next time.
I have found myself here from a Google search of ‘Paw Patrol look out cake’ I clicked on the link and as I read I was happy to see I’m not the only idiot to attempt this for their darling, caring child. Now why?! Why?? Would she ask for a Paw Patrol look out cake, after reading this blog post I want to cry and hope the lovely housework fairies I’m sure my husband thinks is real will also come and magically make me this cake.
I have 1 day to make this work. So I was going to attempt sponge for the tower. That is gone and I will now be buying piping instead!
I will also be buying rods to stabilise the top cake as me thinking the piping ( well first thought sponge but even piping is pushing it) would hold it, is obviously ridiculous of me!
I will also ban Paw Pawtrol from ever being in the house as I feel this cake will bring me to tears of pain…..
Oh man! Not looking forward to this!
I thank you for the post to bringing my idiotic thoughts of perfect cakes crashing down to reality. I thank you for showing me I am not the only mother to attempt this..
Hahaha well I am glad you found my post and I hope you can learn from my mistakes and hopefully you will he more successful than I was! I was definitely too ambitious for my limited abilities! 🙂 I’d love to hear how you get on with it! Xx
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Oh my! My son just told me this morning as I began to prep for making his cake that he wants the lookout tower cake. I am soooo incredibly doomed. Guess I’ll have to go to Wally world to get some fondant and find a cardboard tube or something of that sort.
Thank you, thank you. I thought I’d be able to make the tower out of cake just as you had, I am so thankful to have found your page. My husband is now making something with structural stability, probably wood and wire, in his workshop for our grandson’s 5th birthday cake. Lucky grand kids. Their parents suggest we have raised the bar too high, maybe so 🙂
Well I am happy you found my post! Hope your attempt fares a lot better than mine did haha though sounds like it if granddad is on the case for structural integrity 🙂
This was absolutely hilarious, as I was just Googling how to make a lookout cake with my 3 year old. We already searched images and watched a couple YouTube videos before I came upon your blog. And while scrolling through your pics, my son says “um, I don’t want that lookout cake mommy.” Mind you, he already saw all the flawless finale pics that don’t show the struggle. You did great and this made my day. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your hilarious post! It seriously saved me from attempting to do this and my week is going to be so much better as a result.
I feel for you, I did a lot of research before I attempted the lookout and made the decision to make the lookout tower by using Masonite cupcake stand and a plastic pipe in the middle covered in Fondant, saves a lot of time on structural work. Hope that helps anyone thinking of attempting it