The Scout Star and Other Legendary Cakes

Some families pass down recipes. We passed down a tradition of building cakes with Cub Scout imagination.

From 2003 to 2017, I made Blue and Gold Banquet cakes with each of my five boys: Tanner, Jason, Truman, Ashton, and Tate. The Blue and Gold Banquet celebrates the birthday of Cub Scouting, and for many years, our Pack held a cake decorating contest as part of the celebration. Sometimes the contest took place, sometimes it did not, but when it did, we went all in.

These weren’t just cakes. They were memories in the making. Messy, creative, slightly chaotic memories. And honestly, they were a blast to make.

The Early Days with Tanner (2003–2005)

Tanner was the trailblazer. In 2003, we started simple: just a yellow cake batter being poured into pans by a wide-eyed Cub Scout, whistling while he worked.

Tanner pouring cake batter into pans
as we started our first Cub Scout cake project.

But that first year’s cake was not so simple after all. The theme was “magic,” and we built a magician’s top hat with rabbit ears sticking out, ready to be pulled out of the hat. The black frosting was a nightmare to mix just right. But we got it done.

Our magician's hat cake with rabbit ears,
inspired by the 'magic' theme (2003).

In 2005, we made an American flag cake. Classic sheet cake with piped frosting stripes and dot stars. Simple. Patriotic. Proud.

Tanner's patriotic American flag sheet cake in 2005.

Jason Takes the Wheel (2007–2009)

In 2007, we tried something new: swirl and splatter. We made a yellow cake and drizzled different colored batters on top—green, red, blue—then added colorful frosting dollops. The effect? Controlled chaos. Very Jason.

Jason's colorful cake with swirled batter
and bright frosting dollops (2007).

In 2008, he went bold with a Cub Scout emblem cake. And in 2009, we created a Pinewood Derby car cake. This one was shaped out of Rice Krispies treats, frosted in red with a white racing stripe, and fitted with Lego wheels. Jason and I posed proudly with that one.

Jason and our Cub Scout emblem cake,
bold and proud (2008).

Jason and me holding our Pinewood Derby car cake
made from Rice Krispies treats (2009).

Close-up of our 2009 Pinewood Derby car cake
with Lego wheels and Skittles numbers (2009).

We even spelled out the car number in Skittles. Engineering meets sugar.

School Buses and Log Cabins (2011–2012)

Truman came next. In 2011, we made a bright yellow school bus cake. Cute, blocky, and cheerful.

Truman's bright yellow school bus cake (2011).

But the next year, we went rustic. A log cabin in the woods. The cabin was made from stacked graham crackers with chocolate frosting, a shredded wheat roof, and a pretzel fence. Chocolate chip pathway, graham cracker trees, and corn flake leaves. It was an edible diorama.

Truman with our log cabin cake with chocolate frosting,
shredded wheat roof, and a pretzel fence (2012).

Knights of the Round Cake (2013)

In 2013, we got two boys in on the action: Truman and Ashton. The theme was “knights,” and the cake was an epic castle built out of Rice Krispies treats. The battleground? Teddy Grahams vs. Sour Patch Kids. (Not a matchup you see every day.)

Castle cake battle scene with Teddy Grahams
and Sour Patch Kids from the 2013 "Knights" theme (2013).

In the picture, one corner of the cake looked suspiciously like it had two dead cockroaches, but I promise, they were chocolate Teddy Grahams. Trust me.

The humidity and room temperature that night made the castle start to sag mid-banquet. But Ashton and Truman stood strong with their cardboard shields and Nerf swords, proud defenders of their squishy kingdom.

Ashton (l) and Truman (r) defend the cake, dressed
as knights with shields and Nerf swords (2013).

A Gift and a Galaxy (2014–2015)

In 2014, Ashton drew up blueprints. His idea? A giant present, because the Blue and Gold Banquet is Cub Scouts' birthday. He even labeled the bow and lid as “optional.” I still have that sketch.

Ashton's hand-drawn cake plan:
a gift to Cub Scouts for their birthday (2014).

Ashton with the finished present cake
with blue frosting and a yellow ribbon (2014).

In 2015, Ashton and Tate teamed up for something a bit intergalactic. They wanted to make a Death Star. So I did what any good dad does—I researched how to make fondant. We shaped the lines and molded it into a “Scout Star,” with the Death Star’s superlaser replaced by the Cub Scout logo.

Tate is proud of "The Scout Star"!
A Death Star-style cake with
Cub Scout logo laser feature.

(Only Tate made it into the photo, but it was a true team effort.)

The Candy Bowl (2017)

In 2017, Tate and I made a football stadium cake. The seats on one side were filled with Teddy Grahams fans. The seats on the other side were packed with Sour Patch Kids fans. The scoreboard reads “Candy Bowl.” Bears 21, Patches 24. And, Bears Score!!!

Me (l) and Tate (r) with the Football stadium cake
for the Candy Bowl: Bears vs. Patches (2017).

The goalposts were Pirouette cookies. The stadium structure was graham crackers. And the joy of it all? 100% real.

Reflections from Cake Dad

These cakes were not always perfect. Sometimes they buckled. Sometimes the frosting cracked. And the black frosting? Let’s just say it made for some very interesting-looking poop. 

Each one was a collaboration. A creation. A memory.

The boys might not remember every detail of every cake, but I hope they remember standing in the kitchen with me, mixing, frosting, laughing, and tasting. I hope they remember the feeling of turning an idea into something they could be proud of. 

And I hope that someday, whether or not their children are in Cub Scouts, they carry on a tradition of creating something together—something messy, meaningful, and sweet.