There is something about the Ferris wheel that makes me feel all nostalgic! As a child, it was associated with the excitement of the fair, cotton candy, and the adrenaline rush that comes with reaching the tippy-top and looking down at the tiny people. As we get older, it is less of an adrenaline rush, and more of a romantic moment with a boyfriend, or a relaxing ride with a breeze and a view, or possibly a newfound fear of heights!

Either way, the Ferris wheel evokes good memories, and I thought a cake resembling the ride was a happy idea. It would be fun to throw a fair or carnival-themed birthday party. It could also be perfect for the cake-walk at the school or Church carnival!

• White frosted, 8” round cake with colored frosting border
• Fruit slice candy
• Sixlets to match fruit candy colors
• Sour belt candy
• 1 giant chewy SweeTARTS candy
• Haribo Sour S’ghetti
• Scallop scissors
• Scissors
• 2 paper straws
• Tacky glue
• 2 plain wooden beads

Step 1
Cut strips of sour belt candy to the same length of your fruit slice candy, and use scallop scissors to create scallops on one edge. Cut the ends of the sour belt candy off at an angle, going from the scalloped edge, inward toward the straight edge. If your sour belt candy is wide, you may need to cut it in half lengthwise before creating your scalloped strip.

Step 2
Use tacky glue to glue your wooden beads to one end of each paper straw. Allow to dry. Cut the paper straw including the bead down to 4 ½ inches.

Step 3
Cut the Haribo Sour S’ghetti strips down to ¾ inch. These will be poles holding up the scalloped canopies on the fruit slice “seats”.

Step 4
Evenly space out 7 fruit slice candies around the outside edge of the cake, leaving enough room above each slice for a canopy. Also, make sure the fruit slices are all facing the same direction, with the rounded edge facing the bottom of the cake, and alternate the colors. Place a Sour S’ghetti piece on each end of the fruit slices, and place a scalloped sour belt piece at the top, with the scallops facing downward. Place a giant chewy SweeTARTS candy in the center of the cake.

Step 5
From the giant chewy SweeTARTS candy in the center of the cake, use Sixlet candies to create spokes to at least 6 of the “seats”. It actually looks best to leave the bottom, center seat “spoke-less”!

Step 6
Place the two paper straws on the cake to make the Ferris wheel “stand”. The wooden beads should be placed at the bottom, and the straws should come out from the SweeTARTS candy in the center, and should go on each side of the bottom “seat”.

Happy decorating! Your Ferris wheel cake is ready to ride!