Motocross Helmet Cake

by Gail
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I made this cake with 4 - 8" rounds. But a week before putting the cake together, I created the visor out of gum paste. I used a bicycle helmet and created a cardboard visor for a template, to get the correct size and position. I first created a base of solid white, and then applied the pink stripes. I let this dry for 4 days.
Putting the cake together:
I stacked the 4 cakes so that the top and the bottom cakes were off center by 2 inches. The middle two layers stuck out 2 inches on one side, and on the other side created a hollow. This hollow created a natural shape for the face area of the helmet, and the piece sticking out in the back helped to create the 'V' shapes on the back of the helmet.
I carved out the cakes to match a specific Shoei helmet I found online. When this was done, I crumb coated it with butter cream. Then I put on the white fondant. I created the pink details with pink fondant, cutting it out free hand, using a picture of a helmet as a guide. Then I attached the dried gum paste visor using royal icing. I had to hold this for a few minutes until it set. Once all the helmet was together I drew on some more graphic lines with Food Writer markers. This gave it the final detail it needed. Also, I created the logo using dried precut pieces of gum paste, that I then drew the logo on with Food Writer markers. This is just an extra part of the design, and is not needed to create the helmet cake.