I have to make a mushroom cloud cake for this guy I know. His anniversary is on Hiroshima day. He's a bit odd sometimes. Anyway, I know I can't do a stand up 3D one, but I wanted at least to do a lie down 3D one, and can't figure out how. If any of you have any ideas, I'd be grateful.
Some different styles that might work...
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2929517/2/istockphoto_2929517_mushroom_cloud.jpg
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Mushroom_cloud.svg/300px-Mushroom_cloud.svg.png
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http://research.microsoft.com/~hoppe/rhslogo.jpg
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http://richlandclub40.org/Buy/products/CoinSample400x197.jpg
3D most simple
armature:
3/4 inch plywood base size of bottom of cloud.
vertical support -- suggest 1/2in or even 3/4in or 1in dowel (bigger = sturdier)
then 1/4 in min, better yet 1/2 in plywood cake plate at top
see other diagram for how to attach dowel to wood.
for bottom -- definitely do the drilled hole and glue and screw.
for top -- larger dowel allows for better balance and if use 1/2 inch can drill hole also.
if possible make the base at least 2 wider around than the top to help w/ preventing tip-over.
on to the cake:
base covered in cake pieces (chop a sheet cake and stack in irregular fashion
upright covered in RKT -- could even mold in a bulge about 2/3 way up for that little ring some of the clouds had.
underside of top plate -- styrofoam -- easy trick -- get bag of small styrofoam balls -- slice some in half and glue to bottom of plate. leave others whole and glue to the ones already glued to plate to get a lump, bumpy appearance.
top -- depending upon how many servings you need --
just a soccer ball pan
or soccer ball pan stacked on rounds an carved to a rounded shape (don't try for the bumps)
or just a stack of rounds carved
(if carving -- those can be used for base)
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to cover --
option one -- crumb coat, then using a big! round tip just put blobs of icing all over to look the bumps any icing stiff enough to hold shape
option two -- make a really soft fluffy frosting and slather all over then pipe in extra bumps.
option three -- cover generously in BC and then in fondant -- "smoosh" the fondant around to get lumps and bumps
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and this basic shape/concept, with different detailing would also make a nice 3D tree!!
Wow. Ask and ye shall receive! Thanks Doug! You are always so generous with your sketches and such. I'll get DH on that right away. I'm going to have to carve since I don't own a soccer pan, but that's ok. This seems like something I'll get to use my airbrush on! And thanks to 7yyrt for the pics....I didn't find those when I looked. Must've been using the wrong search engine.
You guys rock, thanks a bunch!
Amazing cake!!! I'd love to hear how you did it!
No, sorry! I should have taken pics, I guess. Jim (my DH) made me the support you drew, with a 9in square on the bottom, a 9in tall dowel, and a 9in circle. I covered the whole thing in RKT. Then put a 3 layer 9in cake on top, beveled the upper edge, and cut up 3 cupcakes I had extra and placed those around in misc places and frosted the whole shebang. I made some fondant balls to finish off the bumpy look....they just stuck to the frosting, no toothpicks or anything needed. Then I covered the base with fondant and then the top. It tried to rip on me, so I just gathered the spot with the hole in it and kinda mooshed it up. It folded some, but since I wanted a bumpy random look, I didn't mind. Then I airbrushed all over with yellow, highlighted with red. Then I did some black here and there. It looked a little plain, so I highlighted with some copper and super gold luster dust in the airbrush to make it seem like it was glowing a little.
Now all I have to do is deliver the thing without it falling over. Think I'll put some of DH's weights in ziplocks and set them on the edge of the board to keep it from tilting over in the box. Unless one of you has a much better idea? 
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