Windshield For Motorcycle Cake?? Help!! Please.
Decorating By kurky Updated 20 Jan 2012 , 12:05am by kurky
My dad is in love with his Harley and wants a stand up motorcyle cake. The thing is he wants it customized like his. He has a windshield and I am not sure how to go about making one of those. Can I do it using sugar and how do you do that? This is the first time I am going to attempt a 3d cake . . . he picked a hard one!! But if I can do this I can do anything right? (need a little encouragement)
My dad is in love with his Harley and wants a stand up motorcyle cake. The thing is he wants it customized like his. He has a windshield and I am not sure how to go about making one of those. Can I do it using sugar and how do you do that? This is the first time I am going to attempt a 3d cake . . . he picked a hard one!! But if I can do this I can do anything right? (need a little encouragement)
For your first 3d cake I would recommend doing the windscreen out of gumpaste. You can tint it gray or a blue-gray. Depending on the overall size you need you can make it up ahead of time (and i would make a couple just in case) or add it on at the end with a little support for drying. Doing it using isomalt is not easy task.
Post a photo of the bike you are trying to replicate maybe I can give you a title more insight in going about it.
Good luck!
My suggestion, if you want a "glass" look, would be to go about this tutorial: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sugar-Glass
When I did it my "glass" turned out yellowed, because I left it on too long. I'd try smaller batches until you get the right temperature for the clear you'll want. I just greased and cooled a cookie sheet so it had a bit of a chill to start cooling the glass quickly.
Once it's cool to the touch grease something with a slight curve and lay it over that so it can finish cooling with a curve like the windshield. Trim it to size before it's done cooling, once it's done it might be too fragile.
Hi Kurky, I have never tried this myself, But I would buy some Fox's Glazier Mints ( I think you can buy them in the US) and melt a couple down in a microwave or in a non stick pan on the hob, once melted, pour onto a baking tray, then cut the shape you require before it has completely cooled - you shold be able to mold the shape as well. HTH. Please let us know how you get one with whatever suggestion you go with. 
I like isomalt. Be sure and use distilled water to avoid a yellow discoloration. Mix just enough water with the islmalt to where it looks like wet sand. Cook to 238 degrees and remove from heat. pour onto a pan covered with oiled parchment paper and let mixture rest for 5 minutes in a very warm oven. This will allow any bubbles to settle so that your finihed product is crystal clear.
You might want to consider gelatin sheets. Normally you soak them in hot water to make gelatin, but they are (mostly) clear edible sheets. You can refrigerate them for a short time and they become more flexible. Might be an option if you haven't worked with sugar before.
Whatever you wind up using, I'm sure your Dad will love it!
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