Diver No 12

It took me a week to decide on Diver No. 12. I kept going back and forth between several other 3D designs and a couple of 2D designs. Something told me to just go with this one though, and I'm glad I did! What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. Go big or go home, right? Riiiight.

So, the helmet part was made from pastillage, and I gave it about a month to dry and set firm. Shaped in two halves around a basketball, and later joined together with royal icing at the end. All of the little knobs and pieces are made from gumpaste and attached with water or royal icing.

Cakes are chocolate mud cake, with a white chocolate ganache filling in between all the layers. The helmet part of the cake was baked in a glass Pyrex dish, and another layer of round cake was added to boost it up to where it needed to be.

The shoulder area of the cake was carved from three layers of the same cake, and also filled with ganache. Covered in fondant, and airbrushed for the desired color and shading. All little pieces on this part are also gumpaste and attached with royal icing or water.

The ONLY support structure in this cake is one teeny little cut of PVC pipe attached to the base board and threaded up through the should area of the cake. The helmet was constructed so that it would support the weight of the cake inside, and not need any dowels or toothpicks. It rests in the slight curve of the top of the PVC pipe all on it's own. 100% edible, and it was delicious! My son tried to eat all the little screws. I can't blamed him. Hope you like my entry!