Motorcycle Cake Decorating Ideas

Motorcycle Cake Decorating and Design Ideas

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Motorcycle Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees place the rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease and flour or use a baking spray with flour to lightly coat two 9x13 cake pans.

For this cake I used Duncan Hines boxed white cake mix. I prepared the cake per the instructions on the box. I also added one teaspoon each of butter, lemon, almond and vanilla extracts for each box of cake mixed used.

For this motorcycle cake I used two boxes of cake mix. Mix each box of cake mix and your ingredients separately. Once your ingredients are mixed thoroughly, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Do the same for the other cake mix and its ingredients.

Put both cake pans in the oven at the same time. Make sure there’s about an inch of space between the pan and the sides of the oven. If your oven is not big enough to have both pans side by side, you can bake the cakes one at the time.

Bake for approximately one hour or until the cake bounces back when you touch the center. A toothpick inserted into the center should also come out with no cakes crumbs attached. Remove the pans from the oven and let the cake cool to room temperature. I usually bake my cakes the day before I decorate.

While the cakes are cooling, I cut two cake boards in the shape of the motorcycle body. Make sure the body is not bigger than the pan you are using. Also cut a piece of wax and parchment paper the same size of your cake board and set aside.

I cover each cake board with aluminum foil, tape down the edges on the underside and set aside. I color purchased fondant (Satin Ice) the colors needed for the motorcycle cake. (You can also buy pre-colored fondant.) For this cake, I used approximately 2 lbs of black fondant and approximately .5 lbs of red, blue and yellow fondant each.

Color the fondant with gel colors and lightly coat with shortening and store in a zip lock bag until you are ready to use. If the fondant is a bit stiff, place in the microwave for 5-8 second intervals until it is soft enough to knead.

Motorcycle Cake

To make the wheels, I used two Styrofoam 3-4 inches big. I cut the sides flat and cut the base slightly so that it sits flat on the board. Do this for each ball. The balls now resemble tires. Use one of the cut sides to make a headlight.

Thinly cover the tires and headlight in Wilton ready made buttercream and place in the refrigerator to cool. While the tires and light are cooling, roll out enough back fondant to cover one wheel.

To roll out fondant, simply use a silicone mat and lightly grease it with shortening, very lightly dust the mat with powered sugar and roll fondant out with a smooth roller. Be sure the fondant does not stick to the mat.

I remove one wheel from the refrigerator and cover with fondant. Smooth the sides as best as you can. Cut off any excess fondant from the bottom edge of the wheel. It won’t be perfect, but tires are bumpy anyway. I use the back of a small knife to score some treads around the tire and make an outline for the hub cap.

Place the covered wheel on a board and store at room temperature. Repeat the same process for the other wheel. Once the wheels are done, I blended a small amount of blue and red fondant to make a swirly pattern and cut 2 long oval shaped pieces to make the tire covers.

I used a knife to freehand it. Again it does not have to be perfect; it just has to cover approximately 1/2 of the top of the tire. Use a small amount of water to stick the tire cover to the tire and set aside.

Once the tires are dry you can lightly rub the tires with a bit of shortening to make them slightly shiny. It helps remove any remaining powdered sugar from the surface of the tire. For the headlight, cover in black fondant making sure any seams are on the rounded side of the lamp.

You then roll out a circle the size of the flat side of the lamp in yellow and stick to the flat side of the headlight with a dab of water and set aside.

To make the body of the motorcycle, I use one of the cake boards we made earlier and place it on the cake. Cut into the cake following the shape of the cake board. Remove any of the outside pieces and make sure the cake is level. Do the same with the other cake.

Once the cakes are cut, halve each cake horizontally. Dab a small amount of buttercream on the cut cake board. Place one layer of cake on the board. Add a layer of buttercream in the center and place the second layer of the cake on the cake cut side down. Ice the outside and top of the cake and place in the refrigerator so the icing cools and becomes firm to the touch. Repeat this with the second cake as well.

When the bike cake is cool, I place approximately four support straws level with the cake into each cake. I add a dab of buttercream on the large cake board or platter. I place one cake on the buttercream. I place the sheet of wax or parchment paper on top of this cake.

Place the second cake on this cake. Cut a ledge into the front of the cake to place your headlight on when the cake is completed. Also cut a small notch across the cake differentiating between the seat and the motor of the bike. It should be approximately ¼ to ½ inch deep and run across the cake from side to side.

Cover the cake with more buttercream until the body is smooth and the seam between the two cakes is not visible. Make sure your line at the bike seat and the front ledge are still visible after iced. Place one wooden dowel through both cakes and the middle board. Lightly hammer the sharpened dowel through the board.

Make sure the dowel is lower than the top of the motorcycle cake. Cover the hole with a dab of buttercream. Place the cake in the refrigerator and let the icing cool and stiffen.

Once the cake is cool, you roll out the black fondant to cover the body of the cake. Make sure you use enough fondant to cover the entire cake. Roll the fondant as thin as you can without having it tear, approximated ¼ to 1/8 inch.

Remove the cooled cake from the refrigerator and place the fondant over the cake. Quickly smooth the side with your hand or a fondant smoother. Try to have as little seams as possible.

If you have small or major seams do not worry. The decorations will hide everything. Small holes if any can be patched up with a small piece of fondant. Make sure indentation at seat and front panel are still visible when covered with the fondant.

Cut off any excess fondant from the bottom and seams of the cake and smooth out. Rub a very small amount of shortening to get rid of any powered sugar marks on the fondant and give the body a little shine.

Motorcycle Cake

Once the motorcycle cake is done, I used small wooden dowel with one sharpened edge to secure the back wheel to the bike. Stick the sharp edge into the tire and then press the other edge into the bike. You can use a small dab of water to stick the tire to the body if you’d like.

Once the back tire is attached, I make all the decorative pieces for the outside of the bike.

You can very imaginative here. I used small balls, ropes and I free handed what I guess are some tube things that look like fans. Since the birthday boy was four and into primary colors, that’s what I used. You can use any colors you want for your cake.

I used fondant to fill the space between the back wheel and the seat to make the bike look more cohesive. I also used a rope to line the seat a solid panel of fondant to resemble the top and front cover of the motor. On the top cover is where I wrote my happy birthday.

I free handed a flame and attacked it to the front panel. I used Wilton spray color in red to give the flames some highlights.

To attach the light to the cake, I simply used a small wooden dowel with one sharpened edge. I stuck the sharp point into the light making sure not to poke through and inserted the flat side into the cake along the middle of the front edge of the cake.

I used black icing to pipe a number 4 in the light and to fill in any spots that might need fixing. I used a #5 writing tip that was attached to a plastic piping bag with a coupler. I also used this to write my birthday message on the top of the cake.

I used a grass tip to pipe green grass along the bottom of the cake. This help cover any imperfections in the fondant work at the base of the cake. You can also use the number 5 tip, it will just take longer.

I formed a small back for the bike seat and attached with water to the bike seat. I also made a small license plate with the child’s initials on the back.

For the front tire I sharpened two Wilton wooden dowels. I inserted the sharp end into each side of the wheel making sure the angle would still keep the handle bars close to the cake. I used fondant to create some decorative supports for the handle bars and used tooth picks and water to keep the support attached to the cake.

I hand formed two ovals that I inserted into the flat end of the dowel for handles. I used a tiny bit of water on the dowel before inserting to make sure it would stick.

Finally to finish off the motorcycle cake, I used Wilton’s silver luster dust mixed with a small amount of vodka to make the silver highlights on the cake. The mixture should not be too thin or it won’t work.

I painted the dowels, the hubcaps on the tires, made studs along the seat and highlighted whatever I thought needed some shine. Make it your own and have fun.

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