Don Quixote Cake - La Mancha Windmill #2: Part 2: Roof and Blades

The roof of the windmill – the bones of it are not pretty, but it worked.
I wish now that I had taken more photos, it’s all a learning experience. Hopefully the pictures I do have will at least paint enough of a picture for you.

I warned you that it wasn’t pretty. I used a 1" Styrofoam riser as the base, and then used some scrap pieces of Styrofoam to begin the shape (each piece of Styrofoam was attached using glue and left to set up). To get the cone shape, I used older fondant to mold and shape around the pieces of fondant. I recommend using Styrofoam or cereal treats, as you need a firm structure to hold the windmill blades in place. (If using cereal treats, ensure they are give ample time to firm up so they will hold the blades in place.)

I allowed the fondant to dry out for a few days before covering the roof in fondant. Once it was covered, I placed it on top to ensure everything was lining up.

The roof of the windmill needed one more piece where the blades of the windmill attach to the roof. I carved the shape from Styrofoam as well, and covered in fondant. I attached it to the roof using gum glue and toothpicks. I made sure it was secured very well and that the gum glue had dried before adding the blades.

I used a dowel as the centre piece that would be inserted into the roof and that the four blades would attach to. You will want to cut the dowel to a length that will be long enough to at least go 1/2 way into the roof for support. I then wrapped 4 pieces of floral wire around the dowel and used pliers to tighten each piece around the dowel so that they wouldn’t move. You can cut the wire to your chosen length, it will depend on the size of your cake. I chose to cover the wire after I had attached it to the dowel (I used a combination of chocolate fondant and modeling chocolate).

Once I had determined the length of each blade, I was then able to measure and cut the 8 pieces that run parallel to the centre part of each blade. I also determined the length of the shorter pieces and cut 28 pieces in total, 7 for each blade. I then covered the 8 long pieces and the 28 shorter pieces in the fondant/modeling chocolate mixture.

Each piece was attached with what I call ‘goo’. The goo is just a bit of fondant (or in this case the fondant/modeling chocolate mixture) dipped in water to make it ‘gooey’, yes, this is a technical term. I find that this makes for a much more secure bond, something that is necessary to avoid the effects of gravity. Water and even gum glue won’t form a strong enough bond. Piping gel is always an option, even melted chocolate might work. If you choose to use the ‘goo’, you can use a toothpick to remove excess or push it in place. Make sure that whatever form of ‘goo’ or glue you choose, is used at all points of contact. Allow it all to dry completely before moving. If you move it too soon, the bonds may break.

Now the fun part, inserting the dowel into the roof! You can always use a pencil sharpener to make a point on the end of the dowel being inserted into the roof. This may help to push it through and hopefull it will be easier to push through. I used a skewer to make an initial hole where the dowel was to be inserted. I found it inserted very easily into the Styrofoam/fondant roof and held perfectly. I then filled in and covered the parts of the dowel that may have not been covered in fondant before being attached to the roof. If it’s going to be delivered, you may want to attach after you get there.

And here is the finished product, along with Don Quixote and the board dressed as a little hill.
Hopefully this had made some sense and might be of help to a few of you. If you have any questions, let me know. :)