Does Anybody Have This Problem W/fbct???
Decorating By aundron Updated 30 Aug 2006 , 5:38pm by aundron
If you coat the back of your FBCT with the same color icing as the icing on your cake, it should help. Some people do say that the meringue powder in the icing also helps prevent that . . . I've never had a problem with colors bleeding, so i can't help you there. Perhaps your icing consistency is a bit too thin?
I have the same problem when I do my FBCTs. I use meringue powder in my icing and it's usually pretty thick. Sorry I can't help, but I'd like to know a solution too! 
If you coat the back of your FBCT with the same color icing as the icing on your cake, it should help. Some people do say that the meringue powder in the icing also helps prevent that . . . I've never had a problem with colors bleeding, so i can't help you there. Perhaps your icing consistency is a bit too thin?
I don't have a problem with the actual colors of the FBCT; it's the outline that's bleeding!! I use the Wilton Black that's in a tube for my outlines!! Should I continue using this and make sure I cover the entire outline with the icing that I'm using on the cake (which I didn't do) or should I use buttercream with piping gel to outline my FBCT??
It's a Hello Kitty FBCT, so I think I need the black outline!!!
HELP!!!!!! I'm doing these for a baby shower next Saturday and I need Help!!! 
I think I read somewhere that the Wilton bleeds, but the Americolor black doesn't. Did you use a chocolate or brown icing and add black coloring?
I'm not very experienced with icing decorations yet, but I did buy the Americolor black recently and it makes a really nice color without using a ton of black coloring. With Wilton, I usually ended up with gray, no matter how much black I used, even if I started with chocolate or fudge icing.
You problem might be the Wilton tube icing. I use the icing in the tutorial and color it black with Americolor and haven't had this problem
Bearing in mind that I've only done one FBCT so far and it turned out ok (for being a first time lol) when I was reading post after post about how to do FBCT and tips and suggestions, I THINK I read somewhere not to use the tubes or canned icing for FBCT at all- that would include the outlining.
Is this the first FBCT you've done? And if not, have others turned out the same way ? Thinking to look for patterns- other than that I cant hel[- write down exactly what you use, temp, how you use it etc. Maybe if you describe your entire process in detail from start to finish- I know that helped me with something else so that the FBCT experts here can then go ok I see you did such and such here and that is probably why.
Good luck
It was my first FBCT; I was practicing for a shower I have to do next week!!!
The outline was okay at first, until it started to defrost, that's when it started to bleed. Other than that, the FBCT was fine. Just don't want this to happen next week.
The only thing I didn't do was to cover the outline of the FBCT with the white buttercream, I only covered the inside of the FBCT
It's the Hello Kitty picture in my photos
I do FBCT all the time and have never had a problem with bleeding. I always make my black ahead of time using the Wilton gel. I do the outline and give the frosting time to crust before I fill in the other colors. The crusting stops it from bleeding. I can not buy Americolor locally, I just bought my first off the internet and have not had a chance to use it. There are some cakes with FBCT's in my photos.
To start off I find the picture that I am going to use and size it on the computer and print it out. I have a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood that I use to do my FBCT on. It is light weight and strong. I took a pencil and traced around the different size pans that I use on the board. I find the size that the cake is going to be and put my design in the area. Trim the design to fit so you can see your lines. I coved the design paper with plastic wrap and tape it down tight. I like this better than the waxed paper I can see the smaller designs better. I go ahead and do the picture like anyother FBCTm once I have the design finished then I take my background color and flood the area around the picture and continue out to the lines around that fit that size cake. You cake use your palet spatula to kind of smooth out the background color. I pop it into the freezer and let it freeze. I go ahead and frost the sides of my cake and do a rough smouth on them. When the transfer is frozen than I take a sharp knife and cut the tape and flip the transfer on the cake using the board to stablize it. Set the board aside and center the transfer on the cake. Romove the plastic wrap and walk away. I let the transfer thaw, the condensation dry, and the frosting will crust. This part takes a little bit of time so don't get in a hurry. Once it has crusted I use a Viva paper towel to smooth out the top and blend the top into the sides. Don't use the paper towel over a colored area and then over a solid area or you will transfer the design. Now you can finish the cake any way you would like.
Hope this helps, if you have any questions please ask and I'll do what I can to answer.
aundron - I know this DOESN'T help, but I use the wilton tube icing for my FBCTs all the time. I haven't bought a new tube for a while, so perhaps they have changed their recipe?
Good luck!
I have only ever made 1 FBCT and didn't have a bleeding problem with my black outline. I just used the same buttercream I was using for the transfer and died it black (using Americolor). Hope that helps some. I would also suggest, if possible, to start with chocolate buttercream and then dye it black.
Also, I'm not an expert by any means and a lot of people here have LOTS more experience than me, but I don't understand how putting a layer of icing on the back of the FBCT keeps the outline from bleeding into the colored areas of the actual transfer. Can someone explain?
I use Americolor Super Black to make black icing for my FBCTs. I also outline the image in whatever color I am icing my cake in and then put a layer of that color over the entire back of it (makes it stronger and also helps to not bleed). I've only done a few but I didn't have any problems with bleeding at all - and they were black & red on white. (see my photos)
Thanks Ellen for you help!!! I think my problem is that I'm not covering the outline along with the rest of the FBCT!! I really want these cakes to be perfect, but the bleeding thing is so frustrating!!! I'm to the point now that I might just do a stacked cake with Hello Kitty figurines!!!
hcromwell:
What's funny is that the Wilton black didn't bleed into the other part of the transfer, the outer part of the FBCT bled into the cake part that was iced!!!
Ooohhhh, I see That explains that. I was thinking that the outline was bleeding into the transfer. THAT explains how the icing on the back might help 
Edited to add: When I did my one lonely transfer I did the entire top of the cake as a transfer and not just the image. That might help too, if you're doing a smaller size cake. If it's a big one that might not be as easy, I'm sure. HTH
hcromwell:
Yeah, I'm doing mini cakes as centerpieces for a baby shower!!! I haven't tried to make the whole top of the cake a FBCT, someone mentioned it earlier in this thread, I might have to practice it to see how it comes out!!! I'm scared to do it though, that's why I've been thinking about just doing a stacked cake with Hello Kitty figurines!!!
hcromwell:
Yeah, I'm doing mini cakes as centerpieces for a baby shower!!! I haven't tried to make the whole top of the cake a FBCT, someone mentioned it earlier in this thread, I might have to practice it to see how it comes out!!! I'm scared to do it though, that's why I've been thinking about just doing a stacked cake with Hello Kitty figurines!!!
If they're little cakes I would really suggest just doing the entire top as a transfer. I just traced the cake pan onto my paper around the image I was transfering, did the transfer as normal and then piped the icing that I would have used to ice the top around the transfer out to the drawn circle. Then I put a light layer of the icing all over the back of the transfer. I liked it like this because it kept the transfer even with the top of the cake as opposed to it sitting slightly higher. It's my Bratz cake in my portfolio if you want to take a look at it. It was a 6" round I believe. Just try one for practice, you'll do great! It's super easy too.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%