Hi,
I'm making my Corvette loving brother a birthday cake this weekend and want to use the attached picture. Would the best way to do this be with a FBCT? I've never done one before so any tips would be appreciated. I've bookmarked the tutorial, but if anyone has any other useful tips, I could use them.

Also, can I do the FBCT with an all crisco buttercream recipe or does it make it easier to do it with the 1/2 butter 1/2 crisco one?

Thanks for any tips!

If it were me, I would do a FBCT over the entire surface of your cake (filling in with the white) instead of trying to do the words separate from the logo. I have done this before (see my pooh smash cake, uncle sam and hibiscus cake if you dont understand what I mean). Maybe that is what you were planning, I dont know. Anyway make sure it is in mirror image (especially important for writing).

I know people have used an all crisco buttercream, but i use the 50/50. I like to do mine on the silicone treated parchment (wilton). I have NEVER had on stick to it. Some people swear by wax paper, I swear by the parchment.

You bc should be somewhat on the thin side.

The tutorial is excellent. The only thing I really do differently is to sort of push down on the back (instead of smoothing over with spatula. i am just too afraid.) If you use a crusting bc you can also smooth with a viva after it has thawed and crusted. Good luck!

Thanks, I was planning to make it the whole top of the cake as you suggested. Do you just pipe onto the parchment paper or do you coat it with something?

I take a paper towel dipped in Crisco, and rub a paper thin coat onto the waxed paper before working.

On that design, I'd do the black outline first. Then the yellow, then the red, then fill with a thin, almost "flowable" white. It should be very easy to come out of the piping bag, but not runny. Try not to lift up too many times while you're piping. Helps with continuity of the lines and helps with wormy appearance.

After everything's filled in, if it crusts at all, lightly "pat" all over it with a dry brush or even a paper towel. LIGHTLY. That gets rid of any "wormy" appearance and air bubbles.

Freeze it til' it's hard as a rock, and try to work quickly when it's done, to plop it over on your cake in one piece. Peel off the paper from a corner first, just to get it started.

Hope this helps,
--Knox--

Thanks Knox....what size tip would you use for the colors and white? Do you think I'll have success with this as a transfer or should I consider another method of getting my design onto this cake. It's going to be a 9" round.

Don't forget to mirror-image your picture. I have learned to double check to make sure as on several occasions, I didn't. All the writing was backward!

I think you can do it. But if you are not sure you can just do the transfer of the logo and then just write the happy birthday and numbers on it. I like to do the whole top because it gives it a nice smooth look and the writing will turn out nice. But you could do it either way.

I dont coat the parchment paper with anything (like I said I use the silcone treated kind, I dont know about regular parchment...) but it works great without anything on it. NOTHING sticks to that stuff. Unfortunately it is hard to tape the parchment down because the tape doesnt even stick very well!

Could someone point me in the right direction for the tutorial on this please, I cant find it...I'm dying to try this out...Thank you.

Denise

http://www.cakecentral.com/article12-How-To-Create-a-Frozen-Buttercream-Transfer.html

Thanks Merissa, Really grateful for that.

Denise