I am making a cake for my cousin's high school graduation party. The design has been left up to me. I found this picture of her high school's crest:

What is the best way to do this? I'm thinking of doing a 3 tiered cake and have this be on the middle tier. Would it be best done painted on a fondant plaque? Or maybe a buttercream transfer? I've only done a bct once before and it cracked while putting it on the cake (Star Wars cake in my photos), so I'm a little nervous about doing that again, but not positive my painting skills are good enough to paint it on fondant. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Tracy

Sorry that's so big. I have no idea how to reduce the size.

I also thought it would look neat to have the "feathers" done in fondant and have them sort of wrapping around the middle tier, sticking out like they are in the picture. Does that make sense? Any ideas on how to do this or if it would even work? I really want to make this an amazing cake. They're only expecting a sheet cake, and I want to surprise them.

Anybody? I could really use some suggestions here. I'm begging!

i wouldn't put a fbct on sides of cakes. you could do a chocolate/royal icing transfer.

You could do a edible image and you could make the feathers out of wafer (rice) paper.

You could always make a gumpaste plaque and print out an edible image of the crest..then just place it on the plaque. That way it wouldn't crack, you don't have to hand paint it (unless you are really good at painting. I know i wouldn't be able to paint such a complicated crest). Plus then the family could keep the plaque as a memory.

It would be really cool if you could do the feathers in gumpaste to frame the crest, which could be done as a fondant plaque? Maybe the edible pix on fondant for the crest

That's a good idea, sweetcravings. I've never attached an image to gumpaste, though. What do you use to do that? I think I remember reading to use clear piping gel. Is that right? Hmm, do you think the feathers would work using gumpaste instead of fondant, curling them around the cake pan the way I want them to lay until they're dry, then attaching around the cake? How would I hide the back where they all meet? I thought about using a fondant drape to hide it, but (and this sounds stingy of me) I hate to waste a lot of fondant as I know it won't be eaten, and I'm not going to charge them what I normally would as they didn't ask for such an elaborate design. They're just expecting a big sheetcake with whatever design I wanted to put on it. So I probably won't get more than $50-$75 for this.

Thanks, cupcakemkr! We cross-posted, but sounds like we're thinking alike!