I haven't used a frozen bc transfer before, and I've read a couple ways of doing it....which do you all think is easier from your experience? Do you prefer doing just the image as the FBCT or do you prefer making the whole top of the cake as the FBCT? I'm planning on practicing tomorrow with my brother's bday cake and was just curious as to what your suggestions were.
Thanks!!!

I think icing the cake under there would certainly be easier. Then if anything peaked out around the edges it would be cool. Is that what you mean?

I mean if you want to downplay the thickness, just add some icing to the sides after placement.

I guess I haven't read all the different ways to do them.

I think it is up to your artistic fancy.

I prefer to make the transfer the size of the top of the cake. I don't like the look of a big hunk of icing setting on top of a nicely iced cake. JMHO

Yes doing the entire top of the cake is so much easier! This is how I learned how to do it in the first place. Years ago, a local cake shop near me (which has since closed) offered a workshop called "Buttercream Flip" and it was the best $25 I ever spent!

i have never done FBCT before, (i'm the type of decorator who likes to slowly ease into different techniques..and by that i mean, fret and worry about if i will ever be able to do it, whilst trying to find out everything i could ever possibly know about it, and then still waiting oh..a couple years, before actually trying. )
ANYWAYS-
so like, if you are doing a 1/4sheet with lets say, elmos face, the size of a CD, then you would pipe the face, and then put (assuming the cake is white icing) white all around to fill up the size of a 1/4? this seems like it would be hella hard to transfer!!!

Thanks guys!! I appreciate the input...I think I'll go with just the image this time around, and maybe try the whole top next time....wish me luck!!

To buttercream_dreams
You are on the right track. I'll try to explain the steps. First you'll need 2 pieces of cardboard the same size as the top of your cake. Tape a piece of wax paper over one, and on the other cardboard tape your drawing, then tape wax paper around that cardboard too. So you are looking at your drawing through wax paper. Using a #2 tip I pipe the outline of my drawing with black buttercream. Then fill in each color (sort of like paint by number!). The using whatever color my cake is going to be (usually white) I go around the entire drawing with white icing and tip 2 to reinforce it. I wait a few minutes then lightly tap down all of the icing to make sure everything is filled in. For the next step I use Wilton tip 1D. It looks like a giant basketweave tip. With the ridges UP I lay strips of icing over the entire cardboard, covering the drawing. Then place the other piece of wax paper covered cardboard over this. You will have what looks like an icing sandwich! Press down lightly, then flip over. Carefully remove your tape and cardboard (this is the piece that had the drawing taped to it). You should now be looking at your icing drawing through the wax paper. At this point you can smooth it more with your hand and use a pin to pop any air bubbles. Lay the cardboard back on top and freeze. I usually freeze overnight.
When ready to place on cake:
Fill your cake and ice the sides.
Remove frozen icing top from freezer and flip it back over. Untape the wax paper and remove the cardboard. Now you should be looking at just white icing with the ridges side up. Put your hand flat on it and flip it over onto your cake. Remove the bottom cardboard but don't take the wax paper off yet! You can still position your piece in case it's crooked. Then peel off the last piece of wax paper. It's too frozen to smooth at this point, so wait a few minutes and it will start to soften up, but it's now too sticky to smooth. After a few minutes I'll use a viva paper towel to smooth the entire top and sides. Try a small area first and if it sticks to the paper towel it's not ready. I know this seems like a lot of steps, but it makes it so much easier! Look in my photos I have lots of cakes in there (even Elmo) using this method.
Sorry this is so long! Let me know if you have any questions!

The Little Mermaid in my photos is a FBCT that I did of both the image of Ariel surrounded by the rest of the white cake top. I made it on a sheet of plexiglass so I could peek up under the glass from time to time while I was doing the design to make sur my FBCT wasn't looking too squiggley.

I loved doing the whole cake top with the FBCT embedded into it. There was no problem flipping it onto the cake as the whole thing was very frozen. I prefer that to a transfer being placed atop an alreadly iced/smoothed cake top. Then, I have to worry about "blending" the FBCT into the cake top or doing some kind of piping around the FBCT to make it look nice. This was just so much easier.

Buttercream_dreams -- I also use the fret and worry method. I really related to that statement. Becklynn, thank you so much for the detailed description. I hope now to actually try one of these !!!

Wonderful instructions, Becklynn! I'd like to give it a try too.

Is there a tutorial for this? I'm a visual learner. Is there a place just with tutorials on CC?

Great supplemental instructions! I am a total amateur, and I did a FBCT a couple of days ago that didn't turn out too bad. It was kind of fun, but I would have liked to have the additional tips in this post!

Thanks, Foxymomma!

Bev