I was asked to decorate a half slab sized cake for a 3yr old's birthday this weekend. Unfortunately, I don't have the resources (pans, supplies, time!, etc.) to bake a cake of that size, but can do the decorating. It's a 'construction site' themed cake (very cute!), so I've ordered an undecorated slab from the grocery store and plan to decorate on top.
Was planning to ice over it with SMBC, but now that I looked at the other cakes from there, looks like grocery stores use a crusting kind.. does anyone know for sure? I'm assuming I would have to use the same type to be consistent for texture..? Wondering if this is do-able and I'm not setting myself up for a decorating meltdown! I've ordered a white cake and wanted to add my own border and frosting it with colored icing on the sides and top.
Has anyone tried this or think this will work?.. Thanks 
Two weeks ago I did the exact same thing with a full sheet cake I ordered from Target and decorated for my daughter's brownie scout ceremony. The buttercream did seem to be the crusting kind. However, it wasn't flawless, crumbs could be seen, it was more a cross between a crumb coat and a fully iced cake. However, I covered most of it with fondant decorations so it wasn't too bad - the kids loved it!
HTH
I do not have the experience that you have shown, however when I was first asked to do a half sheet I just used two 13x9 cakes and put them togeher with the icing. I don't think anyone will notice I icing difference. Can't wait to see your cake.
Not sure who the recipient is, but I'd hope it isn't a paying customer who is expecting a cake baked by you. That's generally why people choose NOT to buy from the grocery store.
Having said that, I would not decorate a cake that I did not bake myself.
You can get cakes from Target with out icing. When my son was in daycare, everything had to be store bought .. at one of the parties we decorated grocery store baked cucpcakes with store bougth icing .. not tasty, but fun!
I guess I do not understand what the original question is....Is it can you decorate a gorcery store cake with non-crusting icing."
You can decorate any cake with any kind of icing you want. Why would it matter if it was baked in a grocery store.
"slab" cake...never heard that one.
Not sure who the recipient is, but I'd hope it isn't a paying customer who is expecting a cake baked by you. That's generally why people choose NOT to buy from the grocery store.
Having said that, I would not decorate a cake that I did not bake myself.
Wow...that was helpful 
Having said that.....Please remember...not everyone here SELLS cakes. That does not mean we dont enjoy different aspects of caking though.
cupcake-queen, I'm sure you will do fine, they will love it!!! Please post when your done 
Not sure who the recipient is, but I'd hope it isn't a paying customer who is expecting a cake baked by you. That's generally why people choose NOT to buy from the grocery store.
Having said that, I would not decorate a cake that I did not bake myself.
Wow...that was helpful
Having said that.....Please remember...not everyone here SELLS cakes. That does not mean we dont enjoy different aspects of caking though. cupcake-queen, I'm sure you will do fine, they will love it!!! Please post when your done
I think what they were trying to say was that if the client is paying for the cake, wouldn't they be expecting that the [i]entire[/i] cake was prepared by the decorator? What is going to happen when the cake is decorated fabulously but tastes terrible? Not saying that it will, but if it's from a traditonal grocery store bakery then chances are it's been frozen for quite a while and not freshly baked like the client might expect.
I also would never decorate a cake I didn't personally bake, but that's another thread altogether (and there are several threads out there about that very subject)
To answer what I think is the original question: Use whatever icing you are comfortable with.
I don't understand why you could not bake a half sheet cake? Is your oven too small?
Not criticizing, just didn't understand why. Seems like by the time you went to the store and ordered a plain cake and got home, your own cake could be halfway through the baking time....
First of all...you said that you "don't have the resources...pans, supplies, time, etc."...I'm just curious why you would take an order for a cake that you didn't have the time to make or the "resources" to make. You don't have to have a pan that size to make a "half slab" you could bake two 9x13 inch cakes and butt them together to make the "half slab".
I'm assuming the cake is for a "paying" customer since you're out the money for the cake you've ordered from the grocery store. It just seems to me that if they wanted a grocery store cake they would have ordered one from the grocery store themselves. They could have gotten the "construction site decorations" from the grocery store as well. Have I "ever tried this"....[i]NO[/i]...."think this will work?"....you can ice and decorate a cardboard box..so...Yes..it will "work" as far as being able to ice and decorate. I'm not sure how well it will "work" if the customer is expecting a freshly baked cake and not a "run of the mill" grocery store cake.
You CAN ice the cake with which ever icing that you are most comfortable using. If you're more comfortable with SMBC then it's perfectly fine to use it. Good luck with your cake 
Omgoodness, all I can say is, I hope that this person hasn't paid you for your services, and have been led to believe that its a cake that you baked yourself !!!! If so, its a shame and being upfront with your customers, paid or donated, says a lot about YOU, the decorator. You don't want to tarnish the Cake Decorators name and all that WE stand for too. Oh well, this is just my opinion.
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