I've only been 50 for a little over 2 weeks, and I've already figured out the general idea for my 51st birthday cake:

Think: What does the number 51 bring to mind? Especially if you grew up watching Emergency?

Right. Either Squad 51 or Engine 51. Or both. On a spice cake, with cinnamon-maple buttercream.

But piping a circa-1972 L.A. County Fire Dept Rescue Squad, or a Ward LaFrance "Ambassador" pumper (or the Crown Firecoach that preceded it) is far beyond my meager skills with a piping bag.

So the thought of an Edible Image comes to mind. (Wikimedia Commons has PD images of both the Squad and the Ward LaFrance.)

(1) Is there any problem getting them to stick to my usual cold-process buttercream (i.e., the recipe that's been on the back of . . . )?

(2) Is there a good local source for made-to-order Edible Images in Orange County, CA, that sells to amateurs? (I've found an online source, but I suspect that local is better for something like this.)

(3) Out of morbid curiosity, what's in the "frosting sheets"?

Thanks. I wasn't aware until just now that there was more than one brand.

I found the ingredient list for another brand on my own; it appears to be more-or-less the same as the KopyKake, except that the other brand also contained a small amount of hydrogenated coconut grease (Isn't coconut grease solid enough, and saturated enough, without hydrogenating it?)

At any rate, I also found at least one local vendor, "Orange Novelty Cake Supplies."

Wal-Mart is not an option for me: many years ago, when I learned of how they treat their employees (and their suppliers), and what they do to small-town downtowns, I took a vow that I would not set foot in one, even to save my own life.

Update:

I stopped by this "Orange Novelty Cake Supplies" on my lunch break today, and they do indeed print edible images (and would actually be more willing to play fast-and-loose with copyright than I am, but the Wikimedia Commons images I'd be using are explicitly PD).

I'll probably try it with some cake in the next few months, before I do it with my own birthday cake next June, just to get the feel of the material.

The fellow I spoke with at the shop said that with the material they use, the recommended procedure is to stick it in the freezer for 15 seconds, then peel the backing, and apply it while it's coming back up to room temperature. Does that tell us anything about the type of material being used, or its shelf-life once printed?