AHi there! I'm quite new to the forum, and new to cake decorating in general, so just make cakes for family and friends at the moment until I'm good enough to start my own business :) My question is about the pretty stencilled designs I see on the sides of fondant cakes. It's almost like a chocolate transfer sheet, but I assume it's something different? I was wondering what it's called and how to do it because I want to make a suitcase cake for a friend who is going away and think it would be beautiful to have a pretty gold design on top of it. Thanks so much!

Without a picture it's hard to pin it down.  It could be either.

Using a stencil is very easy - you just have to find the design you want, lay it on the cake and go over it w/icing on your spatula.

A transfer probably is even easier.  Again you find the design you want, ice your cake - if covering w/fondant then you have to very lightly wet it OR put a very light coating of piping gel on it and lay the sheet on and smooth well.

AThank you so much. So you can use a chocolate transfer sheet on a fondant cake as long as you dampen the fondant first?