Hi there everyone I wonder if I could ask you experienced people for some help with a disaster I had today.

I was asked to make a cake for a school graduation ceremony and I spent the better part of two days putting it together. I printed the words from the computer that I was asked to write on the cake and then covered them with transparent paper and piped the letters with royal icing and left them a good 48hrs to dry.

I frosted the cake with a cream frosting ( 4cups of cream and 1.5cups of icing sugar) which I was told would set firm - it was pretty firm but not hard after being in the fridge overnight.

This morning before the Grad Ceremony I carefully transferred the royal icing letters to the cake and it looked wonderful.....for about 10mins when the blue from the font started to bleed into the cream and make a horrid mess. I was devisated is cream the only no no where royal icing is concerned? would buttercream be ok perhaps? im anxious to learn from this mistake and would so appreciate any advice

When using royal icing, you need an icing that doesn't have alot of moisture in it or it breaks down the royal icing. Sorry about the problems you had.

Moisture and Royal icing do not get along. The icing probably had more moisture in it from the cream cheese. If humidity is an issue in your area, then that could cause problems too if the cake sweated or formed condensation on it after it came out of the fridge.

thank you soo much for your help girls - Ill be sure not to make the same mistake again

Next time you use your cream frosting consider using coating chocolate vs. royal icing to get the same impact.

oh thats a wonderful idea thank you! Would Wilton Candy Melts work if I wanted to do coloured writing?