I've tried 3 times now to make FBCTs (using the tutorial from this site), and they always seem to come out thick. You can see in my pictures that on 2, it was so thick I felt like I needed a border around it.
On one, I tried not putting on the thin layer of icing on the back of the finished FBCT that matches the cake base color, but I had trouble getting that one off the wax paper. I have 2 more to do tonight. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Nikki
If the cake is small enough (I've done this for up to 10"), I actually make the entire top of the cake the fbct. Instead of just putting the icing on the back of the image, I make ice the back and then expand it to make it the same size and shape as the top of the cake. The image is then flush with the icing. Check out the ones in my pics, especially the painter one.
HOWEVER, as you get better at doing them, the images should get thinner.
You can also make the image and then if it's thin enough spread a bit more icing around the edges to make it appear more flush with the cake.
Sarah
after some practice, i've learned to make my fbct's thin enough that i don't need to put a border around them. i try not to fill in past the height of the outline icing. does that make sense? but i always add a thin layer of icing after the image is complete. i find it helps to hold all the seams together.
sonoma, how do you know how big to make it? After you make it and apply it, do you have to clean up the edges or anything? How do you do that?
Do you apply a thin layer of BC on and then apply the FBCT or do you only apply the transfer? Your FBCTs look great!
If the cake is small enough (I've done this for up to 10"), I actually make the entire top of the cake the fbct. Instead of just putting the icing on the back of the image, I make ice the back and then expand it to make it the same size and shape as the top of the cake. The image is then flush with the icing. Check out the ones in my pics, especially the painter one.
HOWEVER, as you get better at doing them, the images should get thinner.
You can also make the image and then if it's thin enough spread a bit more icing around the edges to make it appear more flush with the cake.
Sarah
What tip did you use to get all those fine black lines in? It looks great!
sonoma, how do you know how big to make it? After you make it and apply it, do you have to clean up the edges or anything? How do you do that?
Do you apply a thin layer of BC on and then apply the FBCT or do you only apply the transfer? Your FBCTs look great!
I use the cake pan itself to figure out how big to make it. I draw a circle the size of the cake pan around the image I'm doing. Then I copy and fill in the image. When I'm finished with the image, I let it chill a little bit. Then I add the background icing. I just fill it all the way in to the circle I've drawn. There are some things you need to do to make sure that the icing doesn't come out with a whole bunch of lines in it too, but once I've done that I chill it overnight. Then I just turn the entire thing over onto the top of my iced cake. I do a crumb coat and then a thin layer of icing. The entire top of the cake is then the fbct. I then re-ice the sides to meet up with the top I've just put on. Add a border, trace the bigger outlines areas in black to give it depth, clean up any rough spots and that's about it. PM me if you want to know anything more -- be glad to help. 
Sarah
If the cake is small enough (I've done this for up to 10"), I actually make the entire top of the cake the fbct. Instead of just putting the icing on the back of the image, I make ice the back and then expand it to make it the same size and shape as the top of the cake. The image is then flush with the icing. Check out the ones in my pics, especially the painter one.
HOWEVER, as you get better at doing them, the images should get thinner.
You can also make the image and then if it's thin enough spread a bit more icing around the edges to make it appear more flush with the cake.
Sarah
What tip did you use to get all those fine black lines in? It looks great!
I used a tip #1 or #2 depending on the thickness of the lines. Thank you for the compliment!
Sarah
I have a question about fbct.... Do you wait before putting the final layer on the back or do you do it right away?
Mine always comes out thick too. I think I will try to cover the whole cake next tiime.
If the image is thick enough or wide enough, I wait a little until it's chilled a little. If it's thinner or if it's a thin line area (like some of the areas in the painter cake I did), I pipe some background on and very gently press it down -- I try very hard not to smear it. Then I chill and apply more as needed.
HTH -- Sarah
Sonoma, What do you use to do your outlines on the FBCT? I have been using royal icing that is not to stiff but, the last time I used it it gave me a hecht of a time. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
TIA
Sonoma, What do you use to do your outlines on the FBCT? I have been using royal icing that is not to stiff but, the last time I used it it gave me a hecht of a time. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
TIA
Nikkileigh:
I tried something new today. I made the FBCT and stuck it in the freezer. I put a really thin layer of frosting on the cake, but I didn't actually frost anything, just the thin layer for the transfer to stick to. I put the transfer on and peeled the wax paper off.
THEN I frosted the cake. I had to work a little to get it to blend in with the transfer, but I think it came out pretty good. It is the golfers cake in my gallery, there is a close up of the transfer. Hope your cakes turned out ok!
I should also mention that I used a crusting BC and then smoothed it with a piece of computer paper after it crusted. You have to be careful though to make sure that the transfer is crusted. I didn't wait long enough and had to do a little "repair" work on the transfer...
Sonoma, What do you use to do your outlines on the FBCT? I have been using royal icing that is not to stiff but, the last time I used it it gave me a hecht of a time. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
TIA
I either use vanilla bc colored black or chocolate bc colored black. It has it's share of problems too, but I'm used to it. The outlines can tend to bleed, but I've found a couple of things to help that.
1. When I take the cake out of the refrigerator and it starts to sweat (always happens), I take a tissue or bit of paper towel, lay it on the image and press lightly with my fingertips to remove the moisture. This helps a lot.
2. If a line looks like it's bleeding noticeably into part of the image, I go over that section lightly with a tip #1. Sometimes I even go back over the whole design again. Just depends on how it looks and how I feel about doing it. 
Hope this helps.
Sarah
Thanks so much Sonoma, I'll have to try it your way this coming thursday
So, really how thick should it be ...sorry. Mine is too thick too. I just did 2 and hubby was whinning about how thick it was...but I was so busy I was scared it would break if it was thinner..Will it?
Thanks,
ok. Ya.That helps thank you. Yours is so smooth and you can't tell it is a FBCT wow! Awesome job. Mine does stick out...and I think I get thicker and thicker as I make more..Opps. Kinda backwards..
I am glad this post was posted!!
Thanks for all of the tips! I think these last 2 turned out a little better. They're on the football cake in my pictures. I can tell that each time I get a little better, but I still need more practice!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%