Question About A Fbct
Decorating By domesticgoddess Updated 19 Feb 2006 , 11:39pm by SquirrellyCakes
I want to use a FBCT for my daughter's birthday cake. I have never done this before so I have a few questions for all the experts out there!
What tip do you use to fill the space?
Can I freeze this for a long time and it still be OK?
How soon before serving do you attach it to the cake?
I want to practice and see how hard it is and if I can get one that does not turn out bad. If I do a good one, I would like the idea of freezing it and saving it for the cake. That way, I have a back up plan if this does not work. Any tips are appreciated!
Heather
I want to use a FBCT for my daughter's birthday cake. I have never done this before so I have a few questions for all the experts out there!
What tip do you use to fill the space?
Can I freeze this for a long time and it still be OK?
How soon before serving do you attach it to the cake?
I want to practice and see how hard it is and if I can get one that does not turn out bad. If I do a good one, I would like the idea of freezing it and saving it for the cake. That way, I have a back up plan if this does not work. Any tips are appreciated!
Heather
Hi there,
Well the size tip will depend on the amount of space, so use any of the writing tips, I tend to use tip #3 a lot but any of them will do, larger area, larger tip, smaller area, smaller tip.
I have frozen them up to two weeks. But, I generally take the plexiglass out of the freezer after 8 hours and transfer the transfer to a freezer bag and freeze the whole thing flat, like on a cookie sheet. I don't freeze the transfers uncovered. After the transfer top is set up, I sprinkle some extra powdered sugar, put a piece or parchment over the top, put the whole thing in a clean unscented garbage bag and freeze. You don't have to freeze them 8 hours, I just do.
It isn't a question of how long before serving do you attach it, it is really a question of as soon as you have your cake top iced and ready to attach a transfer, remove the tranfer from the freezer, remove the parchment and plastic and whatever wrappings and put it on the cake right away. Then the transfer can defrost, usually doesn't take long, maybe a half hour and it is good to go.
Hugs Squirrelly
Thanks so much for the tips. I am excited about trying it. I can't learn and get better if I do not try!!
Wish me luck
Good luck Domestic Goddess!
You can probably keep them even longer than 2 weeks, but that is as long as I have tried. I would think they should be just fine for as long as you would normally freeze your buttercream, if you freeze it. It just isn't a habit I have ever gotten into so I am not sure of the freezer life of buttercream. I make mine with butter and cream and I would think this should have a bit shorter life than buttercream made with all shortening and water. From what most people state, you are better off using some butter in a buttercream you are using for a transfer.
Hugs Squirrelly
I have not tried the recipe with half butter and half crisco yet. I've not had any complaints about the all crisco with almond and butter flavoring, so i just never switched from that. Although it now tastes rank to me, I think I've just had it to much. And I like a good crusting frosting so I can get a nice smooth finish. In a pinch, I have even used the wilton frosting in tubes for FBCT's. I still use the black from the tube for the outlines when I need to outline in black. It does bleed rather profusely though (the black does).
I use the same recipe for my fbct that I use for icing and decorating.
The 1/2 Crisco and 1/2 butter recipe is what I use, is this the wrong recipe to use?
From what most people state, you are better off using some butter in a buttercream you are using for a transfer.
I have only used an all crisco recipe for these and they work just fine for me. I guess different things work for different people.
Stephanie, I don't think there's really a "wrong" recipe per say. I think what she was saying is the 1/2 butter ones might be smoother so be less work getting the lines between the rows of filling it in (especially on larger images) smoothed out. I know for me, I use the all crisco, and I'll take a brush to smooth the lines so it's totally flat. It's all in what works for each decorator I'm sure. Since you are already using 1/2 butter recipe, you may not have noticed this as an issue like I have with the all crisco.
From what most people state, you are better off using some butter in a buttercream you are using for a transfer.
I have only used an all crisco recipe for these and they work just fine for me. I guess different things work for different people.
Well there you go, it all goes by your experience. Sorry, at one point when Cali4Dawn was on here and posted her tutorial, a lot of folks were having trouble making the transfers from all-shortening. I think likely what part of the issue is, is lack of knowing what consistency of icng works best and perhaps by using an icing with butter, they had better results at first. Since I always use butter in my icing, I don't know how the all-shortening recipe works for these. I just came up with a recipe that gave the consistency that I knew would work and started passing it around. But as with everything else, once people get one thing to work, they adapt another to work too.
Didn't mean to steer anyone wrong here, I was just going by the majority of comments we were seeing.
Hugs Squirrelly
I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. My transfers have little holes in them no matter what I do and it gets wrinkles.
I've tried both wax and parchment paper taped down really well and still get the wrinles.
I've only done one of these, but it went very well. I did the work on the back of the same pan the cake was baked in - wanted to make absolutely sure it would fit and all. Taped the design right on the pan and then covered that with plastic wrap. Then, I put a big, fat rubber band around the outside of the pan. I'm not sure what you'd use for a really big pan...maybe just not do that part. Anyway, then I pulled the plastic wrap tight and smoothed it. The rubber band kept it tight. I'm not sure how important that is. Maybe you could tack down the plastic wrap with dots of buttercream placed outside the design area. Anyway, once my plastic was smooth, I sprayed it lightly with Pam, just to make sure. I froze the whole thing, pan and all. My design was totally smooth and came right off when I transferred it.
I use both wax and parchment paper too taped to a cake board. I guess I never noticed wrinkles. If I get any, they must be smoothed when I do my finial smoothing on the cake. Not sure what would help with that, except maybe trying a thicker grade of paper? It sounds like it's moisture on the paper that's making it wrinkle?
I have this problem too, I find it worse with waxed paper because waxed is not fully protected from moisture the way that the silicone treatment protects the parchment. I find it is less of an issue with smaller transfers. It happens because as you place the icing on the paper, there is some movement of the paper up and down even though the sides are taped in place. About the only thing I can think of to resolve this would be to use low tack spray adhesive on the back of your parchment or waxed paper when placing it over your transfer.
I use my fingers to smooth out the wrinkles but I don't get holes or bubbles.
Hugs Squirrelly
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