so far i've tried royal icing plaques, fbct, and chocolate transfers - and they're all awesome methods, but now i'm looking for a method that will allow me to star-fill a design onto the cake surface... something like this:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=0&pos=-27858
i love this cake! the outlines are precise and neatly done, and the starfill adds texture that you don't get with smooth bct's or chocolate transfers. i can't even tell if it's a transfer or of it's all *gasp* FREEHAND!
anyway, does anyone know how to pull this off? please share!
thanks!
what you can do is take a soft icing or piping gel. Lay a piece of wax paper over the picture and pipe the outline, then while the piping is fresh flip over onto the cake and gently rub the outline. You will end up with a light looking outline on the cake. You then go over that with your outline color and use the star tip to fill in
I would say to try a piping gel transfer as a couple others mentioned. They teach it in Wilton Course I. Here's a link to their instructions.
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/patterns.cfm
Have fun! That is a cute cake. My girls love JoJo.
darn it! i knew this involved piping gel!!! lol! unfortunately, piping gel isn't available here in germany so i guess that'll have to wait until i go and get a tub on my next trip to the US or the philippines 
that royal icing stamp trick sounds like something i can do here! thanks a bunch
for both piping gel and royal icing transfers, will my smoothed cake surface get messed up from placing plexiglass or wax paper over the frosted cake top? i mean, will the frosting stick to the glass/wax paper and mess up a smooth cake surface?
Generally, I will print out the pics, make a stencil of them, transfer to the cake and then fill with frosting.
Actually I print the picture on a sturdy piece of paper, a little thicker than copy paper, (I have actually used just regular copy paper also but the stencil is generally ruined after one use), and then I take an Exacto knife or razor blade and cut out the details that I want to show on the cake. I then place the stencil on the cake and use a needle to lightly "draw" the picture into the frosting after it has crusted. I use a needle because it is much smaller than a toothpick. Then just fill in with icing.
This is the recipie from this site, I have used it and it works the same
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2051-0-Piping-Gel.html
I think you should have these products where you live.
mslou and cashley - yup! i turned in that recipe, actually but i never tried it before 
we don't have light syrup here, but i think it should be easy enough to make! i got it off of baking911 or something but i never got to try it before... i'm glad to know it works!
thank you so much!
you can also print put the pic the size you want, and us a pin to prick the outline of it while laying over a piece of styrofoam. then use that like an impression mat on top of the cake; the outline will impress onto the cake....
Cashley, here we call it light corn syrup. You should be able to find it at almost any grocery store. You can use the regular corn syrup in a pinch, same thing different colour.
Where did you find Karo here in Canada?
Here's what I've done in the past with success....Print a picture in reverse image as you would for a fbct. I've laminated the image and then traced around it with a hot glue gun. This is sturdy, yet flexible allowing you to use it as a stamp. Rinse and re-use. If the glue gets brittle, simply re-fill with another bit of hot glue. HTH.... 
Lilscakes, fishercakes and sugarshack - love those ideas!! I only knew about the piping gel transfer thing from taking course I. Sugarshack, I was looking at your cakes yesterday, and I am blown away!!! Your work is so perfect!!
Luggi: I just bought a piece of plexiglass yesterday to try your idea because it sounded great, too.
I have two hot glue guns. One is the regular type you would use for household stuff and the second is a much smaller craft, hobby type. I find that one works well with the finer detail, although if there's too much detail, as tirby points out, it may not work very well. It's a basic cheap way of experimenting though..... 
Yes, that's what I do....trace the detail leaving a bead of glue along everything. This creates a raised pattern that you can lightly press into your cake surface to get the outline....same way you would use a diamond impression mat or the like. Hope it works well for you.
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