Fbct - Something I Would Like To Try, But Need Help
Decorating By itsmylife Updated 6 Jul 2007 , 10:58pm by turtle3264
I've been looking at a lot of the cakes on here with the FBCT, and I'd really like to try this method. I do have a couple of questions for anyone who may have some experience.
I read the tutorial article on here, and I was wondering about the step where you take it out of the freezer to put on the cake. Does the cake have to be absolutely perfectly level in order for the transfer to keep from cracking?
Also... should the buttercream be tacky to help the transfer to settle into the cake?
If you have a large transfer (say one that will cover the whole top of a cake), what can you do to help get it on the cake without cracking?
Any other hints..... what works, what doesn't work, etc......?
Thanx!
Denise
I used the upside down tehnique here in combination with my fbct.
I'm wondering that when the fbct begins to soften, doesn't it conform to the shape of the cake. But I think that having a straight cake helps.
I do lots of FBCT's and I love this technique. My customers can't figure out how I get the image and letters into the icing 
.
Make it as level as you can but it doesn't have to be perfect.
To avoid cracking, put a background layer of icing on it. The thinner it is the easier it cracks.
The FBCT will settle into the cake quickly as it quickly defrosts.
To avoid large transfers from cracking, again, be sure to put a thick layer of icing on it (I like to use the large icer tip for this). Also, make the parchment paper at least an inch larger than the image so you'll have room to hold it. Beware, once it's on the cake you can't move it.
Practice one so you'll get the hang of it. It's like coloring in a coloring book but with icing instead of crayons 
I do lots of FBCT's and I love this technique. My customers can't figure out how I get the image and letters into the icing
.Make it as level as you can but it doesn't have to be perfect.
To avoid cracking, put a background layer of icing on it. The thinner it is the easier it cracks.
The FBCT will settle into the cake quickly as it quickly defrosts.
To avoid large transfers from cracking, again, be sure to put a thick layer of icing on it (I like to use the large icer tip for this). Also, make the parchment paper at least an inch larger than the image so you'll have room to hold it. Beware, once it's on the cake you can't move it.
Practice one so you'll get the hang of it. It's like coloring in a coloring book but with icing instead of crayons
Your FBCT are excellent!! I have a question for you.. how thick should a FBCT be? I've done a few & I do believe they were too thick. I had to add a border around them. I'm thinking I should let them set on top of the cake before I add a border?? Maybe they will settle into the cake like you said? I love doing them too but I get aggravated when I have to do a border. What size tip do you use to fill in with & also to outline with. How thick is your BCI? Thanks soo much!!
Thanks Turtleshell!
When doing a full cake size FBCT I make mine as thick as the icer tip since that's what I would normally use as a thickness on all my cakes.
For an individual image I quickly go back over each color with the same color. That way the background color doesn't bleed through to the top layer (I had that happen on my Care Bears cake. I was so embarrassed when the cust. picked it up). So it's basically 2 layers of the same color. Then when I put it on the cake it's thin enough that I can use the sponge roller to roll the FBCT into the cake. That way it doesn't need a border. I, personally, don't like the borders around each FBCT so I began experimenting with ways to avoid it.
As far as the FBCT settling into the cake, using the sponge roller to roll over it and it helps press it down while removing the "wormy" parts.
For outlines, and fillins I use tips 1, 2, & 3. It just depends on the design. Sometimes #3 is too large for more detailed work.
Thanks so much for the help! I was going to do a 3d carved cake for my DH's bday but I don't have the time so I figured I'd do a FBCT instead. Thanks for the help!! 
I might be bothering you in a PM later. Thanks!
thanx to everyone for the help..... I want to start practicing some of these to see how I do...
steady2hands - the second coat of frosting on the back....do you freeze the original transfer, then take it out, and then put the second coat on the back? If so, what do you use to flip the transfer over onto to put that coat on? Is this something then that you have to line up and then just flip onto the cake, or can you actually handle it with your hands and place it on the cake that way?
Thanx!!!!
Dumb question...........when you use the roller over your transfer do you do it when it's still frozen or after the transfer has settled???
itsmylife ~ I put the second coat on as soon as I get the whole image done (like the directions suggest except I use the same colors. The directions suggest using the background color). I only freeze the FBCT one time.
Also, I line it up and then flip it on the cake. You can put your hands on it to help guide it but you must work quickly because the icing melts quick.
Staceface81 ~ There's no dumb questions on CC. I roll it while it's frozen. As it quickly begins to thaw it will be easier to work with. You can wait a few minutes and let the icing begin to thaw but I find that the longer I wait, the more the icing melts, which means the colors get messed up more. But that's okay because the papertowel trick takes care of that situation. The colors transfering may not be a problem where you live. It's very humid in KY and I believe the humidity messes with the colors.
Steady2Hands
Do you ice the whole top of the cake and then push the FBCT into the fresh icing, or do you not ice or leave the icing thinner where the FBCT will be? I also hate the border, and have tried allowing for less icing to compensate for the transfer, but leaving the exact space for the FBCT can be a challenge for those that are odd shaped. Looking for tricks to make this easier.
novice ~ I don't ice the cake. In fact, by doing it this way, you don't really need a crumb coat if the cake is smooth enough. My FBCT is large enough for the whole cake top and since I do the background color with the large "icer" tip, that's plenty icing
After I get the FBCT on the cake and smoothed, then I get rid of any excess on the edges. When that's done, I do the sides. I just go around the sides with the large "icer" tip, roll it with the sponge roller, then add a border and it's done It all goes very quickly.
Ok, help! Every time I do one of these transfers, my colors bleed! No one else's pictures look like they have bleeding.....what is the problem????
Some colors do bleed. Especially the black I've found. Using chocolate frosting as a base and coloring that helps with the bleeding on the chocolate.
I've taken to making my FBCT's more 3D. I make the sides thinner and leave it attached to the board when I place it on the cake to keep it from bending. I just did one w/the simpsons' family on it for the boy across the street's bday party tomorrow, but I have not downloaded my camera yet. It just looks like a puffy image on the cake since I slowly press the sides flush w/the cake as it thaws. I'll try and get it uploaded in the next hour as a visual.....
SheilaF ~ that's really cool. I bet your customers wonder how in the world you do that .
Staceface81 ~ I also have trouble with bleeding colors. I don't know if it's the humidity here or what. I just did a High School Musical cake and I used Americolor Red Red for the curtain. I've heard that Americolors don't bleed like Wilton does. I won't know until the morning if it will bleed in this environment.
ok, i KNOW i know this, but it's not coming to me right now...I know that CT is color transfer, but what is FB?
When I did a full sheet fbct, I took the cake and put it on the fbct and turned the whole thing over. The fbct was on a plastic cutting board. I had a little extra icing on the sides and it just smoothed down over the sides. I then added more icing around the sides of the cake and added a border. It only took a few minutes the day that I actually did the cake. There are areas of the cake that are not as smooth as I would like, but this was my first full sheet fbct.
ok, what??? You took the cake and put it on the FBCT???? How is that possible, what about smooshing your frosting...what am I missing? Is this the upside down technique that every one keeps talking about?
Also, is your BC thick, medium, or thin consistency used to make the FBCT? (hopefully I get an answer soon...I'm going to start on my first in the next hour!!!!)
Sounds like they did the upside down technique on the cake. I've done the entire top of a cake in a FBCT w/out using the upside down technique myself. I just outline the top of the cake pan so I know how large to make the background and put what ever I'm making centered (or off to one side if I need space for writing) on the outline. Then cover that in wax paper and start working on it. Good Luck on your cake!
Edit: Oh, and I use a medium to thin consistency for my FBCT's. Thick would be much to hard to work with.
The fbct was frozen solid. I flipped the cake over on the fbct that was on a cutting board and then just flipped then whole thing over. I used the same consistency icing that I use to pipe with. I don't really know if it is med consistency or what. You don't have to worry about the outline staying with your transfer this way.
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