I guess my Wilton instructor didn't feel it was important for us to learn this...but now I want to learn how so I can get a picture on my cake.
Can someone point me in the direction of an article on how to do this technique? Or give me some instructions keeping in mind I need it in a "Tranfers for Dummies" type of format.
Thanks as always for your help.
There may be a link somewhere, but this is how I do it:
Print a copy of your picture in reverse (I love using clipart or coloring pages!).
Cut a piece of waxed paper just to cover picture.
Tape picture to counter top (or other surface).
Tape waxed paper over picture (I use just a few pieces of tape.
You only need a small amount of piping gel in whatever color you want to use. Some people prefer black, I usually use a light grey or light color of whatever icing I will be outlining on the actual cake with.
Use a small round tip in your icing bag, I usually use a #2.
After your icing is smooth and crusted, trace the outline of your picture onto the waxed paper with the gel. As soon as you are done, remove the wax paper from the original and turn up side and place very gently on cake. I will hold two sides of the waxed paped so that the center of the picture bows downward, like a u, so the center "hits" the cake first, then let the sides down.
Carefully, and lightly, press along your outllines, but try not to smudge them!
Gently, pick waxed paper off the cake. I start at one corner, pull back and lift so I don't drag it.
You should have the outline of your picture printed on your cake!
Thanks PJsGRL. Great instructions
A few questions:
1) If I leave the piping gel clear, will it show up? I don't neccessarily want to outline my design, just have the guidlines to fill in.
2) Does the piping gel dry either on the wax paper or on the cake once it's applied?
Thanks,
Caryn
If you leave the gel to set on the waxed paper, it will set and not transfer to the cake - been there, done that! I would think that it would set up some on the cake if you left it alone, but I usually just use a very small outline that gets covered in buttercream when I color it in. I haven't used just clear gel, but I would think it would give you enough to go by. I have used a pale yellow and that worked just fine. As far as outlining, I outline in the color I will be filling the area in with, or with black if I want a definite outline, more like a coloring book. Or, you can fill in the gel-outlined areas with stars like you would use on a character pan and not worry about outlining at all...whatever method you choose would work just fine.
Thanks, I'm planning on doing stars like on a character cake. I need to get a big bunch of balloons on a cake and I don't want them outlined. I'm using a really pale yellow icing and wanted to keep the gel clear so as not to interfere with all the different colored balloons and such. Would it be better to color it one shade darker than my yellow icing?
i just did my strawberry shortcake cake with this technique and just used the clear gel and it showed up nicely on my cake so I could outline in buttercream.
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