These Stupid Impression Mats! Help!
Decorating By saltystella Updated 5 Sep 2006 , 2:02pm by imartsy
Okay, so what is the deal with these impression mats? I am having a terrible time getting a nice result with them. I have been trying to use them on the crusting buttercream but no matter how long I wait the impression looks horrible, cuts through to the cake, or pulls up the icing with it. I haven't tried the mats on fondant yet so if anyone has directions they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your help fellow CCer's!
I actually saw something yesterday about using them on buttercream. It said either powdered sugar or cornstarch in a "puff" (about 1/4 cup in the toe part of hose (brand new, of course 
and dust the mat before imprinting or if it gets sticky. If I can remember or find it I'll post the link...
Okay, so if they are mainly for fondant and so on, what's the trick for them? Seems like I'd have to do some hard pushing into my fondant to make an impression!
I use mine with buttercream and haven't had an issue. I don't "dust" or "grease" with anything either. Myabe I've been lucky? Anyway, here is a wedding cake I did a few weeks ago with the impression mat on buttercream.
good luck!
I use mine with buttercream and haven't had an issue. I don't "dust" or "grease" with anything either. Myabe I've been lucky? Anyway, here is a wedding cake I did a few weeks ago with the impression mat on buttercream.
good luck!
Awesome cake.... how did you get them to line up? Aren't these mats smaller than the cake? I don't have them so I am having trouble visualizing but after seeing that cake, I want them.. I love the diamond design. 
I also have used it on buttercream a few times, and didn't have a problem..I put the cake in the fridge for about an hour after I put the buttercream on, then I used the impression mat, and it worked great..I didn't use powdered sugar or anything either..
JoAnn
I just tried using my impression mats on a cake a few weeks ago.
I first got the icing smooth - viva method. Then waited a little bit and then used the mat. It's not like press on and pull off...I sort of rolled it on from one edge to the other.
Also, what type of icing are you using. Some icings crust better than others - that might be part of your problem.
Good luck!
I also had problems using them on buttercream. Worked like a charm on my fondant but sticks and pulls on buttercream.
Can anyone who does not have a problem please post your recipe for the buttercream you use. I would like to try your recipe out as I would love to get the mats to work on buttercream cakes.
Thanks so much.
I love the diamond design and would love to get some impression mats. I would think if you're cutting thru to the cake you are pressing it in too much or your icing is on too thin. Just guessing here. I'd love to find some of these mats in a store to see how big they are. Do you have to match the lines all around the cake or are the mats big enough to go haldway around a med size cake etc? I have numerous questions. Guess I'm intimidated by my own questions....LOL
The recipe I use for icing is as follows (mainly from Wilton)
2 TB meringue powder
2/3 C water
Mix until you have meringue
Add alternately:
12 C powdered sugar
1 1/4 C crisco (or half butter)
1 tsp butter flavoring (unless you add butter)
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond
1/2 tsp popcorn salt
I don't have any problem with it crusting or with the impression mats. They general meet up, or you can see through to make them so.
www.earlenescakes.com has the mats cheap.
For fondant, you can use your smoother to press the pattern in some. If you get the really large impression mats (more expensive, but nice) from
www.creativecutters.com
you can roll out your fondant, press the pattern in, dust it with luster while you still have the pattern on (that way the raised parts are only dusted) and then place on your cake- carefully.
Good luck!
I wondered about getting this to go around and also matching it up... the mats are flat plastic and somewhat bendable.... but they aren't "made" to wrap around.... so how do you make sure they match up? I tried doing it on a small cake just for practice and I ended up w/ some overlapping diamonds.... it didn't seem really easy either! Any tips from the experts would be appreciated by us all I'm sure!
I never use shortening or powdered sugar or cornstarch when I use my impression mat. I think it's something you may have to practice with. I use a buttercream recipe that had Dream-Whip in it, and lightly press the mat into the BC once it has crusted a little. Sometimes you do have either an overlap or a little extra space, but I always start in the front so that the problem area is in the back and less noticeable. And I do only a small area at a time, just to make sure everything stays straight and lined up. As far as fondant, I've only used the mat with it twice, and I learned the first time to start it right away, before the fondant starts to dry out, so it doesn't crack. The 2nd time was much easier. Good luck - it'll get easier, just keep practicing with it!
Marilyn
i have purchased some of these mats (diamond, dots, cobblestone, brick) and have yet to try them.. lack of time and guts I suppose. this thread has gotten my courage up. I was thinking for fondant i might use my little roller (not dough roller, one with a handle, like you'd use to imprint copies with)...
do you do it before or after it's on the cake with fondant????
Okay so I tried to use this again but I think I was using it on too short of a cake - it was only on a one layer 6 in. cake - I was NOT getting the impression - I guess I don't know how hard to press.... and it is also hard to get it to wrap around - how is this so easy for everyone else?
I bought a diamond mat at my local cake store and asked some questions before I left. The guy there told me NOT to try to wrap it around a round cake, you just kind of press it into the cake keeping it flat as you go around. It is not flexible enough to 'wrap' a round cake.
My sheet is around 7" by 9" and when I used it to do the grooms cake in my pics I too was less than thrilled w/ the depth of the lines so I deepened them w/ the edge of a clean plastic ruler I keep w/ my cake stuff.
Going thru to the cake sounds like your icing is too thin on the cake. I practiced on the cake, then frosted over it, waited for it to crust and did the final impression, then used the ruler edge.
Good luck! 
I haven't ordered my mats yet but will soon. I would think that you'd want to sort of walk the mat around the cake or along the sides. Wrapping it sounds like you'd be trying to wrap the cake in the length of the mat. I don't see on Earlene Moore's site how big these mats are. Hers look like they are pretty good size because you can cut them into shapes ot strips. All I've seen is the ones at Michaels, but they are in the kids art stuff and look waay too small for what I'd want to ude them for. For those of you who got yours from her site, how big are they?
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%