Have You Ever Heard Of This Item?
Decorating By kathik Updated 28 Jul 2007 , 12:05am by playingwithsugar
A "plastic" piece that goes on top of a cake so you can write greetings on it and then remove it before cutting the cake. Supposedly you can remove it from the cake without damaging the cake top. She swears she has seen this used before. The point is that on Shabbos Orthodox Jews don't cut letters, even on cake, and she is determined to have her husband's birthday cake say Happy Birthday. 
He's a big boy and it isn't a traditional birthday cake, it's a decadent ganache covered cake with tosted almonds around the sides. Personally, I'd hate to add words on top and ruin the beauty of the cake!
I'd really like to ditch her and the headaches she bring, but this is my most consistent customer and I need those right now. I've never seen or heard of such a thing, but if you have please let me know. Or, if you have any ideas, please help!!!
Thanks,
Kathi
I've never seen or heard of it, but what I do when I want to remove or add words in an unusual place is I make a "card" like a square 3x2 piece of fondant or gumpaste and let it dry rock hard... write what I want on it then place it where I want then you can remove it later..
the only thing i can think of is this... but still doesn't sound exactly like this product.
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E31A22B-475A-BAC0-54F2C5FC9EF11979&fid=77A8FA7B-475A-BAC0-51BA7EBB209DBC57
The first thing I thought of was the plastic pics or lay-ons:
http://www.babykakes.com/birthday1.htm
http://www.cakeartpartystore.com/store/e-StoreOperations_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=297
Maybe a lamenated image that they can just remove?
In the bakeries I work with, we make quick, easy fondant plaques all the time. Just roll a thin piece of white ( or colored ) fondant, cut with any size or shape cutter, let dry overnight to stiffen up, write on it the next day, place on cake! I make a bunch of these up ahead of time in all shapes and sizes so they are ready to plop on any cake.
I like to use my ruffled edge cutters and I like to curl the edges to look like a scroll.
This would actually dry out enough by the end of the day to work just fine.
Unfortunately, she told me this today and the cake is for tomorrow, so I don't have time for anything to dry rock hard.
Kathi
If you make something out of half gumpaste and half fondant or even all gumpaste and then put it in the oven with the heat OFF, but the oven light on... it will dry up very quickly.
If you have the stuff on hand - can't hurt to try it and keep it as an alternative in case you can't come up with anything else in time.
I have seen something similar to what she is talking about. However, it was in a catalog. I don't remember which one, but I'm leaning toward the "junk" type catalogs like Lillian Vernon or Harriette Carter where they sell everything. It might have even been in an LTD catalog.
Here's a photo of the cake I am making. The only difference is that this is for my "problem" customer who needs everything portioned out for her (not to mention organic), so instead of the big chocolate curls, I had planned to do rosettes of ganache all the way around and in the center to help her know where to cut.
There's no room on the cake board because of the almonds sticking out the sides. We can't use candles because once Shabbos starts you aren't allowed to move candles. I didn't know I could make a quick fondant plaque, so maybe I will do that, although, I admit, I hate the idea of putting it on and ruining the elegance of the cake! I guess I'm just having an "artistic" fit! I'll make a plaque and make her happy, even if I think it looks awful.
Thanks for the ideas,
Kathi
I saw somewhere on here that is how someone does their lettering, print off the words and then put a transperacy over it. From here I can't remember if she used chocolate or icing or if she just printed onto the transperancy. It definately works.
what if you placed the plaque on the side of the cake? and why is she busting YOUR cake balls if she can't do this or that for religious purposes? why can't she wait till after the holiday to celebrate his birthday?
I swear some people just live for others to accomodate them 
Eggshells-
I didn't think this was too off the wall a request. She wants to have a cake for her son and figured there was an easy way to do this. We're the decorators, we're expected to know how to do this stuff, not the customers. We don't expect them to know how to cut a cake properly half the time and either do it for them or send them directions on how to disassemble the cakes.
I don't see her as asking for something incredibly off the wall or accomodating them to any unusual degree. I mean I wouldn't even put this up to the level of needing gluten-free, or sugar-free, or diabetic-friendly. Just make a chocolate transfer you can pick up and take off. Add 5 bucks to cost of cake. Done, finished. Finito. Not a big deal.
Randipanda, I realize that it's not really a big request, but adding all the other things that she has said this customer needs or wants or has to have.
I would just get tired of hearing and it would be like Charlie Brown and the grownups.
"whaaaaaa, wha wha wha wha!" lol
I guess I come from a long line of people that sacrifice. When we couldn't celebrate holidays, birthdays or important events together, we managed to make :
Unbirthdays
Christmas in July
Us day ( anniversaries where one or the other had to work!)
so, to us, basically any day was a good day for celebrating!
I can't help with your problem, but I have to say that learning about other holidays/traditions is just fascinating!
Good luck with the cake!
First of all, I am NOT primarily a cake decorator. I run the only kosher bakery around and generally do special desserts for Shabbos and holidays. When the customer ordered this cake she did not request any writing on it, only a rich chocolately dessert cake, because it was to celebrate her husband's birthday (a chocoholic). It has to include organic ingredients, whole wheat flour, "healthy" sugars, and she prefers that somehow I mark it out for servings or make individual servings for every order, because otherwise they eat too much.
Everytime I turn around she adds some requirement. Her husband is a big boy. He knows you can't cut letters on Shabbos. All he cares about is getting his chocolate, which she has restricted to only periodic desserts. And no, I can't just add to the price. She already flipped last week when I charged her for her first organic order, plus I already gave her a total on this order. I suppose I should have just told her that I would have to add on to the price to accomodate this, especially at the last minute, but I was so thrown off by this bizarre request the day before the cake is due. And, I've never done a chocolate transfer and don't have time to play with this today, since I have 5 other cakes to make by noon tomorrow.
I have the fondant plaque drying. I will write on it and bring it with the cake. If she wants it on the cake after she sees it, then I will place it for her, otherwise I will encourage her to put it against the side of the cake.
Thanks,
Kathi
Ahhh, I understand now. Sorry, I didn't get why this was a big deal, but I didn't put together that it was THIS lady (and for some reason I skipped where you mentioned her numerous requests). Oh dear, she does seem to be quite a character.
In case anyone is interested here is the finished cake. Picture 1 withot the plaque, and picture 2 with the plaque. I had a hard time getting a good photo with the plaque, but you get the idea. She loved it, thankfully. I still like the one without it! 
Kathi
I know what she is talking about. It is a lay-on, similar to the ones that they sell for Mother's Day, etc. To be blunt, they look like crap on a cake. Glad to see you made a plaque for it instead.
Theresa 
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