Update To Writing On The Sides Of The Cake....

Decorating By countrycakes Updated 14 Oct 2007 , 5:24pm by wendy1273

countrycakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
countrycakes Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 1:03pm
post #1 of 24

thumbs_up.gif For some of you, you read that I was meeting with a bride who wants writing on the SIDES OF THE CAKE.....I met with her and the groom on Sunday......she still wants it on the cake...........
SHE WANTS THE ENTIRE WORDS TO THE SONG, " My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw WRITTEN ON THE SIDES OF THE ENTIRE CAKE. icon_eek.gificon_surprised.gif
Talk about shock! I was under the impression when I spoke to her before Sunday, that it was only the chorus.....now she is wanting the entire song! She would like for it to be done on each tier, 4 tiers, and in a spiral type of fashion if at all possible?! icon_eek.gif I told her that I could try it this week on a dummy cake, and if it did not work, we would just have to do the chorus.

My question is...........CAN THIS BE DONE? icon_eek.gif I have to admit, I am a bit overwhelmed at the thoughts of writing the ENTIRE SONG icon_eek.gif on the sides of this cake.......not scared that I can not do it....just trying to figure out if it can actually be done.

I told her that it was going to cost her .25 per letter, and she did not mind.....we are talking $183.70 JUST FOR THIS SONG! EGADS!!! She is really wanting this song....will be here this week with her deposit....

My biggest question is can this be done??? icon_smile.gif Thanks!

23 replies
vdrsolo Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
vdrsolo Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 2:46pm
post #2 of 24

Does she want the whole song on each tier? Or spread across the whole cake?

My suggestion would be to make a template in Microsoft Word or something, play around with the wordart and see different ways of displaying the song, different fonts, etc.

You can then make a template to press onto your cake. I typically will use buttercream or colored piping gel to outline then press. But I have heard people using hot glue to make a template, then press onto the cake. the only concern I have with that is to make sure that the glue is nontoxic.

Let us know how your practice cake turns out!!

cakesbyallison Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakesbyallison Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 3:11pm
post #3 of 24

Here's a cake I did w/ writing on the side. The bride wanted a Corinthians verse on the middle tier - on each side of the cake. I did it on MSWord first then kept messing w/ it till it fit on the side of the cake - it just fit!! I marked the lines w/a pin and pressed it up on the side of the cake. VERY time consuming! My hand hurt so bad after this! The extra $183
for this is definately worth it!
LL

countrycakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
countrycakes Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 3:15pm
post #4 of 24

icon_eek.gif I forgot to mention that this is going to be a ROUND CAKE. That's going to make a difference isn't it? This may be the cake that ends my career...rofl........ icon_cry.gificon_eek.gificon_confused.gificon_surprised.gificon_smile.gif
She wants the entire song.....written in cursive if possible! ACK!!! icon_lol.gif
Top tier: 1st verse
2nd tier: Chorus
3rd tier: 2nd verse
4th tier: Chorus

What do you think?

indydebi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
indydebi Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 3:55pm
post #5 of 24

Charge her out the whazoo. If she wants something THAT custom designed, then she should expect to pay for it. Broken down, you are only charging approx $40-45 extra per tier for all of this extra work.

I personally wouldn't touch it for less than $100 per tier.

soygurl Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
soygurl Posted 25 Sep 2007 , 11:15pm
post #6 of 24

Ok... clearly I'm the only one, but I don't think that sounds so bad at all! I don't have it (or any of my cakes from the last 8 months or so) in my pictures, but I did a cake a few months ago that had "love" words written all over the sides of each tier. Granted, they wanted the words all random and angled and different sizes which made it really easy... still, it's not THAT many words on each tier...

Here's what I'd do: First I'd find a font that looks simple, but elegant (like "french script MT" "kunstler script" or "script MT bold" I found on Word) and copy and paste all the lyrics to the song (split up into the segments for each tier). Figure out the circumference of each cake (either do the math, or just measure around the cake pans, adding a little for frosting thickness); then figure out how many lines of words you (or the bride) wants on each tier. Then you can mess with the size of the font until it's the right size (just adjust the margins in word so it's easy to see how "long" it would all be if you printed it out.

For example: A 6" cake (plus .5" for frosting so a 6.5" cake) has a circumference of about 20.5 inches (6.5x3.14=20.41). Multiply that by 3 (for the number of lines of words on the tier) and you get about 62 inches.
Now, I figured that out using "french script MT" and "bolded" it, and started each virus with a capital letter. That way I found that a 72 pt. font will be about the right size to go around a 6" cake three times. Now, printed out, each of these letters is only about .25" to .75" tall which would leave a decent amount of space between the lines on the cake, and that way they ARE the right width to go around the cake.

Of course this only works for a 6" cake. You'd have to figure it out again for each different tier and the writing would have to be a different size on each tier, or have a different number of lines of writing on each tier. It didn't take me long to figure all this out though... about 10 min. tops. And the actual piping you'd have to do on the cakes wouldn't take much longer than some intricate scroll work.

I really think you can do this, and I don't think it would be all that hard! Good luck!

indydebi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
indydebi Posted 26 Sep 2007 , 12:17am
post #7 of 24

icon_eek.gif Man, they'd have to pay me $100 just to do all of that math!! And I LIKE working with numbers! icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif

soygurl Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
soygurl Posted 26 Sep 2007 , 7:49pm
post #8 of 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

icon_eek.gif Man, they'd have to pay me $100 just to do all of that math!! And I LIKE working with numbers! icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif




Haha... it's really not much at all! Just looks complicated. Simply put:

(cake diameter) X Pi (3.14) X (Number of lines of writing on cake (3?)).

The rest is just playing around with "Word" to see what size font would make the lyrics the right length to go around the cake. thumbs_up.gif

strawberry0121 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
strawberry0121 Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 10:12pm
post #9 of 24

It'd be cool if the cake was slowly spinning so people could read the words...not to make things even more complicated or anything!!

Good luck! It sounds gorgeous.

soygurl Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
soygurl Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 10:33pm
post #10 of 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by strawberry0121

It'd be cool if the cake was slowly spinning so people could read the words...not to make things even more complicated or anything!!

Good luck! It sounds gorgeous.




That would be so cool! I wonder if an old record player could be rigged up to do that... icon_rolleyes.gificon_lol.gif

meldancer Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
meldancer Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 10:34pm
post #11 of 24

since you are breaking it down, Verse 1 top tier, etc. It should be easier. If you think about a song, the verse is usual 4 to 8 lines, Chorus 4-6 or 8 lines. Either listen to the song and write out the lyrics, or find the lyrics printed out so you can see how to space your words. You will be writing in a continuous line, just spiraling down the cake as you go. Don't look at the cake as a whole, break it up into parts and concentrate on one at a time.

Sounds cool, good luck!!!

strawberry0121 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
strawberry0121 Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 10:35pm
post #12 of 24

Duff did it for a carousel cake with a record player.

cookinmamma Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cookinmamma Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 10:44pm
post #13 of 24

WOW!! It sounds like it CAN be done, but what a lot of work. First the math, playing around with word. All that before you ever touch the cake! Then the stress (I know I would stress out over letters being straight and not slipping off the side) of getting all the words just right on the cake.

I put a poem on one of my cakes and got so into it that I completly left out a word. No one noticed though because it was an original poem, but still I was so embarrassed icon_redface.gif and upset with myself.

Anyway, I bet it will be absolutely beautiful, and you have experience writing on the side of a cake. Go for it and have fun, then marvel at the beautiful work you created when it is all done. thumbs_up.gif

1candy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
1candy Posted 27 Sep 2007 , 11:44pm
post #14 of 24

Wow writing a whole song on the sides of a cake sounds like a lot of work. Frosting sheets sound a whole lot easier. Hope it works out well for you. icon_smile.gif

TheDomesticDiva Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
TheDomesticDiva Posted 28 Sep 2007 , 3:00am
post #15 of 24

I never had no one
I could count on
Ive been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin
So tired of searchin
til you walked into my life
It was a feelin
Id never known
And for the first time
I didnt feel alone

Youre more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend, oh yeah

You stand by me
And you believe in me
Like nobody ever has
When my world goes crazy
Youre right there to save me
You make me see how much I have
And I still tremble
When we touch
And oh the look in your eyes
When we make love

Youre more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
And I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend

Youre more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
And I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend (my best friend)
Youre my best friend (my best friend)

Good luck!! Seems like a long song all written out that way! Sounds like a beautiful one of a kind cake. How special if you can do this for them!!

aswartzw Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
aswartzw Posted 29 Sep 2007 , 5:59pm
post #16 of 24

It's a pretty long song (I think), especially the first verse to get on a 6" tier. icon_eek.gif Maybe I'd talk her into doing the first verse on the first two tiers so it won't be so scrunched, the second verse on the next tier, and the chorus on the bottom. I don't really know why she would need the chorus on it twice. Everything important from the song would be on it anyway.

Maybe if you approach it from a "super busy = less elegant" perspective and highlight people won't have any idea what it says by squeezing the entire song on she might rethink it.

The only other thing I could think of is to use a dot to separate each line of the song so it reads better and break up the monotony.

Good luck! That sounds like a lot of work to me. (I'm still trying to get my writing perfect for just normal sayings!!! icon_lol.gif )

nickymom Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
nickymom Posted 29 Sep 2007 , 6:18pm
post #17 of 24

Yikes that's along song! Why the chorus twice? I would think it would need to be 5 tiers instead of 4....you don't want the font so small & squished that it's not readable.

nickymom Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
nickymom Posted 29 Sep 2007 , 6:20pm
post #18 of 24

[quote="aswartzw"]It's a pretty long song (I think), especially the first verse to get on a 6" tier. icon_eek.gif Maybe I'd talk her into doing the first verse on the first two tiers so it won't be so scrunched, the second verse on the next tier, and the chorus on the bottom. I don't really know why she would need the chorus on it twice. Everything important from the song would be on it anyway.

quote]



My thoughts exactly!

krazykat_14 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
krazykat_14 Posted 1 Oct 2007 , 2:08pm
post #19 of 24

I really like that idea of making your own press using the hot glue... I seem to recall a book telling about making a press-on with RI-but I don't think it was quite as large as the lyrics to an entire song...

My problem is that I'm really crummy with a hot glue gun-I end up with strings everywhere and glops of glue in places I didn't mean to have glops, and we won't even talk about the burns. Do you think Tacky Glue would work?

OOH! I have another idea: transfer sheets! Hear me out: at Sweet Celebrations they have the transfers and the acetate to make your own! Just do the computer lettering, use a colored cocoa butter to write it out backwards, then do the transfer...!

klynne Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
klynne Posted 10 Oct 2007 , 4:34am
post #20 of 24

Im no expert but I make my own transfer sheet with wax paper. I trace the picture onto the wax paper using a flower nail, turn wax paper on reverse side and use icing (contrasting color and #3 tip) to trace the picture. After cake has crusted align transfer on cake and smooth with your hands. Picture or writing should transfer perfectly then just pipe over. Its actually fairly easy.

0adi0 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
0adi0 Posted 11 Oct 2007 , 1:17pm
post #21 of 24

This is how I write calligrapy on all my cakes it is very easy and anyone can do it!
Print out all the writing you require in the right size, on paper. Than use baking paper or any other non stick seethrough paper, stick it on top of the printed paper and with tip 1 or 3 depending on the thickness required pipe with royal icing over the writing. Allow at least 12 hours to dry. Than with twizers apply on the cake. Use royal icing to glue it on to the cake or if the cake is made with buttercream than use buttercream to stick it on. It does not matter of the angle that you're working on as the letters are already piped on flat surface! You just stick them in place! If you join all the letters in one word it will be a lot quicker as you will be applying a whole word at the time, and judging by quantity i think it will be easier.


Here are a couple of examples of vertical writing i've made applying one word at the time:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=974843

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=974793


And this one was done 1 letter at the time:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1103663

Good luck I think the ideea sounds very nice but with a little patience It will look fantastic! Can't wait to see it! icon_wink.gif

crazycakes2007 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
crazycakes2007 Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 5:58am
post #22 of 24

Cakesbyallison wrote: Here's a cake I did w/ writing on the side. The bride wanted a Corinthians verse on the middle tier - on each side of the cake. I did it on MSWord first then kept messing w/ it till it fit on the side of the cake - it just fit!! I marked the lines w/a pin and pressed it up on the side of the cake. VERY time consuming! My hand hurt so bad after this! The extra $183 for this is definately worth it!

Allison, would you mind elaborating on your technique? I've read about this but don't understand how to do it.

Oadio, your lettering is absolutely beautiful, but would so much writing in royal crumble when cut? (Or no?) <<<Cheryl

0adi0 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
0adi0 Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 1:38pm
post #23 of 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycakes2007

Cakesbyallison wrote: Here's a cake I did w/ writing on the side. The bride wanted a Corinthians verse on the middle tier - on each side of the cake. I did it on MSWord first then kept messing w/ it till it fit on the side of the cake - it just fit!! I marked the lines w/a pin and pressed it up on the side of the cake. VERY time consuming! My hand hurt so bad after this! The extra $183 for this is definately worth it!

Allison, would you mind elaborating on your technique? I've read about this but don't understand how to do it.

Oadio, your lettering is absolutely beautiful, but would so much writing in royal crumble when cut? (Or no?) <<<Cheryl




It doesn't matter if it cracks when you apply it on the cake you glue it with royal icing on to the cake icon_wink.gif trust me no one will ever know! When dry it peels very easly off the paper and it is quite easy to handle.

wendy1273 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
wendy1273 Posted 14 Oct 2007 , 5:24pm
post #24 of 24

I have never done this before and I'm just a beginner but I was thinking what about eatable image paper and printing everything on this paper and applying it to the cake. icon_rolleyes.gif
I would practice on regular paper and then use the eatable paper, if you don't have your own paper and eatable ink you can take it to a cake decorator store and ask them to do it for you.
I would also use letters that looks like hand wrinting and a very nice soft colors.
I also know that you can order this paper and ink from the internet to match your printer. My DH is going to order them for me. I don't remember the website right now but I will find out if you are interested.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%