I did my first FBCT 2 weeks ago and I guess the icing consistency was too thick. I used the recipe that is linked from the tutorial, and I tried to smooth the back of it all before I put it in the freezer. No good. When I took it out, I had fat squiggles filling in my icing areas (it actually looked like brains Question: most times you can thin icing with corn syrup. Will that affect the freeze-ability or how clean it peels off from the wax paper once it is frozen? Anybody ever have this problem? Do you just use your favorite buttercream recipe for FBCT? BTW, I can't show a picture because--unhappy as I was with the final product--I "forgot" to take one
Thanks!

yes, this happens to me all the time...but you can smooth out the squiggles with Viva paper towels, just like you would smooth out any BC. I just use my regular BC recipe for FBCT...1/2 butter, 1/2 shortening. Hope that helps!

I know what you mean. You can minimize the squiggly effect by gently smoothing the back of the FBCT with your hand, I used a Viva towel, just to "iron" out any lines. Then you freeze it.

just to clarify, what I meant was smooth with the Viva after you take it out of the freezer, flip it onto the cake and let it thaw and crust...then smooth like you would normally.

i usually use a recipe posted by SquirrellyCakes. it is noncrusting, but gives the perfect consistency for making a fbct. you can just thin down your favorite buttercream recipe (i use milk or water), but i usually ice my cakes with Pastry Pride, so i use Squirrelly's small recipe for fbct's.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of icing sugar

i use a swirly motion when i fill in the designs, rather than piping lines of frosting. i keep the tip of my parchment bag in a small mound of frosting and as i swirl, i push the frosting outward, spreading it without introducing the wormy lines.

hope that helps.

I use my regular all crisco buttercream and when I do the fill in I do a thin medium icing. One thing I have found that helps is when you pipe, instead of piping in lines, let the icing build out/around from the tip as you go.

After I put it in the freezer I will flip it over and rub my finger nail over any lines I see. And I usually finish it up with the viva paper towel after it has had time to thaw and crust.

Sometimes these take a few times to get them how you like it, don't give up on them yet.

ya I'm having a brain fart what is FBCT

FBCT = Frozen Butter Cream Transfer

You take an image, tape a piece of wax paper (or parchment or plastic wrap...) over it. You use buttercream to outine then fill in the image and freeze it. Freezing it makes it hard so you can flip it on to the cake and remove the wax paper.

There are some detailed directions floating around on here that I'm sure someone can point you too.

Thanks a bunch. I really liked the idea and potential and (despite the brains) everyone liked the final result. I will definitely give some of the hints/suggestions a try.