How To Get Perfect Lettering On Cakes
Decorating By dinkadoo Updated 11 Aug 2005 , 4:45pm by SheilaF
I've noticed a thread here dealing with letter presses and how difficult they are to work with. I have a solution that another decorator shared with me although it only works with a frosting that forms a crust. To get perfect writing on your cakes, go to your printer and find a nice font that you would like to imitate. Copy your message on to a piece of cardstock. Take a straight pin..I usually use a florist pin with the pearl on top of it. Lay your cardstock on a piece of styrofoam and use the pin to poke holes into the letters, I always do mine right down the center of the letters. When you are finished, you will have small raised dots on the back of the cardstock. Almost like braille. I take this cardstock and lay it dot side down on the cake and rub over it gently with my hand. This leaves little dots in the icing on the cake to follow with your piping bag. It sounds like a lot of work but looks fantastic. I'll post a few birthday cakes I did this way and you can see. If you have any questions or don't understand one of the steps, feel free to ask.
Great idea!!! I do something that works as well that I will share, I pick the font that I want from the computer, print out my saying in that font, trace it to parchment paper, flip the parchment over (so the saying is now backwards), pipe the saying in piping gel, leave for a day and the piping gel hardens so when you press it on the cake, the gel does not transfer, just the impression of your saying....
Wow - that gel idea is great! I'm going to have to try that! Thanks for the tip - you're awesome! 
Great idea!!! I do something that works as well that I will share, I pick the font that I want from the computer, print out my saying in that font, trace it to parchment paper, flip the parchment over (so the saying is now backwards), pipe the saying in piping gel, leave for a day and the piping gel hardens so when you press it on the cake, the gel does not transfer, just the impression of your saying....
I did not know that piping gel would harden...do you add anything to it to get it to harden or it just dries firm? Who knew!!
I love to do gel transfers and will certainly live it a try.
Thanks alot for that tip.
No the gel just hardens, I don't add anything, I guess it just dries out, it was really by fluke I came upon this, I was doing a gel transfer once and I traced my picture, decided I wanted to do something else, and left the one I had already traced out, forgot about it and then the next day when I came upon it, it was hard, I thought, hey, I think I have made a discovery here!!!!
Glad I could help!!!!
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