I'm wondering...so many of you talk about buttercream transfers. Maybe it's a silly question, but why do you do them? Now, I don't mean that disrespectfully, but i never heard of them before CC. I've never done one, I have always decorating directly onto the cake.

Also, does anyone know the origin of this technique? Is it English, or a Wilton thing, or did someone here develp this idea??

Just a burning question i've been meaning to ask.

Perhaps someone else knows the origin, but I remember them from old Wilton books, although we did them differently back 20 some years ago.
Why do we do them? Well, you can get a smooth picture like appearance and for folks that want something different from the starred look and such, you basically can do anything you want, from cartoon character to photographs to just about anything. I guess they are popular because they are cheaper than buying character pans or doing edible pictures and such and you have a variety of pictures at your fingertips.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I can always count on you Squirrleycakes to answer what no one else will!
I should just pm you anytime i have a question!!

I don't have a clue where BCTs got their start but I am happy I found the instructions. I learned about it from calidawn's tutorial here and from visiting her website. My son wanted a buzz lightyear and woody cake for his birthday. Before I found out about BCT's all I ever did was make cakes from Wilton's shaped pans for my kids birthdays. I searched and searched for a shaped pan for Toy Story. The only one I ever found was put out by Disney and was discontinued long before my son was born. Anyhow, I found several on eBay and they always went for tons of money (one was over $100 !! So after a few practice BCTs, I was able to make it work for me. I LOVE them and like Squirrelly Cakes said you can do anything you want with them. You can even make them from chocolate melts and have them stand up on your cakes.

I've done two BCT (I'm new to this decorating) and the reason I love the transfers is that you get a more precise image if it's something popular, Disney, PBS Kids or whatever, and, if you mess it up, it's only on wax paper and you simply "do over"

They're certainly not English. I had never heard of BCT before I came on this site. I made my first one yesterday. I did a picture of Winnie the Pooh to go on a cake for a local fete and I'm thrilled how it came out.

I have still not tried to do one!!! I prefer doing gel transfers. I don't want to do all the work and then mess it up! I guess I should try one with a simple picture!
traci

give it a try, you may never go back to a gel transfer again.

I also think they are a good alternative for those of us (ME!) who are less artistic when it comes to duplicating an image--as in drawing it. I can do a BCT for just about anything but if I actually had to draw say...Cinderella...it would never turn out well.

Now-that being said--I don't do many of them and haven't done one in years. I guess I would classify my decorating style as more architectural rather than artistic. If someone wants "The Incredibles" (which is a cake I'm doing in a couple of weeks) I would much rather put the figurines on the cake as opposed to bct or drawing them. With the cake I'm doing for The Incredibles--I'm going to make a topsy-turvy 2-tiered, stacked cake and have Mr. Incredible look as though he's holding up the part that is "falling". That's more my style and what my clients prefer.

Not sure where the origins came from, but when I took my Wilton class back in 88, the instructor taught us them and told us that they were not part of the "Wilton Method" but something that she found to be helpful.

Lisa

Okay, here's a question! The reason I haven't done one is because I make my own icing. Do you have to use Cali4dawns recipe for the transfer? I really don't want to have to make a separate batch of icing just to do a transfer. My icing is 100% Crisco and the BCT recipe has butter in it right?


Amy

[QUOTE="cakemommy"]Okay, here's a question! The reason I haven't done one is because I make my own icing. Do you have to use Cali4dawns recipe for the transfer? I really don't want to have to make a separate batch of icing just to do a transfer. My icing is 100% Crisco and the BCT recipe has butter in it right?


Cakemommy, you don't have to use a special icing for the BCT's..... I find that if I thin my icing a bit I can flow the colors into the outlines a lot better. I use an all Crisco recipe too. Try it with the icing you make, you'll like it!

Me, I like to do BCT's because they can be made ahead of time if I know I have a cake coming up and have some spare time (and room in the freezer). Ib like the fact that I can choose my own images too.

Debbi

where would I find this recipe for BCT?

I would love to have it on hand for when I want to try something new!

Thank you all very much!
It seems very interesting.......I will have to try it one of these days.

oh my goodness! btc is wonderful!!! i have a corner in my basement full of character pans that i picked up from garage sales and different birthdays that my kids had...then realized that it would be too expensive too buy a different pan everytime someone choose a different character. plus those pans take up so much space, not to mention that they go out of style. the btc is awsome becuase i cant draw at all, now it looks like i am an artist!
have fun and try one!
melody

Hey, thanks for the go ahead on my own icing! Then I'm really going to try it now!! I've seen everyone do one even "for the first time" ones and they all look great! Cool Cool!!!


Amy

I agree with the character pan taking up too much space/ I have one (blues clues), but I should have just drawn onto the cake. I did a Pooh cake directly on (no BCT) the cake. Will try to post it sometime. turned out pretty good. Of course I am never satisfied with my work. It can always be better right?

Also, on the Crisco only buttercream. I tried it Looooong ago and it didn't have much flavor to me. What recipe do you all use? Is it smooth and creamy? Tasty? Do you add butter flavoring?

Thanks