I see lots of really nice pictures with cakes that have writing on the sides of the tiers...I have a client who wants this done on her cake...Can anyone offer me a good method for achieving this? I have never done it before...Help!!

Whenever I do anything on the side of a cake I use the tilting turntable so I can look at it from eye level (that's the key.)

Are you writing on a buttercream or fondant cake? You can cut a strip of paper the height that you want your writing to be at, and use that as a guide while you pipe on the writing. You'll have to go back later to add any hanging-down parts of the letters, like Ps and Qs and Ys. Definitely have someone proofread for you to make sure you didn't leave any letter tails off! That method works best on fondant cakes, but if you're very careful, you can do it on buttercream cakes, too. I once did it that way where a couple wanted three verses of their theme song on the sides of their wedding cake.

HTH,
Deanna

I agree with bobwonderbuns on the tilting turntable. And I laughed as I typed that screen name!

Don't ask how I got it -- please don't ask!

I use SugarVeil and Pipe it ahead and then lay it on. Or I print on an image and lay it out. I dont have a steady hand!

I use a laser level to make a line - you have a perfect straight line to pipe on that way. (just keep the level in one place, and turn the cake on the turntable as you go)

wow, laser level method sounds great

How do you use a laser level on the sides of a round cake...doesn't the level miss the curves?

You park the laser level in one place and DO NOT MOVE IT. You put the cake on a turntable (do not move the spot where you set it either) then you turn the cake as you go. The line will stay stationary all the way around. I have used this technique several times, works like a charm.

Where do you get a laser level? I asked at Home Depot and they never heard of it.

I got a laser level on ebay for $2.74 w/ free shipping and I love that thing!! I never had so much issues with my handwriting on cakes, but I had SEVERE issues with wanting to slope/slant my writing as the word was going down on the cake......the laser level has saved me sooooooooooo many headaches......at least now my writing is STRAIGHT........now to figure out how to get it perfectly centered LOL

I got mine at walmart - it was like $10. I am betting they had them at Home Depot too. Here is one I found on their site:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100057676/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

to add on to what bobwonderbuns (giggle!) said about the tilting turn table, if you don't have one of those and you are just writing on one side of the cake, you can fold up a towel, put it on your turn table with some non-slip shelf liner and place your cake on that so the angle is more comfortable.

and you mean to tell me that i've had a laser level sitting around all this time and could have used it to save me some serious pain?? i will definitely be using it from now on!

Thanks to you all for your input...I tried the towel under the cake board trick and it worked great!!