I want to use an edible image on a book cake. (the page with its wording) I have found a store that will make me one. Now what??? Do I just make a copy of what I want to have made? The top of the cake will be buttercream. I know it will be crusted. What do these images look like and what do I do with it after I get it? How far in advance can I get it? Please walk me through this, I need help!!

hi, when i made mine here at home. i made it 2 months ahead. kept it in a drawer in freezer bag. then the nite i iced my cake. use american b/c. then peeled off the back and placed it on my cake. it worked beautifully. then i put a border around. it is in my pics on the 50th wedding anniversary cake. then on the road of life one. i did the same . made them up ahead of time . put them on fondant plaques. don,t do the enough. it was fun. fixing to use 2 in a couple of weeks about ICarly. put images on my computer. then i will scan them in time for cakes. or you can put a pic in your printer/scanner and go from there. i have some years ago. sent off for them. but now i make my own and i know that some walmarts do it. etc. hth

Is it very fragile? Is the image a backward image or a true copy? Does the buttercream melt into it?

The image should be a true copy, not a backwards image. It's sort of fragile- don't let it sit in humidity or get too dry. I would have it made a couple of days ahead of time. Make sure it's kept in an airtight zip lock bag, don't expose it to sunlight. Prepare your cake and have everything ready before you remove it from the bag. Then, peel the back off and apply to your cake.

I will be putting one on top of fondant. I was planning on putting a thin layer of bc ontop of the fondant before placing the image on. I was told that if the image gets dry it will crack.

I have never used fondant before. I will be making the cake on Thursday and decorating on Friday for a Saturday delivery. Will the fondant & transfer dry out by then or will it be okay?

Thank you!

I am going to assume that the image you are using is the more tempermental icing sheets. That being said, keep it in the sealed bag. keep it out of direct light (turn it over on a table) and keep it where it wont get damaged. THe image peals off, place it on the cake center first and smooth it out. Be sure since you are using the fondant that you lightly mist the fondant before applying, being sure not to get the top of the image wet, otherwise the image will smear. Put it on center first smoothing it out towards the edges. If you get a bubble, use a pin to poke a hole and let the air out then smooth it out. If they told you that the imagae will get dry and crack, then just keep it in the zip lock bag prior to using. Once it is on the cake, it is fine.

Thank you icingimages. Those are great hints!

My local Stare Bros. grocery store made the image for me. I will turn it upside down now.

I will be covering the majority of the cake in a layer of fondant. The image will then go on top of that (it will look like a bottle label). I'm assuming it is okay to put the layer of fondant on the cake Friday (cake being made, fillied and iced in bc today). So, how far in advanced can I apply the image to the fondant if I am dellivering on Saturday? Is there still a chance once I have put the image on the fondant (topped with a thin layer of bc) it will dry out and crack?

Thank you!
Dawn

Hi Dawn:
Since we dont know what brand of ink or icing sheets your grocery store is using, it is best to ask them how long before to put it on the cake. If you are NOT using the Icing Images Premium Brand, this has a clear backing on it, thats how you can tell, then the cracking will occur ONLY if it is left out prior to being on the cake. Once it is on the cake it should not crack at all. Keep the image in a sealed bag til right before use and then when you are ready to use it, you should be fine. You can also put the image right on the fondant... you will need a spritz of water on the fondant to help it adhere. You do not need the buttercream. Again the images that I beleive others are talking about will only crack if left out of the sealed bag for too long. But if the image has a clear backing on it, you have no worries what so ever as it wont crack on you with normal use.

Thank you!

Thank you for all your help on the edible image. I put it on the cake tonight, and it really was not hard to do! Thanks again! I will put it in my pics.