I would like to do this same cake for a friend... Do you think I could make the Mickey Mouse with royal icing? I could pipe it all out on wax paper (trace the picture), let it dry and then move it onto the iced cake??

http://www.flickr.com/photos/confetticake/1234624904/

Ok, now that I'm looking at it again, I'm thinking it's rather large to be done in royal icing. Maybe if I do the Wilton Course 1 transfer technique...but what to fill it in with....buttercream? Colored piping gel?

I did a scooby doo from royal icing and it was fine. Just took a while to dry.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1419240.html

The thing about RI transfers they are so fragile whenever I do them I do many extras in this case I would do 2 just in case. The 2 critical moments are when you detach it from the parchment paper and then when you place it on the cake if the cake in not level it could crack. Also what will your cake be covered in? If it is butter cream the RI transfer will absorb the fat most times not evenly this will give your RI transfer spots and change the color. The method I use to do cartoons on cakes I print the image in the size I want on card stock (available at Wal-Mart paper section) I cut out the characters assorted parts divide them by color then using these template I cut everything out of fondant I reassemble everything on the cake then I outline the whole thing in RI. This technique allows you to recreate the characters with great accuracy makes for a beautiful cake. it can be done either on butter cream or fondant. I have a Tinkerbelle in my photos that I made using this technique.