Please Please Help, Photo Cake Disaster!
Decorating By Nessalea Updated 9 Sep 2011 , 11:56pm by josilind
Hello all!
Hopefully I am posting in the correct area and can get some quick responses. Here is my dilemma:
I am suppose to make a full sheet cake as a donation cake for the bank that I work for; for a fundraiser event for a college that they are trying to help open in our area. My edible ink printer was suppose to print me the nice logo the bank uses on all its promotional items, and this even is BIG. Over 100 share holders are expected at this event.
Well my printer just messed up. It is printing in the wrong colors. I tried calling the printer company for help and the only thing they kept repeating was that I need to use that companies ink cartridges. Nice right? I can print an edible logo, just in the wrong colors. My dear, sweet, non baker husband suggests that we print the edible image anyway, and try to fill it in with frosting or food coloring to make the correct colors. I don't know how to do this, have never attempted it. I agreed to make this cake because it seemed like a nice starter cake, seeing as placing an edible image on a smooth cake isn't that hard. I am on the verge of tears, and don't know if I should just tell the CEO of the bank tomorrow that the cake is a no go, or attempt something else. ANY suggestions are welcome!!!!
Are there bakeries in town that might have the capabilities of doing this for you? I know it's short notice... 
Can you do a buttercream transfer? Or you can do like crazylady baker said, check your local grocery stores that do cakes. I know people that have had Publix do them for them.
nesslea: honey I feel for you. What pressure. First of all, I am aware that you work at the bank, but did you have to find out the font of the bank logo to be able to print the logo on your edible image printer? Or did they just give you something that was big enough with the bank logo on it to work with? I am wondering as I have heard several on here say that you can get edible images printed at a grocery store's bakery for a few bucks. Is there any way that you can take the one with the wrong colors and explain what you need and tell the bakery the right color and have them print you one? you haven't put it on the cake yet? I am sure that there has got to be a store somewhere near you that can do this for you. This would be a lot less stress if you could go this route. Have your cake already except for the edible image and go have one done and come home and put it on the cake. Of course you may have to call and tell your boss that you are going to be a few minutes late to work. I would not call him to tell him or her that until you know that you are going to be late because of the problem. Just don't tell them what happened until you bring the cake in and it looks wonderful.
I wish I could reply to each any every one of you. I want to first off start by saying THANK YOU!! I live in a small, rural area, with not much access to anything. Nearest bakery is 45 mins away, hence where I got to wonderful idea to turn my love of baking and decorating into a small business. That is my goal anyway. And here is my debut in the town, and my printer messes up. When I get off of work tomorrow, I will practice the frozen butter cream transfer. It definitely seems like something I can do. If I can not pull it off, the following day my loving husband will make the trip up to the next town over, and talk to the manager at the bakery for me. I am hopeful that the transfer will work. This is not a complicated logo. It is basically words with a small sun in the background. I will keep everyone posted and hopefully have some pics up soon. The event is this Thursday. I am hoping I can sleep peacefully tonight now. Thank you all so much, really.
The Wilton website had a video of the frozen buttercream transfer. You can also google it and several demonstrations/tutorials will pop up. he FBT is the best thing since sliced bread, especially for simple pictures. Be sure that you turn the picture over and work on the back when you are applying the buttercream, otherwise the picture will come out backwards on your cake. Be sure to post a picture of your work. Wilton "black" icing in the tube is great for outlining your picture.
The Wilton website had a video of the frozen buttercream transfer. You can also google it and several demonstrations/tutorials will pop up. he FBT is the best thing since sliced bread, especially for simple pictures. Be sure that you turn the picture over and work on the back when you are applying the buttercream, otherwise the picture will come out backwards on your cake. Be sure to post a picture of your work. Wilton "black" icing in the tube is great for outlining your picture.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP! Here is my attempt at the frozen buttercream method. I plan on using this method in the future and I am very grateful for all the great advice! I am sure this cake will be a hit at the fundraiser!
http://cakecentral.com//gallery/2148283
Nice job on the buttercream transfer...inspires me to try it.
, but you could also have done the logo in ColorFlow. nessalea, you did a great job on your first fbct!! I think that they are nice and fun to do, but I have also been trying a
"new-to-me" way. It is using wafer paper and your design. You color your piping gel with your food colors. paste or gel work fine. I love the look. it is very pretty. I found it in old American Cake Decorating magazine and love it. You might look into that also. It really doesn't take very long either. I love that you can do it ahead too. Just another fun and fast way to do your design.
I have had this happen to me also, but as someone else suggested, I laid the transfer on top of the cake, sealed the edges first to cake so it wont move and then fill in the logo with the colors that I needed with a 3 and 5 tip. then I went back over the transfer when I was done with a #2 tip with black icing in the bag to make the image stand out.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%