Edible Cake Images Question

[tallyfamily]

I'm using edible images for the first time on my son's Birthday cake next week. I want to make the cake the night before his party. The directions for the image says it has to be put on when the frosting is wet. Will I need to refrigerate the cake overnight or can it stay out on the counter in a cake saver? I don't want to wake up in the morning to find the images have run all over the frosting. And any other tips or advice would be welcomed.
Thanks!!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I am a cake decorator (have been for over 13 years...) so I think I can help you out!
DO NOT put the cake in the fridge...the condensation will cause the image and the colors to run. The icing (as long as it isn't cream cheese or whipped cream, which have to be refridgerated, in which case put the image on later) should keep the cake moist. I would put it in some kind of a cake dome or something though.
I think that is the biggest mistake most people make is putting cake in refridgeration, it dries it out almost instantly!
As for the image, for best results, hold the paper that it is on at opposite corners (diagonally) and rub it (with image face up of course) on the edge of a counter top or table, something with a straight edge, not curved, to get it off the paper. If it's humid and the image is not coming off the backing easily, you can put it in the freezer for about a half hour, but it must be removed immediately from the backing when you take it out. The cake should be freshly iced in order for the image to adhere to it, and you can smooth it with your fingers without damaging it, until it picks up the moisture from the icing. Hope this helps, and I hope you have much success with the party!!!!

 

[Mickey527]

I make my own edible images using wafer paper (rice paper) that you can buy in cake decorating stores. I use non toxic food coloring markers to draw the images by tracing over them, and the non toxic food colors to color them in.
I put them on the cake and cover them with clear piping gel. The colors won't run when you are spreading a thin layer of the gel onto the paper, and it gives the design a nice shine.
I put the design on the night before and the colors have never run. I am not sure if it is the piping gel or the fact that I colored my own and they were not computer colored that cause these not to run.
You can also color the picture in after using the black non toxic food color marker with colored piping gel, but that takes me much longer.
I am making a Princess cake for my niece this weekend. It will have pictures of all the princesses on it. I am also making cupcakes for the girls to take home and each cupcake will have a smaller picture of the princess they like best.
The one problem with the piping gel is that it never dries to a crust so you can't wrap these cupcakes up, the saran would stick to the piping gel.
Does anyone have a recipe for a clear or slightly opaque frosting I can use for the cupcakes that will form a crust so these cupcakes can be wrapped up? Peggie

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

Sorry, I don't know of anything clear besides piping gel....
The computer generated designs don't run either if you put them on the night before, you just can't put them in the refridgerator because the condensation causes the colors to run.(especially darker colors, like red, dark blue, purple, etc.) Also, most any color or design will run on whipped cream, since it seems to absorb the colors you get a "bleeding" effect.
Also, not sure why you cover the design with clear gel? I know you like the shine, but is there another reason? I've never had a design run and I've never heard of doing that...
Anyway, hope the cakes turn out great and have fun with them!

 

[tallyfamily]

Thanks for all your help! I was wondering, how smooth does the frosting need to be for the image- I mean does it have to be absolutely as smooth as possible, or is a little wavy o.k.?
Thanks Again!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

As smooth as you can get it, since the image sort of "becomes part of " the icing...after it sits for a while. You should be able to smooth the image with your fingers when you put it on, it doesn't start to blend in with the icing for a while, so you can smooth out air bubbles....The thing that I use to smooth cakes (both round and sheet) is a bowl scraper. I'm not sure if you can get them at a kitchen supply store or something, or if this is available only to commercial bakeries, but it works great! We have tons of them at work, I can send you a couple if you have a few days before the party! I go back to work on Tues.

 

[tallyfamily]

How sweet of you to offer that!! You don't need to go to the trouble. I found an icing knife yesterday- flat like a butterknife but much wider. It should do me just fine. Thanks for all your help- party is Saturday- I'm trying not to stress out yet. BTW, this is a Wiggles birthday party, that's why I have to do the cake. No one around here has the "license" to do the Wiggles yet so I ordered the edible image from Australia. With all the characters out there, my son had to pick one not based in the US!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

At the bakery where I work, we have the Wiggles available. It has all four of them in the big red car. It's an actual toy that goes on top of the cake and is available for bakeries to order, not sure why it isn't available in your area. Glad you found the spatula, it should work fine. If you want me to send you the toy I can, but since you already have the image, that would probably be easier. (Especially since you ordered it all the way from Austrailia!) Anyway, don't stress, and good luck with the cake, I'm sure it will be great! Post some pics when you get done!

 

[tallyfamily]

Kirstin's Mom: Yeah, I can't figure out all this Wiggles stuff. All their merchandise has recently come to the US, but everybody doesn't carry all of it. You just find bits and pieces here and there. In other states you can find their stuff at Target and Kmart, but those stores don't have anything in Tallahassee, but Dillards and Toys R Us do. Party stores in other states have the party goods, but none of our stores here have it or have even heard of it even though they carry other goods from the same distributor. I like to do my business locally, but finally got frustrated and ordered some of the party goods from New York (pinata, stickers, banner) and then just mix and match with red, blue, yellow, and purple plates, cups, and napkins.

Do you work in an independant bakery or a chain store bakery?
How long have you been a cake decorator? I keep meaning to take the Wilton class at Michael's Arts and Crafts, but haven't fit it into my schedule yet. When I turned one year old my Mom made me one of those doll cakes where the cake is the doll's skirt. She had blisters from squeezing out all of those tiny flowers on the skirt! I had my son's first birthday at Wakulla Springs State Park and made a Wakulla Springs cake- one of those where you cut out the middle of the top layer, frost it, then fill it with blue jello for the water then use crumbled vanilla wafers for the sand around the water. It was fun!!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I'm working for a small, family owned bakery right now. Let's see, I've been a decorator for almost 14 years!OMG! That makes me feel old,lol! Anyway, I started at Publix as counter help in the bakery, and used to love to volunteer to help the cake decorators when we weren't busy. So, one day my mgr. told me to try to make a rose, I did it on the second try, and I was moved to decorating the next day! I was there for a while, and became lead decorator, then trainer ( I went around to different stores training new decorators). Then I left and went to a small bakery, but that only lasted about 3 mos, because they didn't pay very well, so back to Publix for a few more years! Then, went to Sam's Club bakery. Started out as a part time decorator, and was promoted to bakery mgr. within the year! Stayed there for 7 yrs., until I got sick of all the politics. So, now here I am, working for one of my customers from Sam's!!! Funny how things work out, but he's turned into a good friend, and I work with his wife, who is an amazing decorator, and has now turned into probably my best friend. So, no more 50 hr. work weeks, and I get to spend lots of time with my 3 yr. old dd. Sorry to ramble, didn't know this would be so long!!!

 

[WalkOnTheWind]

Hi. I've been decorating Ice Cream cakes since 1975 and just as soon as the edible images came out we started using them. Obviously our cakes need to be frozen and some people put them in the fridge to slightly thaw them before they cut them and I've never had a problem with the food coloring ink running. We have the setup to print our own on rice paper with a printer rigged to use special cartridges of food coloring ink and get licensed CD's that load and print images or we can scan in a photo and print it.
As soon as you ice the top of your cake put the image on and smooth it from the center (light touch please) with you fingers like you would a decal. then seal the edge with a little icing smeared from the edge slightly onto the rest of the cake ( you don't need much). If it's humid out and you have any trouble peeling the image off the paper backing, just put the image in the freezer for 5 minutes and it will come off really slick.
I do anywhere from 30 to 150 cakes a day depending on the season and a lot of them are images.Ice cream cakes are really easier to work with than regular cakes - no crumbs - you just have to work fast. I can do a cake in less than 2 minutes. If you have acc ess to an airbrush and food coloring you can air brush the background after you apply the image and it finishes it off really nice.
Good luck.
Karen

 

[tallyfamily]

Kirstin's Mommy- Well, it sounds like you found your calling! Thanks for your help and keep up the good work!!!

Karen- Thanks for the info. That's alot of cakes you do each day! Do you see them in your sleep? Technology amazes me! Printer cartridges with edible ink. Wow!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

We have the edible print ons where I work too. Karen, sounds like you and I are of the same breed!!! I have done my share of ice cream cakes too (you're right, easier with no crumbs) and also do about that many cakes per day...it's fun, but yes, you do get sick of it after a while. (I do anyway) but it doesn't really take that long after you get the hang of it, most people make it harder than it really is. Cake really isn't as fragile as you might think. Anyway, glad I found another kindred spirit on the boards. Welcome Karen! Maybe you and I can compare notes sometime!