any have any suggestions to put this pattern on the side of a wedding cake

you could try a piping gel pattern transfer.  Trace the pattern onto some parchment paper, outline with piping gel, place the parchment against the cake and use a small paintbbrush to go over the lines.  Carefully remove the parchment and then go over the design with icing.  You can only do this with some icing that has crusted over.

You could use a Kopy Kake machine, I think.  You could make a stencil of the design, use an airbrush and lightly spray to give you an idea of where to pipe the design.  You could also try and find cutters that might match some of the shapes and imprint them into the cake and then fill in with icing. 

Just a few suggestions!

At first, I was going to recommend that you make a stencil of the design with an x-acto knife, and press it againts the cake and brush in the icing. But, it would probably take a long time to make the stencil.

If I remember correctly, Maid of Scandinavia/Sweet Celebrations used to sell rice paper that you could draw on with food marke (or food coloring or icing), and then place it onto the cake. The rice paper would dissolve into the cake, leaving the coloring on the surface of the cake. I have never used this product (if it still exists) so I don’t know how well it works.

Another idea would be to cut out paper templates of big shapes, and then use them as guides to cut out pieces of fondant or marzipan. You would then place the fondant or marzipan on the cake, and pipe in the dots. One drawback is that some of the shapes get pretty thin in the middle, and there is risk that the marzipan or fondant will break when you try to move it.

Good luck! It is a pretty design, but it looks like a challenge to execute.

I came up with another idea.

You could put a sheet of waxed paper over the design, and pipe over it with royal icing. You must let the design dry for a few days, until the royal icing is completely hard. You must also not flex the waxed paper while the royal icing is drying, or it will crack. I use a sheet of plexiglass for support under the waxed paper.  Using a very thin-bladed knife, you cut the royal icing off of the waxed paper by gently sliding the knive under the design, and transfer it to the cake. If the icing on your cake is wet (say, a ganache), the royal icing decorations will dissolve in a few hours. But if the cake is covered with fondant, or with an icing that has already formed a dry crust on the outside, the royal icing decorations should be okay.

Another idea would be to pipe the design with tempered chocolate (either white or dark), this way, the chocolate won’t dissolve into the cake frosting, no matter what it is.

Christine S.

That would work if it was to go on the flat surfaces of a cake, but you can’t make royal icing conform to the curves after it dries. 

I just saw a trick on the Ace of Cakes where one of the artists was making flat buildings out of gum paste.  She had styrofoam rounds the sizes of the cakes that she was using the bend the gum paste shapes against for drying.  They would then lay right against the sides of the cakes.

Now if you happen to be making a square or polygon shaped cake, you’re okay.

You could also cut a stencil to trace the major contours with a pin or toothpick onto the cakes, and then pipe around the tracings, adding the detail as you go.  If you have the major points of reference you should be able to wing it from there.  The stencils (tracing around rather than inside kind) will also help you position everything first, before starting. 

Good luck,

JennyBee

JennyBee - 29 June 2008 09:30 AM

I just saw a trick on the Ace of Cakes where one of the artists was making flat buildings out of gum paste.  She had styrofoam rounds the sizes of the cakes that she was using the bend the gum paste shapes against for drying.  They would then lay right against the sides of the cakes.

You can use an upside down cake pan too.

i think you should just practice, practice practice. the techniques aren’t that difficult, it’s just a matter of confidence IMO.

a cake book i just purchased recommends tracing the pattern onto parchment and then using a pin tool to poke holes thru the parchment into the icing to create your template.

jen