How to make a Frozen Butter Cream Transfer (FBCT)
I get lots of hits from searches for cake stuff. I was making a Star Wars cake today so I thought I’d turn it into a tutorial for all y’all. Isn’t that nice of me?
1. Find a picture that you want to use. Coloring book pages are the best. There are tons of free coloring sites online. I used this one. I also printed out text from Microsoft word. You have to either print it as a mirror image (which was an option on my old printer) or flip it over and trace the back of the page so you can read it through the wax paper. Tape the pages down to a hard surface that is transportable (I used a cutting board, but I’ve also used cake boards). Then cover with wax paper and tape that down (double stick tape is good).
2. Using a stiff frosting (I usually use Wilton Black) and outline your words and pictures.
This is the most tedious part- but keep it neat.
3. Start to fill in colors in layers using a round tip. Make sure to use medium consistency frosting.
4. Using a knife dipped in hot water (and re-dipping as needed) gently smooth frosting from the back to push down into crevices.
I started with Yoda’s skin, then added his robe
Make sure to smooth as you go.
Then I finished with his shirt.
5. Fill in around pictures and words with your background color- mine is black (obviously).
6. fill in the rest of the top. I measured mine to the same size as the top of the cake, but you can also do FBCT in a small shape and place it on top of an already decorated cake.
Don’t forget to smooth
7. cover with wax paper and smooth with your hands.
8. place in freezer for 30 minutes or more.
9. remove wax paper from the top of FBCT and place on top of cake that has been crumb coated and frosted on the sides.
10. peel wax paper from the top of FBCT
11. Add boarders
voila!
Here are a couple other examples:
This was my first one
This one only the Clifford is a FBCT
My favorite:
Next lesson? Making Marshmallow Fondant (MMF)
Thanks for the tutorial!!! Your cakes look so good!
That is a gift. You are one amazing and talented girl!
You can make the words reverse in MS Word. So you don’t have to trace, etc.
Just fyi.
Looks great! and delicious.
Dang! That is sooooo cool!
Wow! Your tutorial made it look way easier than I imagine it actually is, but fantastic cakes!
Turned out great! And Yoda, what a great choice
That looks awesome! What do you recommend for “medium consistency frosting”?? I’m going to have to start working on ideas for our 5th birthday real soon!!
That is amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Who needs a cake?!?
I always thought these were far too tricky to try for my low skill level but I think I might be able to handle it now.
That’s very cool! Yes, do marshmallow fondant, I’d love to learn that one.
Thanks so much for the tutorial. I love baking special cakes for my sons, but have never tried this method. My middle son is begging for a Spiderman cake pan, but now, perhaps, I can try for a Spiderman cake without purchasing a special cake pan. I’m not nearly as good as you, but I do hope to post some photos of cakes I have made on my new blog. Someday.
Alissa- thank you! I knew there was a way to do it- I thought it was on the printer but it must have been in MS word.
Maria- I always always always recommend making your own buttercream frosting. You tinker with the consistency by adding milk. Maybe I need to do a buttercream tutorial…
Jessica- you’re fooling yourself if you think you have low skills
Wendy- My rule of thumb is to never buy a pan unless I can think of 10 different cakes I can make with it. (Or unless it’s dirt cheap on ebay- which is a good place to look). I favor versatility. A simpler spiderman cake then the one I did would be do just do a round cake of his face. Bigger lines and less detail. Give it a try though and let me know how it turns out!
Quite the tutorial. This is one for the bookmarks.
Oh, I’ve found some grand deals. The first cake I ever made was for my eldest son’s 2nd birthday. I purchased a Winnie the Pooh cake pan, complete with two icing bags, two tips and four frosting colors for only $2 - clearanced at Target! Score! Then I found a gingerbread man (multiple possibilities - I’ve even made jello with it) at Walmart for $3. And garage sales have been the best source - Wilton ghost cupcake pan and Scooby-Doo pan, both for 50 cents. My favorite cake I ever made was a spurting spider cake, made with two glass bowls and a mid-section of blended jello which oozed out when I cut the spider. The kids at our party oohed and ahhed! I’m actually looking forward to trying the frozen bc way because it will look so cool and professional - even though I couldn’t draw it myself if I tried. I’ll be sure to let you know. Middle son’s birthday isn’t until Sept, but I may have to just try this sooner, for the excitement factor.
can you please mail the receipe for the above buttercream.T hanks in advance.
I have found that if you put the transfer on your cake after the crumb coat (and before the final coat) the transfer will be even with your frosting. Seems to work out alot better and you’ll have people asking “how did you do that”.
Hi,
Your cakes are awesome, I just have one concern/question: After you outline the image, and fill in the colors, you say to smooth and flatten, right? How is it that you don’t smear the outline while doing this? Your finished product looks perfect, but the final steps look like one big blob… I’m scared to try this, could you help me? Thank you!!!
I ran a Baskin Robbins store for several years. We made these transfers also but instead of putting them in the freezer we lay the wax paper on a slab of dry ice(available at your local grocery chain). They are ready to peel off the wax paper and place on the cake within minutes. Just be careful handling the dry ice.
Thanks for the tutorial! I’m a novice cake baker and used your tutorial step-by-step for my son’s 5th birthday Darth Vader cake. I still need a lot of fine tuning, but wasn’t bad for a first try.
[…] red. This is the part where you trace your picture and text to eventually put on your cake. This website has a great […]
this is so cool i am going to try it i have my own cake business and i have never thought of doing that
Does it melt back after taken outta the freezer??
It doesn’t really ‘melt’ it just thaws to the same consistency as the rest of the butter cream around it.