My Transformer Optimus Prime cake worked a treat. I was incredibly happy seeing it evolve and I learnt a couple of tricks along the way. My favourite was using a frozen buttercream transfer. I'd read about it previously and, once I'd spent an incredibly long time drawing up the template (stupid robot hands!!), I decided there had to be an easy way to transfer that to the top of my cake. The previous two times I have cut the paper design into sections and physically drawn around it onto the top of the cake; and then piped over it. I watched a couple of video tutorials and, although I am not too keen on the "whole" design being done as a transfer (it ends up looking too one-dimensional for me), I thought it might just be the solution I was looking for.
Basically, you stick some baking paper over the paper design and secure the whole thing to something solid, like a chopping board. You then pipe the outline (I used black buttercream) onto the baking paper and put it in the freezer. I would leave it there at least a few hours, mine was in there for a day. When you're ready to put the design onto the cake you, quickly, remove it from the freezer and flip the baking paper onto the top of your iced cake. Press it down gently (but use something like a spatula as otherwise the buttercream begins to melt from the warmth of your hands) and then carefully pull the baking paper off. Voila!!!
It's not a completely "clean" outline, like it would be if you just piped it on directly, but it's pretty cool. You can just touch up any areas that didn't transfer properly. This saved me sooooooo much time and I will definatley be using it from now on.
From this.......
The other thing I figured out is to use a couple of pieces of styrofoam as a guide when levelling the top of the cake. I needed something about an inch high and my styrofoam was exactly that. I covered it in packing tape to make sure I didn't contaminate the cake and then I rested the flat surface of the knife against that while I was cutting. Levelling cakes is not something I usually do....such a waste of good cake, in my opinion....but I wanted to make sure this one looked a bit professional!
My coordinating cake pops were a hit too. They were supposed to be orange with blue piping and grey with red piping. If you need to use any shade containing red, other than pink, it's best to buy the melts already coloured - as you can see, mine are a little on the feminine side of the colour spectrum! I've also improved my chocolate piping skills - I discovered that the more melted chocolate you put into the piping bag, the easier it is to use!!
Decepticon Cake Pops
Autobot Cake Pops
Transformer Cake Pops
The birthday boy was totally impressed with it all, so that's a success as far as I'm concerned.
