Frozen Buttercream Icing Transfers

Ingredients

The flat work surface that will fit in your freezer (I used a glass for this purpose)

Parchment paper

Your Image printed to the desired size

Fine-tip marker

American Buttercream Icing

Gel icing colours

Piping bags with varying-sized tips

Small offset spatula Small paintbrush

Butter cream Iced cake

Tape

paper towel

Method

The frozen buttercream transfer is a great method for transferring any image on the top of a buttercream cake.

Use an American buttercream icing recipe.

Place your transfer in the freezer for a minute in between piping each colour to keep outlines firm and strong. Your transfer should be levelled so it will sit nicely when flipped onto your cake.

First of all, place the parchment paper over the image and trace it with the fine-tip marker

Second, flip the traced image over and tape it, drawing side down, on a flat glass surface or a flat glass cake tray.

Trace the outline of the image using No 1 tip for a fine outline with black buttercream

Begin to fill in the other colours. Remember the final product will be flipped over so you are working in reverse order.

You can make your transfer on the day you are decorating your cake or up to a week in advance and store it in the freezer.

If you use American buttercream you can smooth the final transfer with a paper towel.

Occasionally hold up your glass to check your work from underneath. If by chance you see spots, add a little more icing. Also, if you see bare spots where light is peeking through, use your small paintbrush to gently press the icing against the outlines. Then, continue filling in all of the colours on the image. Once completed take your background colour and smooth it with the offset spatula.

Since I wanted my transfer to be a 9" rectangular shape, I piped my desired background black colour all the way out to the rectangle and smoothed it with my offset spatula.

Keep checking from underneath during the process to make sure it looks good. Adjust with your small paintbrush as necessary.

Pipe an even background on your transfer that will blend in with the cake colour. Then smooth it gently with your offset spatula and place it in the freezer overnight.

When it is frozen, gently place it on your cake and see that it is centred.

Gently peel off the parchment paper to reveal the frozen buttercream transfer. Remember since you placed your tracing upside down when you turn it over it will be the correct side up.