Cake Toppers Tutorial

In this simple cake toppers tutorial I would like to explain a simple process how to use icing cake toppers.

Keep your edible cake toppers or images in its plastic bag until you are ready to use it. Take it out of the bag before applying it to the cake to allow time for it to dry out slightly. This will make it easier to peel from the backing sheet.

The edible image should peel off easily – DO NOT FORCE IT! If it is sticking to the backing sheet, this is probably due to the temperature and humidity in the room. Leave it out of its bag in a dry room. If the weather is warm with high humidity this may take longer. If the icing sheet does not peel off easily, leave it for another hour or two out of its bag and check it every 30 minutes. Do not leave it overnight or let it dry o out completely as it may become brittle and crack.

You will get better results if you peel the backing away from the icing, rather than the other way round. I use round knife or icing spatula. If you have any difficulty, pull the backing sheet over the edge of a table or work top.

When your icing sheet is separated from the backing sheet cut the image with the scissors.

Hold the image gently at the edges and place the middle onto the cake first. If any bubbles or wrinkles appear gently pat them out with DRY fingers. If you accidentally tear the icing – DON’T PANIC! Just rub very gently with a dry finger and it will merge back together and the tear will disappear after an hour or so. Be careful not to let water drip onto the icing image as the image can melt and ruin your picture. Please do not put it in the fridge as well. After a few hours your picture will blend into the icing and look like it has been painted onto the icing. The time this takes and the results will vary depending on how dry your icing is. If you have used a very dry topping, or if you need to serve the cake straight away then pipe some icing around the image to hide any visible edge.

You can have any kind of cake – fruit, sponge, chocolate, or your favourite recipe. Bake and decorate your own cake. Your frosting should be fresh not dry. If the frosting becomes dry, spray a fine mist of water over the cake before applying the image. Your edible photograph can be applied to almost any kind of icing such as fondant, sugar paste, royal icing, butter-cream or glace icing, ganache, poured white chocolate, make sure your cake topping is white frosting underneath, as a colour frosting will bleed through the image, especially if you do the cake the night before.

If you have a very wet icing or a covering with a high fat content (such as butter or cream cheese) then we suggest you make a backing plaque from fondant or sugar paste. This should be about the same size and shape as your edible photo. Place the photo on the plaque and put this on your cake top. Otherwise you should apply it just before serving the cake, before it has time to absorb the moisture or fat.

Rolled fondant/ Sugar Paste

When cake is made, with a small paintbrush, apply a generous brushing with plain water, but only where your image will lay and then apply your image to this area. Water outside this area will leave a mark on the fondant, if you do not use enough water, your image will not adhere. Corners and edges can be tapped down with a slightly moist, very small paintbrush

Butter cream (RECOMMENDED)

Apply the icing image right after icing the cake. Buttercream icings will form a thin crust about an hour after they have been iced. If buttercream has formed a crust, spray with a fine mist of water before applying the image.

This is probably the easyest cake toppers tutorial written especially for cake toppers we use. There is a lot of them from different manufacturers. Please always read carefully the included instructions.