Beki Cook's Cake Blog: Easy Superhero Birthday Cake

A special friend requested a little 'different' kind of cake for his 6th birthday. He wanted Green Lantern, because Green Lantern is his favorite superhero. BUT he was having a party at a pool, so he wanted Green Lantern... swimming.

I decided to try to make what is called a 'frozen buttercream transfer' to make Green Lantern.
But when I got started, I was certain, just completely sure, it would not work. (I planned a trip to Target to buy the figurine. I was that sure it would be awful.)
So, that is why I don't have a whole lot of pictures of the technique, but I have a few. I will share my lessons, and give you a few links to more complete tutorials by others.
And maybe soon, I will try it again, and do a better tutorial, because it really wasn't as hard as I'd imagined.

First, find an image. I found this Green Lantern picture here. (Do a Google Image Search.)
Next, you need to flip it. Most picture programs allow you to do this. You need the mirror image because you will flip it over on to the cake.
If you don't have the mirror image option, just take a sharpie marker, and trace your outline on the paper, then when you flip it over, it should bleed through, and you can fill in that outline to make the reverse.

*Note: I recommend something with fewer lines than the comic book picture, if you can help it... especially for your first time. These symbols are so much easier, and more along the lines of what you may want to tackle first before the big guns! I made these for the cupcakes.

Tape the mirror-image picture to something that you can carry into the freezer. (I used a plastic placemat.)
Cover that with parchment or waxed paper, and tape it down. (I always prefer parchment.)

To make your transfer, start with the outlines, using black icing (or whatever color you choose) and a small round tip, #1 or #2.
Remember that you will be flipping this over on to the cake, so think of it along the lines of layers... and you make your detail layer first.
With the Green Lantern character, I also did the hair first, so that I could use a small tip (Tip #2) and make it look more like hair.

Then you work on filling in the layers. It's easy to see in this symbol.
I added the green with a Tip #5, and then went over all of it with white and Tip #12.
Go over the back of the icing gently with a spatula to smooth it.
Remember that you do have to be careful, and stay within in the lines. Whatever 'sticks to' the parchment is what you see when you put it on the cake (or cupcake).

I wish I'd have taken more pictures of working on the character. I just worked in sections by color, then went over the whole back with green, with the exception of the head and face, which I went over in peach.

Place the whole thing in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Peel the tape from the parchment, and flip it over on to the (already iced) cake, being careful with where you place it. Gently peel back the parchment paper, and Voila!
*Note: measure your image before you make it. As you can see, I made this Green Lantern a little too big for the cake, and he almost fell off the top and bottom.

For this cake, I used the piping gel "pool" to help mask the height difference on the cake. If you're not putting your superhero in a pool of blue gel, use a border of stars to set it apart from the cake, and blend it in.

Where else can you find more information on Frozen Buttercream Transfers?
Here, here, here or here.

Click the Links Below to See:
How To Make a Royal Icing Transfer
How To Make a Piping Gel Transfer
Cake Decorating Basics

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