Hi everyone! I just signed up with this site today and I'm so impressed! I have no aspirations of doing anything professional but TODAY is my daughter's 13th birthday and I want to make her cake look special. I just took my 9X13 cake out of the oven and it's cooling. I'm going to use a cream cheese frosting and now I'm just stuck as to the decorating part.

I'm too new to do anything fancy but I'm thinking of doing something with icing gels - I read you can do that on waxed paper and then refrigerate it and turn it onto the cake. Is it as easy as it sounds?

I'm fairly creative in other things in my life - I paint and sew and quilt and crochet, so I'm pretty good with my hands. If I do a simple picture with the gels, how should I decorate the border?

I do have time to run out and get supplies today.

Thanks,
Carolyn

First let me welcome you to Cakecentral..you gonna' love it here. If you are going to use a cream cheese icing be very careful because they tend to be "loose" and may cause your decorations to "slide".

Here is a link to a crusting cream cheese icing that may help you:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-1541-.html

For the borders you could do a simple shell border or even a nice little ruffle border.

Sorry, I can't help with the gel transfer, I've never done one but I'm sure soneone here will help you! Good luck and don't forget to take/post pictures for our viewing pleasure!

basically for the gel transfer...trace the outline of your picture on the wax paper and immediately place it on the iced cake...then go over the outline with your finger so that the gel gets on the cake and remove the wax paper...then you have your outline...now, i usually trace the outline in buttercream and then fill it in with starts but you can trace and decorate however you like...and i THINK if i'm not mistaken, there is an article on gel transfers in the "articles" section at the top..

any questions let us know, we're here for u!

Hello & welcome!

Good luck on your cake and many hours of addicted perusing at CC!!

Tanya

Welcome to CC and best of luck with your cake!

I see the Gel question has already been answered, but I wanted to welcome you to the site, I know you will enjoy it and learn alot here. Be prepared to become addicted like the rest of us !!!

Just wanted to say:"Welcome to our big CC family".
Bye!

Welcome to our addiction.

With a gel transfer, you have to be very careful because once you place the gel, that's it...you can't move it to another spot.

I always get someone to help me with the placing and you must lift the paper straight up fast.

Good luck and post picture.

Welcome to the site. We seem to have the most experienced cake bakers and decorators on this forum. This site is the best especially for us newbies.