This is probably going to sound like a really stupid question. I'm still really new to this so I don't know a ton. I am making a Spongebob cake for my son's birthday in a couple of weeks. I was searching the gallery for ideas and saw several mentions of using a 'transfer'. What exactly is this and how do I do it?
I took a course a couple of months ago and the instructor showed us how to trace an image on wax paper with buttercream and then transfer it to the cake. Then use that to finish the drawing. Is this the same thing or is there a different technique they are talking about? I want to be able to consider all options and figure out the best one for me.
Thanks!!
Noelle
A BCT is different. I find them to be a bit time consuming but rather easy to do and they turn out really great if you follow the instructions. If you need more info after reading the article check out:
http://community.webshots.com/user/cali4dawn
That is Dawn website and she give you tons of info and other tutorials just like the one on BCT that she submitted here.
Good luck and have fun!!
Hello, Noelle! Here's how to do a buttercream transfer, and it is from CC.
Hope this can help you! Good Luck! 
How To Create a Frozen Buttercream Transfer
Contributed by cali4dawn onTuesday, June 29 @ 17:58:35 PST
By: Dawn Griffin
Post your questions or comments about this article here.
Frozen buttercream transfer is a method of transferring your art to your frosted cake. You are making a buttercream "plaque" to apply to your cake. It is similar to the more familiar method of transferring a design to a frosted cake with gel on waxed paper, and filling in the design with a star tip. It is also comparable to run-in (flood-work) sugar design work, and it will make a beautiful reproduction of your art in buttercream on small as well as very large cakes.1
Things You Will Need:
1 batch Buttery buttercream Icing
( This is the preferred recipe, however you can use your own. Just use a buttercream recipe that is at least ½ butter to Crisco. This seems to peel away from the wax paper more cleanly. )
Wax Paper
Tape
Parchement cones or icing bags
A Flat portable surface such as a cutting board
1. Choose a graphic image and print it out in reverse/mirror image.
(Click here for a good place to search for coloring book images)
2. Tape your picture down to a solid surface such as a cutting board.
3. Tape a piece of wax paper over your image
4. Using your choice of outline color*
Trace the outlines of the picture.
*Outlining note: I use store brand (VONS) fudge icing or Wiltons Black. These are thicker and seem to not smudge as badly as homemade buttercream. The fudge seems to work better. I have found that name brand fudge icing is too creamy. The Wiltons black will try to lift off of the wax paper. This must be used with care.
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5. After completing outline. Begin coloring in. Think about your layers. For instance, in the sample picture, the white collar/cuff fur would cover the red jacket and bear fur. So I do this first.
6. Continue with your other colors thinking about layers as you go.
7. When you have finished coloring in your graphic, smooth the back while gently pushing without blending your colors underneath. This will settle your frosting into the grooves and create a smooth finished project.
8. Anything you have on the edges will show on your cake. Using the same color icing you will ice your cake with, edge the transfer and cover the back evenly.
9.Place in freezer on cutting board for at least 90 minutes. I have left it in for as much as 24 hours.
10. Remove from freezer. Turn over onto iced cake.
11. Gently press transfer into icing.
12. Carefully remove waxed paper
13. Enhance transfer and finish icing cake, as you desire
This article was written and photos copyrighted by Dawn Griffin.
Other cakes by Dawn using this technique:
Hi Noelle,
Welcome to CC.
A frozen buttercream transfer is when you draw the image on wax paper and then fill-in with thin consistency icing and then freeze. After it is frozen good, you then flip it over onto your cake after the icing has crusted.
A gel transfer is when you draw the image on wax paper and then trace over the outlines using the gel. Then turn the image over and place on cake after it has crusted and gently with a brush lightly trace the outlines and it will be transfered to the cake.
Hope this helps.
Thank you all so much for pointing me in the right direction! I read the article and it looks great! I can't wait to try it. The really good thing about this is if I screw it up, it's not on my cake yet!! 
And, I can do it the night before I decorate my cake so I'm not up all night. I will look more at Dawn't website too. Thanks for directing me there. Thanks again. You all are the best!!
Noelle, glad you got the info you needed. I forgot to welcome you to CC, so WELCOME!! This is a great place with a wealth of knowledge of cakes, cookies, ECT!!
Doug, you can make a BCT as large as you like. The only problem I see is getting a large on in the freezer because I have a side by side and it isn't very large. I know I have read several posts where people make them the entire top of the cake. I haven't done that yet but I did make one that was around 11 inches and probably at least 8 inches wide. It was the Hello Kitty Mermaid in my pics. I didn't have any problem with it. I make sure mine are really frozen well and so far (knock on wood) as long as I follow the directions I have success.
Hope that helps!
I have an alternate way I like to do a transfer...I trace a picture (mirror image) onto a piece of wax paper using a black food pen or maybe even some black piping gel....then turn over the wax paper and lay it where you want the design, and rub the design onto the cake. Then you just have to trace over the outline with icing and fill in. I used that method on this cake: http://www.cakesbysuzy.com/superman.JPG
Actually I didn't mean to use all piping gel on that one, but I ran out of regular icing and didn't want to mix up a whole batch just for a few tablespoons of colored icing! It turned out ok though, just hard to get the details nice on his face.
I have an alternate way I like to do a transfer...I trace a picture (mirror image) onto a piece of wax paper using a black food pen or maybe even some black piping gel....then turn over the wax paper and lay it where you want the design, and rub the design onto the cake. Then you just have to trace over the outline with icing and fill in. I used that method on this cake: http://www.cakesbysuzy.com/superman.JPG
Actually I didn't mean to use all piping gel on that one, but I ran out of regular icing and didn't want to mix up a whole batch just for a few tablespoons of colored icing! It turned out ok though, just hard to get the details nice on his face.
An even easier way to get a reverse image without having to use graphic programs is to simply take a piece of paper towel and apply some vegetable oil to it. Then rub the paper towel unto the image you have. Flip the image over and you Will be able to see the image that's on the other side ---- but it's a mirror image of the original.
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