I can make a cake, and it looks pretty good, but then when I have to write on it then looks like a child did it. I have the letters to press on but most the time i need something Larger or fancier.. Can anyone help me write on a cake better? ..thanks in advance...

Do you thin your icing with Karo syrup? When I learned that it helped alot!

Melissa

Does anyone use royal icing instead of BC?

I use a toothpick to draw in the icing first and then I go back over it with the icing I'm using for the lettering. Works pretty good and if you mess up you can just spread the buttercream back together where your toothpick made a mark.

I have the very same problem. I found out two things that really help me with my writting. First I make sure the icing is thin enough and another thing that has really helped is to go faster. I find that the more careful I am and the slower I go the worse it looks. I also found that a great way to practice is to place a large piece of waxed paper on a slightly damp counter top (so it sticks) and go at it!

I do mine freehand. I write on the cake first then decorate. I don't print, I do cursive writing. Much easier to me.

I find that if I go too slow, I mess up. Moving faster helps it flow, plus if the icing is softer I don't have to squeeze so hard.

Thanks for the tips. I have great handwriting but when it comes to cake writing...I stink! I will try adding the Karo syrup.

I always thin mine out a bit more than regular and I definately would suggest going as fast as you can while keeping it as neat as you can.

Thank you, mcalhoun for the Karo tip, I bet that is the ticket! Also, I agree, and personally find that speed really helps - any shakiness is evened out if you keep moving.

Yes, I've always done it fast, and I don't thin my icing when I use the Wilton basic bc recipe. It's just perfect for writing I think. I also write on the cake at hip level because it balances my weight better and I don't have to squench my arms all up to write. I also leave the tip about a 1/2 a tip length away from the cake so it flows out nicely. All those things have worked for me since I do freehand.

The fastness helps for sure! Another thing to remember besides thinning your icing is to move your whole arm from shoulder down. Don't try to write like your using a pencil. Your wrist should stay straight. It helps, as emilykakes said, to write on something else to practice. Do this just before you actually write on the cake.
HTH!
elly

Remember to move your arm not your wrist. if you move your wrist it looks like kids wrinting. It isn't like using a pencil where you move your wrist. .And the faster the better. Not too fast. But slow makes it sloppy

My problem is writing in a straight line! My writing always slopes downward. I don't want to draw a line in the frosting, because ineveitably I will mess upthe letters when I go to smooth it in! A want to tear my hair out sometimes!

When I write; I have to write with my cake turned to the left; just like when writing on paper. I can not write with the cake facing straight.

oh thanks for all the great tips..I will try karo, faster, turn the cake and move my whole arm and see if I have better luck.. your all so great with all your tips...

To keep my lines straight, I have recently learned to lightly prick the icing with a toothpick at one-inch or so intervals...it isn't noticeable one the writing is one the cake.

Great idea BJsGRL!

To keep it straight, you could lay a piece of paper or straw or some straight edge on the cake. Write above it, then remove it. This may only be possible on a crusting icing, though.

I print my writing from the computer in reverse then lay wax paper over it and copy it with piping gel. You lay the wax paper on the cake and lightly with a brush go over the piping gel then remove paper. You then have a guideline to go over with icing. Works great for me the challenged when writing on a cake. My daughter is 13 and uses this too on the cakes she makes.

The thing that seems to help me the most is not getting the tip too close to the iced cake, so that the piping kind of falls onto the cake as I go along. This especially helps with cursive. And yeah, now that y'all mention it, I write fairly fast. Slower probably does mean shakier.

I love that reverse writing using piping gel trick cashley. How ingenius!

Practice - I have to make time to practice!
These are some really great ideas.
That's one thing I'm envious of is those who have beautiful writing. It can really detract from a beautifully decorated cake if you have poor writing. I've never tried to thin the icing with Karo. Thanks for asking the question slb1956!