Stencilling On Cake Sides - Crying!
Decorating By MikeRowesHunny Updated 19 Aug 2009 , 12:05am by mommyle
Someone help me please, I am at the end of my tether now! I have a weeding cake to do in a couple of weeks that will have a stencil design around all 4 tiers. I have tried using chocolate, royal icing and plain dusting powder, and they have all been blotchy disasters.
Apart from needing to be an octopus to have enough limbs to hold the stencil in place whilst stencilling, whatever I use just gets under the stencil and bleeds making it look such a mess 
. I'm holding it against the sides as much as I humanly can, but it's not working.
Anyone had success with these things (from culinary stencils - and yes, i have watched the videos!)? Please help me someone as I'm doing black on cream, so i have no room for error here
Do I just tell my bride that it won't work and do hand piping instead?!
Yes, I'm stencilling onto fondant. Like a fool, I actually thought this would be easier & quicker than piping a design on each tier - duh 
!
By the way, what design are you stenciling?? If it's floral/damasky, art deco, there are a bunch of cutters on Global, just ordered a sick amount of them last week.
I'm thinking Sugarveil might be a good thing to try...you can do the stenciling on a flat surface, and peel it up and then apply.
Are you stenciling on fondant? Because that's the only way I can make it work. Also the royal has to be pretty stiff.
I've taken the stencil designs out of my showcase. I do similar things (not the same) with fondant cutouts.
Oh, I see what you said. You don't offer them anymore, right? (Jamie, read a little more carefully!)
By the way, what design are you stenciling?? If it's floral/damasky, art deco, there are a bunch of cutters on Global, just ordered a sick amount of them last week.
I'm thinking Sugarveil might be a good thing to try...you can do the stenciling on a flat surface, and peel it up and then apply.
I bought sugarveil especially to do this cake, but it won't work with this stancil - it's too fine and broken up .
I just read on the back of the stencil to RI the design first (I presume in the same colour as the cake in case of mishaps?!), and then when that is dry to place the stencil back over the embossed design and airbrush the colour on (don't have an airbrush!), or brush the colour on with dust. I'll try this when I can get to the store for more supplies and see if that helps make it look neater!
Any more ideas from stencilling experts out there?!
The best way Ive found to do stenciling on sides is this:
Find something that you can put underneath the stencil that will be at the correct height (toothpaste box works well). Spray one side with cooking oil and wipe off excess. Then gently press the stencil against the side of the cake. Get an offset spatula and smear over the stencil. Take a small putty knife (it looks like a small bench scraper) and from one side swipe off excess. You can go over it a second time if you dont get it all the first time. Then gently pull up. Wash and pat dry stencil. Start again.
I did a toile cake and a matching toile "Planter" topper by doing this. As long as you make sure your RI is not too wet, it will work fine without bleeding. Hope this helps.
It may not be as technically perfect, but for a pretty quick method, you can cut out panels or a strip the height of the tier, stencil it flat and then apply it to the cake while still a bit damp/flexible.
This works best on square cakes, but it can work on round ones if the stencil is wide enough to hide a seam pretty well, or if there's a back on the cake 
HTH
Rae
I just wanna say that I feel your pain on trying new stuff and I'm sending beaucoup de cake angels your way and try to get 'er done and to stay calm & not stress yourself out. Maybe if I tell you it will rub off on me-- 
--please, God!!!!
The best way I've found is to cut the stencil the same height as the cake side so you don't have RI coming out in places you don't want. Then smear shortening on the back side of the stencil and place very firmly against your fondant, rubbing it down so the whole thing is well adhered. Hold the stencil with one hand and with the other use your spatula to put a layer of RI onto your stencil slightly thicker than the finished product. Then with a bench scraper remove the excess RI first from one side to the center and then from the other side to the center.
You must wash off your stencil between each use and re-apply shortening...so it's a time consuming process. You also need to make sure that before you line up your stencil to continue your design the RI on the previous section must be completely dry. I switch back and forth between different tiers to make sure it dries completely. Here's a picture of a big one I did using that method.
OMG Lori - that is stunning! I just wish I was doing white on a darker colour, much easier to wipe off mistakes and start again if needs be. Black on cream - no chance!
I'll try the shortening thing, doesn't that leave a shiny film on the cake's surface though?
I just wish I was doing white on a darker colour, much easier to wipe off mistakes and start again if needs be. Black on cream - no chance!
I'll try the shortening thing, doesn't that leave a shiny film on the cake's surface though?
The shortening doesn't leave any marking - I think it must soak in after a short time. Try this method because I've also done it with dark red on white with equally good results. Probably the two most important steps would be to really rub the whole surface of the stencil onto the fondant (not really fresh fondant either, let it sit for a few hours) and to wipe off the excess from each side towards the center. HTH 
Lori, that cake is simply fantastic. I'm going to be looking for it so I can fave it!
Here are some more Damask cutters, and I didn't look at the rest of the site, but it's a start.
http://www.jenniferdontz.com/v.....mid=cut043
http://www.jenniferdontz.com/v.....mid=cut044
Stunning cake! Wow!!!!
I myself am too chicken to try stenciling, so I'm going with cutouts.
Oh, and grab a bottle of White coloring. I find that when I get black on anything, if I put white on it, the white magically gets the black out. I have no idea how, but it's like Bleach on Crack!
Oh, and grab a bottle of White coloring. I find that when I get black on anything, if I put white on it, the white magically gets the black out. I have no idea how, but it's like Bleach on Crack!
lol all I read is grab a bottle of wine......... I either desperately need that wine or I need to go find my glasses.
Lori that cake is WOW (I won't type what I actually said as I'm sure it would be censored) totally amazing cake.
OMG Lori - that is stunning! I just wish I was doing white on a darker colour, much easier to wipe off mistakes and start again if needs be. Black on cream - no chance!
I'll try the shortening thing, doesn't that leave a shiny film on the cake's surface though?
I started using black piping gel. Works awesomely. I have a few more uns at it, until I know it will be just right. I keep a little dish of water nearby and some Q-Tips to wipe off any smudges or accidents. I like it! I thought I would hate stenciling, and it isn't my fave thing to do, but it's not as bad as I thought!
Im glad I wasnt the only one that thought $6 for a couple of binder clips and some tape was bit excessive. You can probably buy a whole thing of clips and gauze for that price!! Just goes to show you that if you look for something that is in a specific category that the prices are jacked up. Like a tracing wheel. You can get it for a dollar in the sewing department at walmart but as soon as someone puts a brand name from a cake place on it, its automatically $5!!
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