Advice PLEASE!!
I've got a wedding cake that will be covered in IMBC, and I need to attach a "silver" monogram to the side of one round tier. My plan is to use white candy melts and spray paint them with the wilton spray or Duff silver spray. I think I should cut out a stencil and smear in the candy, then lift away the stencil. Let dry, attach to cake. The letters are a fancy script font (of course...)
I'm planning on making numerous letters for back-up, but I'm sure there are many things I have not considered.
Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated!
The other 3 tiers will be covered in wilton clear glitter flakes, btw.
have you tested the 'covered in wilton glitter flakes' part? different glitters can get weird--especially if you fridge completed cakes--some of the glitter can melt and the cake surface just looks mottled- tbc..
-for the monogram--what about making a fondant plaque and painting on the silver script--i have the alphabet in a fancy script--probably not the exact one you want but even just making in the mold requires some trial and multiple errors--if you do cut a stencil--use it upside down so the top of the letters are smoothy smooth--
i spilt coffee on my keypad and i can't make new lines of type so i initially apologized for the former giant run on sentence--then my dog licked the keypad 'clean' 
then i realized i could just make a few extra posts to make it clearer--probably have to go get on the other computer--
i usually apply glitter after i deliver--i use the gum arabic glitter--the flakey edible stuff--
I just piped a monogram onto a fondant plaque I made. You can refrigerate it until it's really firm and then paint over it. I think you'd get a smoother line that way but maybe try it both ways to see which works better for you.
I can't use a plaque. The bride wants the monogram straight on the cake as per her reference photo. My first stencil attempt was a FAIL. I'm going to try a thicker stencil, because I'm just not that good at piping with candy melts. The font is "Kunstler" and there are thick areas and thin swirls. I may try to cut out of fondant.
Thanks for all the input!
could you do a modified buttercream transfer type thing maybe?
You can still pipe it directly on the cake. Make a template out of waxed or parchment paper, then put it on the cake and stipple it into the icing or fondant using a toothpick or something. Then pipe on the monogram, then paint it. The thing with candy melts is that the temperature is so sensitive, you have to work quickly because the candy will firm up quickly, and then you have to keep reheating it.
you could get there with royal icing too--that's not a difficult font--compared to some others that have all the tweedledees peeking/tweaking out all over
just practice it over and over and don't expect the first ones to be good and keep refining--no worries--you'll get there --
you need to practice with something easier than chocolate--
like buttercream even--royal would be better though--
get it down then do it in the chocolate--
forget the stencil--
you can pipe this like a buttercream transfer with the printed font as your guide under a plexiglas or clear glass--
Yes royal would work but if it's on buttercream it may not hold up on IMBC. I'd pipe it in either royal or buttercream and paint it with silver airbrush color.
If you really wanted to go the PITA route, you could extrude fondant and shape the letters that way. But that's only if you like things to be a PITA. LOL!
yes you are right, annie
royal to practice with where you don't have to deal wit h the finickiness* of chocolate
* i can't believe that finickiness a.) is a real word and that b.) i spelled it right the first time--go k8
I'm going to try the transfer technique. (which I have never done...) I'm under the impression that I cannot use royal with IMBC, so I guess it's buttercream, but Im thinking American Buttercream? I have been successful piping crusting bc on IMBC and I feel I will have better luck trying to paint on top of that after it's on the cake.
Thanks Annie and K8 for all the suggestions! I truly appreciate you.
Just make sure the cake is cold and the transfer will be fine. Pipe it in whatever buttercream you want, then refrigerate it again to make the letters hard and paint it with a soft paint brush.
Thank you Annie. The cake will be cold. I have piped the letters now in white (in reverse), sitting to dry inside a curve. Then I colored some crusting bc with silver/gray/sparkle and piped it again. Do I freeze the transfer? Or refrigerate? or dry at room temp?
Thank you!!
AJessi, you pipe the monogram directly onto the cake. I'm sorry if I didn't make thy clear in my earlier post. Draw the monogram onto waxed or parchment paper, then attach it to the cake. Then, using a toothpick or scribing needle, draw or stipple (make tiny dots) over what you have drawn on the paper. When you take the paper off the cake, you'll be left with a pattern which can be piped over. After you pipe over it, pop it in the fridge and then paint over it when it's firm. I hope that makes sense.
Ha! Ok, I misunderstood that. I thought you all were suggesting the frozen buttercream transfer method. Well, I guess I have several real options. Now I just need to pick one! I have 3 reverse images to choose from and then late last night I cut one monogram out of gum paste... But now that I have practiced so many times I can pipe with confidence! Thank you for your expertise!
I ended up using the gum paste monogram. I colored it with Duff silver spray. I'll post a photo soon! On a side note, the FBCT did work out in theory, I tested it out on the bonus anniversary tier, but I tinted the frosting with a little wilton black coloring mixed with some silver dust and some pearl dust. It looked great at the time, but overnight the color shifted toward lilac. Not okay! Strangely, the leftover ABC in my piping bag turned greenish.
Another note: the Wilson glitter flakes worked well, just what the bride wanted, but in the dim light of the outdoor event tent, you could barely see the sparkle....
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