My Attempt at a Frozen Buttercream Transfer

I recently had a request for an ice cream cake.  Since fondant doesn't like the freezer very much and my skills in creating decorations with a piping bag and frosting suck could use some improvement, I decided to use this opportunity to try a frozen buttercream transfer or FBCT.

Being the first time I attempted this, I made sure the recipient was aware that they were my guinea pigs and that the decorations may or may not turn out.  They are my across the street neighbors and were more than happy to help me experiment.

The theme was sports - more specifically, baseball.  The top of the cake would have a hat, bat and glove with baseballs around the sides of the cake.

First I outlined the design in black.  I just used a tube of Wilton Decorator Icing since black is a pain to mix.

Working in layers, I added the color

My baseball is not very round

Before going in the freezer, I added a layer of the frosting I was using on the cake.

My frosting was much too thick, but I did not realize this was a problem until I put the transfers on the cake...they stuck up about a 1/4"!  I used a star tip to fill in the gap between the cake and the transfers which in hindsight was not a good idea either.

I don't think the cake looked all that great, but I know it will taste delicious!  It is two layers of chocolate cake with a layer of cookies and cream ice cream in between.  I frosted the cake and made the decorations with vanilla buttercream (except for the black as I mentioned above)

Would I do it again?  I think I will try the method again because there were some things I should have done differently that would have probably improved the outcome.  It was an easy way to create a decent looking picture for someone like me who cannot draw and was super quick from start to finish.  I am sure there will be some situations in the future where the method will come in handy, like on another ice cream cake or a last minute order for a children's cake.

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