Big Royal Icing Transfer on Cake- HELP

Good morning Ladies,

a couple of month ago on Facebook there was a Share Day called "What was I thinking" and all cookie artists shared their worst and difficult request in cookie world... Today I'm gonna share with you my "WHAT (THE HECK) WAS I THINKING" (yep, all in caps) and I'll be very in need of your help and suggestions!!

I was ask by a colleague of mine to help her making a cake for her sister's graduation. My colleague will bake the cake (a very simple cake, not covered in fondant or anything... but VERY BIG, like for 40 people... like baking tray big) and I suggested that I could do the decoration ... like a Royal Icing trasfer to glue on the cake. I already made something alike for my baby's birthday with a Lightning McQueen transfer and it came out perfectly... so I was pretty confident!

But I was thinking about something simple and easy, even if somewhat big... like a happy graduate girl cartoon I saw on internet!

But then came the Sister..... she was so so excited when she saw my cookies pics... that she got carried away... just a LITTLE!!!

She want a suitcase cake with on one side graduation cap, book and diploma and on the other a plane flying around the world and a passport!

I don't do fondant and I explained this to the colleague of mine very clearly before she talked to her sister but she wanted something like that anyway! Apparently she's not a fan of my happy graduate girl...

I was thinking (but I'll need your opinion in this) I could do a big RI transfer in the shape of a suitcase (as big as the cake, so that it covers it) and then I'll do the other 2 transfers that will go over it!

Here's my doubts:

1. Since the cake it's big (as I told you it will be for 40 people) could (or would) the suitcase trasfer break???

2. Granted that I succed in doing the base, how would you do the other transfer? At first I thought of making them in advance and attach them on the wet base.... but since they're big, could or would they sink in the wet suicase?? Otherwise if I attach them when the base is dry, there's the chance that the surface won't be even and spaces could remain between the two pieces!

3. Otherwise, I could create the design and make the suitcase "around" the other decoration when they're already dry. Could this be better?

4, Am I making a nonsense of everything???

I'm voting for option n. 4! I'm open to any kind of suggestion...

I can't say no anymore so in one way or another I'll have to do it... I don't know where to start and of course.... WHAT WAS I THINKING!

Thanks in advance for your help!

9/25/144:53 AM

Original Post

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Robin H@Sweet Hart Bake ShopGobbler

Wow. That's a project! I don't know if the suitcase transfer would break or not, but I would probably do them separately and glue the littler ones on. If you brush a small amount of corn syrup on the backs of the smaller ones they should glue without gaps. Good luck and post pictures when it's done!

9/25/149:06 AM

Former Member

I would probably think the transfer would break, its a very large piece and its a big risk. Also I'm never sure with RI transfers on buttercream if the RI is going to soften and bleed? Could you not do a large cookie instead? It would make it much more stable? Or I think the best option would be a number of small cookies for each element, cap, passport etc each one a cookie. If they really want the suitcase idea how about you put the sheet cake in a small (real) suitcase?
Good Luck!

9/25/147:43 PM

The Italian BakerGobbler

Thank you girls!!!

And mostly thanks to my long lost cookie-sister Belle that gave me the idea of the cookies!

In the end I'll do big 3d cookies that will replicate the elements the Sister wants....

For the suitcase we agreed that the cake won't be covered in buttercream or anything... just baked, so sort of brown! And I'll do a cookies for the buckle and one for the handler so that it will be similar to a suitcase...

I'll show you the pics when it's done!!!!

Thanks again!!!!

9/26/142:32 AM