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TONIGHT'S TOPIC: "TRANSFERRING PATTERN TECHNIQUES"

My favorite way of transferring a picture to the top of a cake is the buttercream stencils.  You will need to make most of these yourself.  There are some stencils on the market but, none that work as separate colors that fit together like a puzzle.

CHOOSE YOUR PATTERN - your best resource for pictures are coloring books, wrapping paper, cards and etc.  Clip art from the computer is another good resource.
Remember - the copyright laws will allow you to copy pictures for your own use but not to sell to your customers.
Trace your picture with a dark black pen  and decide on the color that needs to be put on your cake first.  (such as the face color must go on before the eyes, nose and mouth)
With a piece of wax paper (for a one time use) or the self laminating sheets that you can get at the office supply stores or Sam’s trace the first colors outline and cut out with an exacto knife.  (Each color will need a separate sheet)

SWTDEL: I used clear contact paper to cover my pattern cause I didn't have Laminating paper
Pwd Sugar: Good Idea SWTDEL - that should work the same way
SWTDEL: You could use your sewing machine to make the holes in your pattern.
Pwd Sugar: Right if you can twist and turn it fast enough.   LOL

Each separate color will need to be done the same as the last step.  Of course wax paper is easier and faster but you can only use it once.  When using wax paper tracing the pattern - make sure the curve of the wax paper goes down.  This will prevent a problem with the icing slipping under your stencil and making a big mess.

Choose the colors and color your icing.  I recommend paste food colors.  They will achieve the best results.  The colors that are sold in the grocery store are water based and are very weak,  therefore, they don’t work well.  If you are using red you need to start with a hot pink color or orange and get it as bright as possible.  Then add 1 tbl. Of cocoa and switch to your red color.  This will prevent your icing from tasting bitter.  If you let your red icing set overnight then the color will be more vibrant.  Colors will deepen with time and the heat of your hands.  Icing consistency needs to be softer than the icing you iced your cake with.  Simply add small amounts of water or Karo until you have reached the desired consistency for buttercream stencils.  Soft but not runny

Your patterns are made and your icing is colored and your cake is iced and the icing has a dry surface.  Lay the pattern on the cake.  (wax paper must be curve down)  using an angled spatula long blade - seal the edges of your stencil by icing from the outer edges in to the center of each stencil shape.  After the edges are sealed then fill in the center.  Smooth the entire surface of the stencil shape.  Lift the stencil gently from the cake surface

Let that icing dry and then place the next stencil shape over the previous stenciled icing and align the pattern (remember the dotted lines that will help you align these shapes)
Repeat as needed for additional shapes and colors
When all of the colors are applied to the cake top you can flatten slightly with a viva paper towel.
Outline your completed stencil  design if desired.
To outline use a #2 or 3 tip.  This tip can also be used to write your greeting.
Hint -  to outline - touch your tip to the cake and then lift - letting the line lay over the desired outline.   For outlining or writing on a cake the icing should be a soft to medium consistency.   To write - hold the tip slightly above the surface and squeeze the bag gently while writing.  The faster you move your hand the harder you must squeeze the bag.

PIN PRICK  WITH COCOA OR KOOL AID  -  lay your (wax) paper with a pattern drawn on it on styrofoam.  With a pin - like a sewing machine make holes on all major lines of your pattern about 1/8" apart.   Place this paper on your cake and with a cotton ball and cocoa or Kool Aid rub over the outline holes leaving a dotted pattern on your cake.

ROYAL ICING OUTLINES ON CARDBOARD  - reverse your pattern and attach to a piece of cardboard.  Attach wax paper over the pattern securely.  Tape the wax paper securely.  Make a couple of handles on the back of the cardboard with masking tape.   Pipe an outline of your design with a #2 or 3 in royal icing.  Let this dry.  Now you turn this upside down and place over your dry icing and imprint your design.  With the handles on the back lift the cardboard straight up so not to disturb your imprinted pattern

Bakerbear1: kinda like making your own pattern press huh pwd

Cakestmper: If you let the piping gel dry, about a week, it works the same as the royal icing, Pwd.

MtnMama103: Piping gel was what we were taught to use at Wilton class too

Vicake: If you let the piping gel outline dry a day or so it will get hard and make a pattern press

Gigimama: I didn't get good transfer with piping gel.

EagleAxix: Piping gel doesn't work too well in real hot weather tho

CarolA5238: I like the piping gel  too.

Bakerbear1: works for me, and i'm in florida :)

EagleAxix: Vcake, thanks, ;you have solved a problem

Pwd Sugar: It is not my favorite way to transfer - you really have to be careful or it makes a mess

Cakestmper: I'm farther south than Baker, and works great for me.

Vicake: Works for me and I am in Alabama, whew hot!!!!!!

I noticed in the country kitchen catalog that they have some  picture press pattern makers that are sized to fit 10" or larger cakes and small sheet cakes.  There is a cross w/ flowers 35-2021, bunny w/ basket 35-2022, Santa face 35-2041, mar, Joseph, babe 35-2042, bear w/ flag 35-2090, clown face 35-2091, turkey 35-2131, cupid 35-2180, hands w/ book 35-2181, and several others.  The instructions with these is to let iced cake form a crust.  Lay the raised side of the picture press on top of the iced cake and using the palm or a pastry roller, roll or smooth over the design and lift off the picture press pattern maker.  The remaining imprint can then be decorated with stars, piping gel, etc.

MtnMama103: Pwd...where can I find a copy of this country kitchen catalog?

Pwd Sugar: I have there phone no. in just a little bit.  I think their

catalog is $5 but that

Pwd Sugar: is deducted from your first order.  Not sure but I think that is

how they work it.

Vicake: That is correct, that is how they do it at CK

While I was in Michigan Jeannie shared something with me that I thought was a really good idea.  Country Kitchen also will make personalized molds for your customers or you.  She had the oval mold #90-pers made with her business name on it.  Every cake that goes out has one of these molded with white or dark chocolate on the back of the cake that clearly identifies it as her cake.  Yet it looks like part of the decoration.  Nifty way to let them know who did the cake without being braggadocios about it.  The personalized mint molds come in round, oval, square, double heart or rectangular.   They are a bit pricey - but remember they are custom made just for you.   They also have personalized business card/bar molds  #90-pbc    with Christmas just around the corner these might be a great idea for thank you small gifts for your referral  people.   I would not be in doing the degree of nice cakes that i get to do without the referrals i get from the local photographers, florist, caterers, bridal shops and etc.   You probably have special people who send brides to you.  Sometimes we need to let them know that we do appreciate the business they send us.  What better way than a bar of chocolate  just for them.

Gigimama: I like that idea.  I've also seen cookie business cards.

MtnMama103: Good Idea for stamping on the back of candies too!

CarolA5238: Pwd, waffer paper ie a good way to trancefer too.

Cakestmper: I personally prefer using a stencil to transfer design I may do more than once.

SWTDEL: I would like to know just how to use waffer paper.

Pwd Sugar: Wafer paper can be drawn on with felt tip - non toxic pens, colored non toxic pastels, painted carefully with food colors and minimal water or air brushed very carefully. Then cut out the design carefully with an exacto knife. Spread a thin coating of piping gel on the back of the design and apply to your cake. Rice paper tastes like rice krispies without the sugar

HObeid: I want info on wafer paper too!

Cake Wmn: Pwd Sugar, when I tried it it curled - did I use too much piping gel or?

CarolA5238: I also ues colored non toxic pencils and water colors.

Pwd Sugar: It is litteraly rice paper - sort of non tasting.

SWTDEL: Is it just for outline of design or can you put a picture on a cake with it?

Pwd Sugar: If it gets to wet it will curl or melt totally. You can put a picture on a cake or even have it free standing with a little support

HObeid: Does it melt into icing like the ones from Luck's?

FrederickN: what does it taste like

CreAteCak: yeah, does it end up like an edible image?

MtnMama103: Thanks for the ideas Pwd. I was asked to put a dolphin jumping on a cake and

MtnMama103: was wondering how to do it

Cake Wmn: I used it on some cakes for cub scouts and they loved it - eating "paper"

Pwd Sugar: Butterflies are great with rice paper.

HARJODUNK: I found and old book that had nothing but rice paper flowers!

There are so many ways to transfer pictures onto your cakes....besides free-hand! ...and I even did the Demolay emblem free-hand once! The most popular being the airbrush and the Kopy Kake projector. Expensive, but good tools for the professional baker. When you are just starting out you may want to know other ways to transfer pictures without investing so much money. Why are there several ways? Besides the money, this somewhat depends on how detailed a picture is, or are you going to need to use it only once or many times? Below are some of the ways:

ONCE YOU GET A PICTURES TRANSFERRED TO YOUR CAKE THERE WILL BE SEVERAL METHODS TO CHOOSE FROM FOR DECORATING THE PICT. TOO.
    1. Figure-pipe- transfer the picture using one of several methods, then use buttercream to figure-pipe to fill in.
    2. Transfer outline and fill in with stars, as with character cakes. Remember to use smaller tips when you have small pictures of course.
    3.  Pipe different colors of buttercream icing in, then smooth down using a flat-edged brush dipped in hot water. You must use caution not to use excess water which will run colors together.
    4. THINNED BUTTERCREAM: Thin down buttercream icing so that it will flow almost smooth. Outline the pict. With regular consistency buttercream. Probably a tip 3 will be a good size for outlining. I would use parchment bags and tip # 2 for filling in. Tapping the cake on the table should finish smoothing. Or also use a brush with hot water to finish smoothing it.
    5. PIPING GEL: Sometimes piping gel is the perfect medium to use! The old ghost busters cake I once made for my niece had a character called 'Slimer' who was green and slimy. Piping gel was perfect. Piping gel is also best when making a 'stained glass' church window.  Tip: the church window is nice on the cross-shaped cake. TIP: you can thin p. Gel down with Karo syrup if it is too thick.

CreAteCak: what to thin it with?

Pwd Sugar: Karo - Create to keep it from separating

Vicake: We outline with #3 and fill in with thin buttercream #2 tip with small e motion, very neat

Pwd Sugar: Did you know that piping gel is Karo, Gelatine and some preservatives?

HObeid: I did a stained glass church window & used piping gel-they cut it out  cause it was too

CreAteCak: can you color clear piping gel with your paste colors?

Gigimama: How should piping gel be stored, and how long is it good?

Pwd Sugar: Sure Create - I never by the colored stuff - color it yourself

Pwd Sugar: Room temprature - its good until it goes bad  LOL    Now seriously I never

CreAteCak: I have the liquid paste and the paste paste, which is better to color with?

Pwd Sugar: had any go bad - I have had some turn yellow or get to thick to use

CkeLdy: Pwd, is it against the law to sell a cake with a copyrighted picture on it?

HObeid: Can you make your own color gel for coloring the icing---How?

Pwd Sugar: You bet CkeLdy

Vicake: Piping gel sort of yellows after a while but it does not hurt its performance

Gigimama: I threw some out that was 2 years old, kind of yellow and I couldn't remember what it looked like originally. Does anyone know how to tell if it's bad?

Pwd Sugar: I don't know about making your own gel for coloring the icing

Cakestmper: If the picture even looks like or could make you think about, say

Mickey Mouse, that how you would know.

Vicake: It grows green fuzzy stuff

I Do Cakes: KopyKake sells some Looney Tunes pics. you by the license and can sell them.

Pwd Sugar: The new gel colors are very strong colors - not what we could make with the paste color we have.

WiltWanabe: how do i find that chat?

Pwd Sugar: Go to Dolores's web site and she has all of the past chats available for you to copy to your computer or download to your printer

Gigimama: How long will color flow last when placed directly on buttercream?

HObeid: How do I do that pwd?

CkeLdy: can you eat color flo?

I Do Cakes: yes

Pwd Sugar: Color flo is very edible

OnlineHost: Bischk has entered the room.

CreAteCak: how long will it last?...

Bakerbear1: if you really want to, most people save for mementos

Gigimama: If you do color flow directly on buttercream, how long before it starts to break down?

Pwd Sugar: I don't know Gigimama - I personally have never used that way myself

CarolA5238: Pwd, My little kids class did rice paper transfers last week and they were so impressed!

Cakestmper: I have, it lasts as long as the cake lasts.

Gigimama: Do you put plastic wrap in between, or put on top of sugar cubes?

Bakerbear1: use the marshmallow flow in instead...won't break down at all

CreAteCak: marshmallow flow in?

HObeid: What is marshmallow flow?

MtnMama103: Wilton has recipe in their book

SWTDEL: what is marshmallow flow?

Pwd Sugar: THe marshmallow flow is so pretty and shiny.Just heat the marshmallow cream in an electric skillet and color and flow in like color flow. It never gets hard so you can't tilt your cake or it might run and do funny things.

Bakerbear1: same thing as color-flow/run sugar....stays soft, tastes better take marshmellow cream, heat in microwave or water bath, thin with water as necessary...

Jimm98: is the marshmallow flow real sticky and hard to work with?

Yes - it is sticky, but easy to use, Dolores

CkeLdy: pwd,  who would turn you in for selling copyrighted stuff?

CreAteCak: they have "checkers"...

Gigimama: Cke Ldy-your competition, nasty neighbors, etc.

CkeLdy: even someone who sells from home?

Gigimama: Not as likely, but still possible.

I Do Cakes: They will even turn you into the health dept.

Pwd Sugar: You are just taking a chance if you sell copyrighted material. Sure you might

JWGPKG: What does it take to convince you, CkeLdy?  I work for a lawyer; believe me, it happens.

Pwd Sugar: not ever get caught.  But if you do it will be very expensive for you.

Cake Wmn: Had a friend did at home, stranger called and ordered 2 cakes just alike, copyrighted, got her for a bunch of money because stranger was checker

CkeLdy: you can give it away right

CkeLdy: JWD, I don't doubt that it happens,  I was just wondering who checkers work for?

I Do Cakes: The checkers work for the copyright owners looking to see who is stealing from them

MtnMama103: Has anyone used the flavored confectioner's sugar yet?

Bakerbear1: someone in one of my wilton classes did, said it worked great

HObeid: The flavored confectioner's sugar is great!

MtnMama103: wondered what results were

SWTDEL: Yes, I like it . Mtn

MtnMama103: SWTDEL - did you use it without any changes in recipes?

SWTDEL: Mtn, I only use part flavored Pwd. sugar and part regular

HObeid: Can u use couplers in parchment?

Bakerbear1: yes ho

CreAteCak: why use couplers with parchment?

Bakerbear1: true create, but you can

Pwd Sugar: I don't use couplers with parchment Create - just unroll the bag and put another tip in the bag.

Gigimama: When I tried this method, half the gel stayed on the paper.  What did I do wrong?

Bakerbear1: i think you’re just going for the image transfer....not all of the gel is necessary

   7. COOKIE CUTTER: press the cookie cutter and crease the icing, letting the impression of the cookie cutter be your guidelines. This may help you to get a better shape than freehand. But it is not good for pictures that have a lot of details.

MtnMama103: Used royal icing on Halloween cookies today, didn't like the taste - how can I improve taste

Cakestmper: Mtn, you can add flavors, just make positively sure the flavors are water based, not oil

MtnMama103: Flavors like vanilla or butter extracts?

(I wouldn’t USE royal icing to ICE the cookie, just for the decorations - I use dry candy fondant/ add water. Its like petite for icing this way…can stack but stays a little bit soft, won’t dry out your cookies…. Dolores)

NOTE: you could let the piping gel dry on the pattern. It will take a day or two and will be rubbery texture. Then lay it on an iced/crusted cake and just press/lift away. You'll see indentions where the piping gel was. This could be used over as many times as you wish. It will stick hard on parchment.

   8. MY FAVORITE METHOD - details will be very easy to see. How to make a wax paper stencil for easy picture transfer onto cakes.

ITEMS NEEDED:
Styrofoam approximately 10x14x1-inches
Wax paper
Corsage pin
Nylon footie
Hershey's powdered cocoa.

PREPARE PICTURE (the wax paper will become your stencil).
Tape a picture on the styrofoam block. (this will work without styrofoam. It's just easier if you use it). Lay wax paper over the picture. With a corsage pin, punch holes all around the detail of the picture. Most of the time holes should be about 1/4-inch apart. If pattern is very detailed, holes may need to be closer. Take special care around facial features, etc.

TRANSFER PICTURE TO CAKE
Ice the cake smooth. Don't use the paper towel to smooth unless the paper towel has no texture. Wait about 5-10 minutes for the icing to crust enough so the wax paper stencil won't stick to the icing. Test it on an edge. Place the stencil on the cake. Press lightly around the pin indentations to help keep the stencil in place. Place strips of wax paper all around the stencil so no cocoa gets on the icing where you don't want it to go. Using your cocoa powder puff, pat cocoa through the holes of the stencil. Be sure cocoa falls through all the detail. Lift off the stencil very carefully so that the cocoa doesn't continue to fall through the holes where you don't want it.

TO DECORATE YOUR PICTURE ...

METHOD 1:  treat this as if you were decorating a character cake, only with smaller tips. Outline the picture with tip 3 or 4 deep color of icing appropriate to your design. Fill in tip 14 or16 or 18 stars, color of your choice. The size depends on how much detail there is in your picture.

METHOD 2:  using piping gel tinted in appropriate colors, outline the picture using tip 3 or 4, depending on just the effect you want. Immediately, using a flat brush (about 1/4-unch across bottom), draw the icing from the edge toward the center. Try to keep brushing in one direction. You can complete the picture all at once since piping gel doesn't bleed or run together.

METHOD 3:  if you own an airbrush, you can outline the stencil marks with a writing tip 3 or 4 and fill in the color using your air brush.

NOTES:
If piping gel is too thick, you can add Karo syrup to thin it to your preference.
Wilton piping gel is only available un-tinted. You must divide and color it.
Place in small decorator bags with tip 1 or 2 to use.
Other brands are available in handy tubes already tinted. Just snip off the end and you are ready to decorate.
Use smaller tips (or snip the piping gel tip off very little).
Piping gel comes out considerably thicker per tip opening than does icing.

NOTE: this method is on my web site. If you download and unzip this file you can see sketches of how to do this as well. It is the file called stencil.zip

CarolA5238: Pwd is this, method sort like using a stamp?

Gigimama: Pwd-you mentioned doing this with kool-aid, also.  Any problems with bleeding or smearing?

SWTDEL: How do you know if flavors are water based?

Pwd Sugar: I use the kool-aid when I have someone who is alergic to the cocoa

Gigimama: That's what I was thinking of, any precautions for using kool-aid?

CarolA5238: Neat! I'll have to try it. Ues powder sugar on chocolate icing.Right.

Bakerbear1: i found that even 2 opposite colors sitting side by side and touching using the piping gel, didn’t bleed or muddy at all...was quite impressed

SWTDEL: I had a problem with piping gel bleeding. My outline bled into all my colors.

Pwd Sugar: Was your outline piping gel also SWTDEL?

SWTDEL: Yes Pwd.

Pwd Sugar: Did you let it set up slightly before filling in the colors

SWTDEL: No, I didn't think it would bleed so I filled it in right away. Never again!

Dolores777: SW: I wonder if your p. gel was thinner than usual?

Pwd Sugar: Dee should see let it set up before filling in?

Pwd Sugar: I don't work much with piping gel on my cakes

Dolores777: I never have and mine didn't ever run at all

MYLAR - stencil film: for stencil making. Works with electric stencil cutters. Current prices are: 40¢ each, 25 for $4.99, or 50 for $9.95. You can make permanent stencils using mylar and the melting tool. Mylar is a clear plastic sheet. It is not the same as sheet protectors. You'll find that when trying to melt the gaps of the stencil that sheet protector material strings very badly and may damage your melting tool. The proper weight mylar and the melting tool are both available from suppliers. Sugarcraft also carries replacement parts for the melting tool. You use permanent stencils just the same way as the wax paper ones above.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1997 AT 9 PM ET IN THE KITCHEN CONFERENCE ROOM -- CAKE DECORATING WITH DOLORES777 - "A HODGEPODGE OF HELPS AND HINTS FOR CAKE DECORATORS"
 Pwd Sugar: I got to visit Diane's web site - she is doing great getting that up and going

PwdSugar's:  http://members.aol.com/pwdsugar/private/index.html (NEW - Check out Pwd’s web site for a beautiful wedding cake just loaded with GP flowers she has made!)

Shavkin's:  http://members.aol.com/shavkin/index.htm

Shavkin: I put a sketch for a cake design on last night in the sharing corner, "Ghost & Pumpkin".

Tbabe333: Sugar--My icing has holes in it when I'm trying to spread it on the cake I have to use water to smooth it am i beating  it to long??? Or not long enough????

Pwd Sugar: Sounds like you are whipping air into it.  The icing needs to come to the top of your beaters and beat it at a lower speed

Tbabe333: I do beat it at a high speed--how long do you beat your icing?  I use a kitchen aid mixer

Pwd Sugar: I beat it at the low or just above the low speed - I don't want a lot of air

Photogra4: I have a sure fire way to always get the cake out of the pan. Cut out a piece of wax paper the size of the bottom of your cake pan.  Pour a little oil in the pan first , spread around, place your cut out down and pour in the cake and bake.

DBFlight: Do you oil on top of the paper, too, photo?

Photogra4: After the cake is baked let cool some, run a knife around the edges,and turn out the cake.

DBFlight: I'll try it.  I'm so tired of a large piece of the bottom sticking in the pan, Photo. Thanks

Photogra4: No, you don't need to oil the top of the wax paper.

CkeLdy: pwd what am I doing wrong when I get little spider cracks in my icing when it dries?

Pwd Sugar: SOunds like you need a little more shortning in your icing.

Bakerbear1: i thought cracks were caused by not having enough support under your cake when its moved

Bakerbear1: piping gel is my favorite method

Pwd Sugar: That could be Bakerbear - not enough support will definitely make it crack

Pwd Sugar: BUt if you don't have enough shortening in your icing it dries to fast and has little on the big crack side   LOL cracks over your cake

MtnMama103: I love Dee page - I've D/L all the chats and newsletters then made an index on my puter

HObeid: I can't seem to unzip her files to print copy of any newsletter..Help!

MtnMama103: that lists what's on each one so all I have to do is look there

first - saves time!

Dolores777: HO: never change the name of the newsletter...you didn't did you?

MtnMama103: What program are you using Create?

Dolores777: If you all write me, I'll be happy to guide you through

CreAteCak: winzip

HObeid: What's your address?

Dolores777: dolores777

MtnMama103: That's what I use and really don't have problem

Bakerbear1: no, it automatically opened in word, last few times i;ve had to all but force it to open

MtnMama103: Since I did D/L all those n/l and chats I've worked up a couple of questions!

Pwd Sugar: Now it is open mike time - lets hear from you guys

SWTDEL: Can you add Wilton clear vanilla to royal icing?

Dolores777: yes SW

Bakerbear1: i need suggestions gang: i have my first wilton demonstration 2 weeks from sat....any hints

Pwd Sugar: Who are you going to be demonstrating for and where

Bakerbear1: general product promotion....(hopefully to spark enough interest in classes--new account)

Cakestmper: Baker, is there a theme or topic?

Cakestmper: Show how easy to frost and smooth a cake, then show sweet peas

Pwd Sugar: People are always fascinated with the flowers.  Take lots of vanilla wafers and pipe the flowers on them and give them to the watchers.

I Do Cakes: Baker-- I get the most people to stop when I do roses and basketweave.

Bakerbear1: well, basic format: hour one: small projects, singles, cookies etc. Hour two: reg. size cakes, shaped and regular

Cakestmper: Decorate one of single serve pans, do in stages, have one or two extra pans to keep it going

Bakerbear1: hour three: wedding cake demo (foam cake for sure)

Dolores777: Baker...try some of our pattern transfer ideas from tonight...or look over older chats for ideas.

SWTDEL: How long is your demo?

Pwd Sugar: Bakerbear the dummy covered with contact paper works absolutely fabulous

Bakerbear1: 3 hours...

Pwd Sugar: When the demo is over just peal the contact paper off and you have a clean dummy

MtnMama103: What is used as the base under contact paper PWD?

Pwd Sugar: Styrafoam under the contact paper. Cut a strip to wrap around the side and then a circle to go on top

MtnMama103: What about using cupcakes Bakerbear and demoing something on each one?

Cakestmper: Do the clowns, they always impress people

Bakerbear1: that's part of the 1st hour---gotta sell those patterned baking cups :)

Pwd Sugar: Anything you do will be wonderful - remember they don't know how to do this

Cakestmper: Poinsettia for 2nd hour,

Pwd Sugar: They will be impressed by everything.

Cakestmper: Basket weave too

Dolores777: put edible glitter on the pointsettas

CarolA5238: If you have any pictures make a small display too, they'll them too.

CreAteCak: Baker...they kids will really LOVE the demos...i like the idea about the vanilla wafers...

MtnMama103: Next question: you all mention a "petal" pan, is that Wilton's shell pan?

Dolores777: yes, wilton has petal pans

Cakestmper: petal pan is Wiltons pan with 8 scallops

Dolores777: I made an apron cake with the petal pan once

Bakerbear1: oh dee, before i go, thank you for the r2d2 cake idea...used it for my brothers birthday...

Bakerbear1: turned out great!!! thanks

Bakerbear1: will send pict once i get it scanned....night all

(Comments concerning topic of a previous chat) MtnMama103: I tried my "eyeballs" but with cupcakes instead of candy - everybody loved them!

Cakestmper: We tried the eyeballs, using cookie dough, worked real well

Dolores777: pattern transfer....my daughter made a stencil of skeletons and she lays this on the cake,

Dolores777: spreads icing through the stencil. Really cute with a dark back grnd

MtnMama103: Heard of other cake magazines besides ACD, but can't find names or addresses.

Dolores777: Mtn:::we gave them in Discuss Cake dec....also try www.ices.org....They have the best newsletter of all