Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Sonic the Hedgehog Birthday Cake using Frozen Buttercream Transfer (Beginner Level).

My son can be so unconventional, he always wants something that is not the latest craze. Totally cool if you ask me; I'm proud! But sometimes Mommy would like something easy, ya know? Go to Wal-Mart, order the latest Iron Man cake and swing by the party department for matching plates and DONE! But that is not the case so I had to put on my creativity hat. For his birthday this year, he wanted a Sonic the Hedgehog cake. So I discovered Frozen Buttercream Transfers and taught myself how to work with icing.

It was so much fun to make! It was very time consuming and I am glad I practiced on a smaller cake first. I went for something easy since I am still a cake noob. I just traced Sonic's face, not the whole body. I wrote Happy Birthday on the side and presented it for the one and only person it mattered to: my son. He loved it and was as giddy as... well as a 5 year-old on his birthday!

I wanted to use a lighter colored icing for the background, but the kiddo wanted chocolate everything. The FBCT, however, was made with store-bought vanilla Betty Crocker icing so the food coloring would be at it's best. The cake was a simple Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake Mix - allergy free, of course! Peanut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, & Nut Free to be exact. Quick review of it: Everyone thought it tasted great! Found it at the local health food store, but I heard Albertson's carried it as well. I used two boxes to make a double layered cake, which it wasn't easy to do with this cake mix considering there isn't much to hold it together. But icing is a nice glue and cover up, so I practiced with it and it turned out nice!

At the party I got a lot of compliments from the parents, even an, "She didn't make that. She bought it." LOL,  yes, I did take that as a compliment! Everyone enjoyed it and I was very proud of learning something new (and thankful it turned out well). But mostly, I was happy the kids were really tickled with  it.

UPDATE (2-11-12)
I have added the pictures I snapped of my the order of my process:
The image with wax paper on top.

Black icing outline of Sonic's Head (I wish now I did the whole thing!)

Filled in the cream colored areas.

Filled in the green eyes.

Filled in the white areas of the eyes.
Sorry, I skipped some steps in the photos. But Then I filled in the rest of the areas with blue icing and then covered  the entire back with brown icing. Then gently smoothed out the back to make sure the icing settled in the empty areas. Then placed the FBCT in the freezer overnight. 


For more detailed instructions, please visit Cake Central's "How to Create a Frozen Buttercream Transfer", or check out my FBCT Resources page for links to tutorials and videos.


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cool cake. Just what my son would love. Can you explain in more detail how you transferred the design to the cake.

Sonic the Hedgehog Party Supplies

Lainy said...

Hi and thank you! I hope you don't mind, but I can refer you to the site that taught me how to do them instead :)
How To Create a Frozen Buttercream Transfer --Great tutorial with step-by-step instructions and pictures.

Video: "How to do a Buttercream Transfer" - Watch the process of making the transfer.

Video: "How to Decorate a Cake" from BettyCrockerTV.

I hope they help! If you additional help or have more questions, please come back and ask!

Anonymous said...

Hi lainy,
I want to make a similar cake for my son next weekend for his b'day, so can you please please tell me where exactly did you get the image from and the correct shade of colors you used. Thanks in advance.

Lainy said...

Hello!
I used this image, I believe:
http://images.wikia.com/sonic/images/4/4c/Sonicchannel_sonic02_nocircle.png
I only traced the head and not the body.
As for the color, I believe I used Wilton's Royal Blue icing coloring. I had borrowed my friend's cake decorating stuff (I didn't have my own at the time, I was experimenting). I asked her just now what color it might have been. It was a year and half ago, lol, so, to the best of our knowledge, we believe it is Wilton Royal Blue.

Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Lainy for your prompt response!! I know you have made this over a year ago, shoot, I'm lagging behind he he.I must say
your cake is really beautiful and inspiring. I'd be happy if I can get anywhere close to yours! thank you again.

Lainy said...

Thanks so much! Your compliment is most appreciated. Shoot, lol, I'm no cake master and I hardly have a steady hand. It is also why I only traced the head and not the whole picture. So I say...if I can do it, anyone can :) It was the second buttercream transfer i had ever made, the first one was a practice cake and I have to say it really helped a lot. And practicing writing with icing on wax paper helped me learn how much pressure to use. I would scrape the icing up and use it to practice again :) Time consuming, yes, but well worth it.
I made a FBCT cake for my husband last year with the Edmonton Oilers logo and he loved it! I'll have to post a picture of it soon!

Anonymous said...

yes Lainy, you should post that picture too! BTW I did go and get the BC milk chocolate icing today (read in your first FBCT). I have used the Wilton black icing before for some other project and hated it,it required more pressure and kept leaking from the sides of the coupler , I had a messy day :-(. I have a good recipe for the cake but will be trying a new chocolate marshmallow frosting (my son's requirement :-D ). What icing did you use on your chocolate cake? Looks like u love computer games, my son first wanted me to make a Reshiram cake (I dreaded the look of it he he) so finally convinced him with sonic as it looks more do-able (hopefully LOL).Isn't it funny how kid's requirements makes moms all over reach out to other moms who they have no clue about?
Thanks,
Anu

Lainy said...

I used pre-made, store bought Betty Crocker icing all-around. I think I iced the whole cake with whipped chocolate, but I don't recommend that for the FBCT tho. For my husband's cake I used Pillsbury icing.
And yeah, I'm a gamer chick :) Passed that on to my kiddo and he always seems to be ahead of the fads. He wanted Mario when Mario was NOWHERE to be found but the internet. Now it's on every store shelf everywhere I go. Lol, but I am proud that we are not mainstream :)

Anonymous said...

Lainy, just wanted to let you know that I made the sonic cake and yesterday it was a big success! I made the whole image on a rectangular cake and everybody was like I want the head, I want the feet , hands he he. Moms thought that I got it from a store. I wish I could share the picture :-). Thank you very much for your guidance and encouragement :-)

Lainy said...

I would love to see it! Especially if you did the whole thing! And if it's ok with you, may even post a picture of it here...I plan on making a section for the cakes. I am also determined to make a post of another cake today!

Anonymous said...

I am not sure how to post a picture on here. I am looking forward to your new cake post!

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