Edible images make very convenient cake and cupcake decoration. In this post on how to put edible image on a cake, I will guide you in understanding what are edible images and the different ways in which you can use or apply edible images, not only on buttercream, but also on fondant and royal icing.
Edible images are a great invention in the world of cake decorating. They offer endless possibilities for adding unique and personalized touches to your creations. These edible decorations allow you to transfer images, designs, or even photographs onto your cakes, bringing them to life.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what edible images are, how to make them, their various uses, and step-by-step instructions for applying them to both buttercream and fondant cakes. Additionally, we'll provide tips on storing unused edible images.
Jump to:
- ❤️Why you will love this guide
- What is an Edible Image?
- Making Edible Images
- What can you use Edible Images for
- 👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to a Buttercream Cake
- 💡Expert tips
- 👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to a Fondant Cake
- 💡Expert tips
- 👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to Royal icing
- ❓How to Store Unused Edible Images
❤️Why you will love this guide
- Edible images make super easy and convenient way to decorate your sweet treat like cakes and cupcakes.
- You can create and apply unique edible cake decorations that are completely customized such as physical photos that are completely edible.
- It is an easy way to decorate cakes and cupcakes for a professional look.
- You can customize the edible images to your party theme or for any other special occasion.
What is an Edible Image?
- Edible images, as the name suggests are images that are printed on edible sheets with edible inks and are completely safe for consumption. These sheets look very much like typical writing paper with images printed on. And, unless you are familiar with edible prints, you will probably mistake these for paper sheets.
- Also known as edible icing sheets ( or edible icing images, edible cake image, edible sheet or edible prints), edible images are flexible, thin flat sheets made from edible materials, such as sugar or starches.
- These edible paper (also sometimes referred to as frosting sheets or sugar sheets) are designed in such a way that you can literally print any image on them as you like with edible ink in a special printer. For the images to look nice and sharp, the image you wish to print has to be in high resolution.
- Edible images make very easy and convenient cake decorations. They also make it very convenient to add detailed designs and logos onto your cakes and cupcakes without having to go through the trouble of cutting them out of fondant or painting them on fondant.
- You can also literally print any image or design you like including your own edible photo, photos of your family members, logos, or any other design and place it on a cake or cupcake.
- And edible images also make great edible cake toppers too. You can cut them out and stick them to fondant and use as 2D edible topper for cakes and cupcakes. It makes not only very pretty decorations, but also very quick and easy.
- You can either purchase pre-made edible images from specialized suppliers. You can also create your own using an edible printer, edible food colors and compatible software.
Making Edible Images
There are 2 ways in which you can get edible images. Firstly is by printing them on your own.
1. Print your own
- To make your own edible images, you will need certain special equipment like special edible printers. These are specifically designed for printing on food-safe surfaces.
- You will also need edible ink cartridges that are filled with FDA-approved food coloring for the printer.
- And last but not least, you will require the edible papers themselves. These are thin, flexible edible image sheet known as the icing sheet or frosting sheet and are often sold in A4 sizes.
- For best results, you will need to use high resolution image for printing.
2. Purchase or custom order
- The other option is to purchase ready made ones (if you are using pre-printed images) or order custom printed images. You can enquire these from your local bakeries or cake decorating supply stores. Many of them to offer edible images printing services.
- You can also look for online retailers whom you can place your order with. Websites like Amazon and Etsy do offer edible images for sale. When using online services, read revies and ensure the supplier uses food-grade materials and ink. Also take note of the time it would take for the images to be prepared and delivered to you, so that you get them in time for your projects.
- Depending on your printer or edible image supplier, some images are pre-cut. This means you can readily peel the plastic backing sheet and apply the images onto your cakes. Some however, would require you to cut them yourself. For example, if you are ordering 10 round cupcake toppers, these will be fitted into an edible sheet side by side so as to not waste the sheet. If these are not precut for you (pre-cut circles), you will have to cut them one by one yourself.
What can you use Edible Images for
Other than using edible images as a quick and easy way to decorate a cake like how I did in this Ben 10 cake, edible images are also very useful in a number of other ways:
- They are frequently used to add intricate designs, logos, or patterns to cakes for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or corporate events. In this Nissan GTR car cake, I used edible image prints of the car logo and number plate. These were intricate designs which is almost impossible to achieve through painting on fondant.
- Edible images are also a popular choice for personalized or photo cakes, where photographs or images of loved ones can be transferred onto the cake's surface.
- Furthermore, edible images can be used to create themed cakes, featuring characters from movies, cartoons, or sports teams like how I added the images of characters from the Lion King story onto the side of this Lion King cake.
- Here are some of the cakes I have decorated with edible images. See how it was very convenient to use edible images especially for logos and images:
👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to a Buttercream Cake
- For best results, if you want to use edible images onto a buttercream covered cake, make sure the buttercream is smooth otherwise you image will not look even on the cake. Cakes covered in textured buttercream finishing like this marble pound cake will not yield best results.
- To apply an edible image to a buttercream cake, follow these simple steps:
- Prepare your cake as usual and cover it with smooth buttercream.
- If you images is not already precut, cut it with a sugar craft knife or a pair of sharp scissors.
- Gently peel the edible image from its backing paper.
- Carefully place image onto the buttercream cake, starting from one edge and gently smoothing it down over the cake's surface. This is an important step to make sure you do not trap any air bubbles between the sheet and the cake.
- Use a fondant smoother or your clean dry hands to smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles in the image.
💡Expert tips
- When applying the edible image onto buttercream cakes, you typically do not need any form of ‘adhesive’ to stick it to the cake. The grease from the buttercream is suffice to hold it in place. Do note however, that if the buttercream on your cake has crusted, it might be difficult to stick the image to it. For best results, attach the images immediately after covering the cake with buttercream.
- If you find that it is not sticking properly, apply some shortening to the cake and attach the image. It should stick well. You can also apply a layer of very thin icing to help stick the image.
- All, when smoothing the images with a fondant smoother or by hand, take care to not apply too much pressure or you might leave dents on the buttercream underneath.
- If you notice any air bubbles trapped underneath the image, take a clean pin and poke the image. Press it lightly to release the air and stick the image to the buttercream.
👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to a Fondant Cake
- Similar to buttercream cakes, it is important that the surface you intent to attach the images is smooth. The process of sticking the image to fondant, however is slightly different as fondant is dry and will not be able to act as an adhesive to hold the image in place. The edible image requires a moist surface to stick well.
- To apply an edible image to a buttercream cake, follow these simple steps:
- Prepare your cake as usual and cover it fondant. Smooth the fondant well.
- Gently peel the edible image from its backing paper.
- Apply a thin layer of shortening on the fondant (with a brush or a palette knife) on the part of the cake where you want to attach the edible image.
- Place the edible image onto the fondant-covered cake, starting from one edge and gently smoothing it down over the cake's surface.
- Use a fondant smoother or your clean dry fingers to smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles in the image.
💡Expert tips
- Instead of shortening, you can also use small amount of water to wet the fondant but suffice if the fondant is dampened instead of covered in obvious water. For best result, dip a brush in water and blot it onto a kitchen towel before brushing the fondant.
- Similar to applying the image onto buttercream, if you notice any air bubbles trapped underneath the image, take a clean pin and poke the image. Press it lightly to release the air and stick the image to the fondant.
- The good point about using shortening is that you get to peel the image off slightly to adjust it if necessary. With water, you might not be able to do it.
👩🍳How to Apply Edible Images to Royal icing
- Royal icing is similar to fondant because it tends to crust and harden after applying to cakes. To attach edible images to a royal icing covered surface, you can use a light brushing of corn syrup or edible glue.
❓How to Store Unused Edible Images
- If you have leftover edible images or need to store them for future use, proper storage is essential to maintain their quality and prevent them from drying out. Do take note of the shelf life of the images to avoid using expired sheets. Also, the quality of the image will start to deteriorate as you keep it too long.
To store unused edible images:
- Keep them in their original packaging (most of them come is plastic bag) or an airtight container or a sealed bag to protect them from moisture and high humidity (especially during summer months).
- Store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight at room temperature.
- To ensure they don’t get folded, keep them flat on a flat surface, do not fold or roll them
- Avoid extreme temperatures or fluctuations, as they can affect the image's quality and color. d. Follow the specific storage instructions provided by the manufacturer, as different brands may have slightly different recommendations.
And that's pretty much my guide on how to put edible image on a cake. Hope you find this useful.
Happy decorating 🙂
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