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    Decorated Treats » Recipes » Decorated Cakes

    Transformers Cake (How to Make)

    Published: Oct 6, 2020 · Modified: Sep 16, 2023 by Priya Maha

    Jump to Recipe

    Here is a simple Transformers cake I decorated for a 6th birthday. The birthday boy's favorite character was Bumblebee, hence the yellow and black overall theme for the cake.

    This is a simple cake decorating tutorial and is a perfect idea for a quick birthday cake fix and one that does not require extensive decorating skills.

    A square cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares and Transformers edible image.
    Simple Transformers Cake - Bumblebee and Optimus Prime Birthday Cake

    This is a fairly simple cake for 2 reasons. Firstly, it is a relatively small single tier cake measuring 8 inches square and a height of about 3 inches. Secondly, it is decorated with basic piped buttercream design and topped with a printed edible image of Transformers. All this do not require as much time, hence makes this Transformers cake design a pretty simple decorating idea.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️Why you will love this tutorial
    • 📋Supplies required
    • ✂️How to make
    • 💡Expert tips
    • ❤️More tutorials you will love❤️
    • 📖Recipe

    ❤️Why you will love this tutorial

    • A quick and simple cake design and can be easily decorated by anyone with minimal decorating skills.
    • No fondant used and therefore no special fondant tools required.
    • A great way to start your cake decorating skills and showcase your creation to others.
    • The tutorial has all the list of all required supplies and step by step decorating guide for easy reference.

    📋Supplies required

    • Chocolate cake - An 8 inches square sheet cake (single layer)
    • Buttercream -  To crumb coat the cake as well as to decorate it.
    • Cocoa powder - To provide a brown base for the black buttercream
    • Edible Image - Custom order or purchase a ready made one from your local cake decorating stores or online stores
    • Sugarcraft knife - To cut out the edible image sheet.
    • Edible gold dragees
    • Wilton golden yellow and Americolor black food coloring
    • Wilton star tip number 18
    • Disposable piping bags
    • Wooden skewer and clean ruler - To measure and mark the squares on the cake. 
    A square cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares and Transformers edible image.
    Simple Transformers Cake

    ✂️How to make

    Step 1: Bake the cake and crumb coat

    • Bake the cake and let it cool down completely to room temperature. Level the top and apply a coat of base buttercream.

    Step 2: Transformers edible image

    • Cut out the Transformers image and place it right in the center of the cake. The buttercream crumb coat on the cake will be able to hold the image in place.
    A square cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares and Transformers edible image.
    Simple Transformers Cake

    Step 3: The square designs on the cake

    • Once the image is in place, mark the square patterns on the cake. Start with the sides and then continue on top. For each side of the cake, measure and divide the length into 4 squares. Once you have all the 4 sides marked, follow the same lines to create the squares on the top of the cake, stopping the marks at the border of the image. 
    • For the top corners, mark them into triangles instead.

    Step 4: The buttercream piping

    • Next, colors into the buttercream icing. Divide the icing into 2 portions. Add yellow food coloring for the first portion. For the second portion, add some cocoa powder to make it brown first. And then add black food coloring to it.
    • Fill both the colored buttercream into one disposable piping bag each.
    • In another empty piping bag, snip the tip and drop the star piping tip into it. You can also use an icing coupler. Place the yellow icing bag into this empty piping bag.
    • Start piping with the yellow icing first before moving to the black one. For each square, pipe the lines continuously from the outer edge all the way until you reach the center and the square is all covered in buttercream. In piping the lines, I make sure they were piped close to one another so that there is no gap in between them that could show the crumb coat underneath. 
    The sides of a cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares.
    Buttercream decoration in yellow and black on the sides of the Transformers birthday cake
    • Once all the yellow piping is done, remove the yellow piping bag from the piping bag fitted with the star tip and replace with the black icing bag. Similar to the yellow squares, start piping the lines from the outer edges of the squares to the centers.
    • Complete the sides of the cake before moving to the top.
    The sides of a cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares.
    The black and yellow buttercream design on the sides of the Transformers cake

    Step 5: Adding the name

    • The next step is adding the birthday boy's name. Cut the name from the edible image sheet (if you have ordered it along with the image) and place it on the birthday cake. Again, no 'glue' is required for the name to stick to the cake. The buttercream will hold it well in place.
    Transformers edible image on a buttercream cake.
    The birthday boy's name in edible image on the Transformers cake

    Step 6: Adding the gold sprinkles border (gold dragee frame)

    • And finally, for the finishing touch, add a row of gold dragees or gold sprinkles all around the Transformers edible image, framing it on the cake.
    • Again, there is no glue required to hold them in place, merely push them into the buttercream around the image and they should stay in place. 
    • And that completes the Transformers cake decoration.
    A square cake decorated with Transformers edible image and yellow and black buttercream.
    The gold dragees frame on the Transformers birthday cake

    💡Expert tips

    • Order the edible image in advance so that you have it ready before your party or event. In ordering the image, make sure the size fits your cake.
    • Mixing cocoa powder to buttercream will make it easier to achieve black frosting without using too much of black food coloring.
    • Another option for adding the birthday person's name on the cake would be to cut it out of fondant or gum paste with letter cutters.

    ❤️More tutorials you will love❤️

    • A round black cake with Star Wars themed cake.
      Star Wars Birthday Cake - How to Make
    • A black and white 2 tier cake with guitar topper and black music note topper
      Guitar Cake Design - How to Make
    • A 2 tier cake covered in chocolate frosting and decorated with fondant tools
      Tools Cake Idea for Men

    Do you like this tutorial? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐rating in the recipe card below and consider a review further down this page. I would love to hear from you. Thank you!

    📖Recipe

    A square cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares and Transformers edible image.

    Transformers Cake

    Here is a simple Transformers cake decorating idea anyone can make. Check out my decorating guide and be on your way to decorating one too!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Decorating time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
    Yield: 1 Eight inches square cake
    Author: Priya Maha
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Sugarcraft knife
    • Wilton star tip number 18
    • Disposable piping bags
    • Wooden skewer and ruler

    For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.

    Ingredients

    • 1 Eight inches square chocolate cake
    • Buttercream
    • Cocoa powder
    • Edible Image
    • Edible gold dragees or sprinkles
    • Wilton golden yellow and Americolor black food coloring

    Instructions

    Bake the cake and crumb coat

    • Bake the cake and let it cool down completely to room temperature.
    • Level the top and apply a coat of base buttercream.

    Attaching the edible image

    • Cut out the Transformers image and place it right in the center of the cake.
    • The buttercream crumb coat on the cake will be able to hold the image in place.

    The square pattern on the cake

    • Once the image is in place, mark the square patterns on the cake. Start with the sides and then continue on top.
    • For each side of the cake, measure and divide the length into 4 squares. Once you have all the 4 sides marked, follow the same lines to create the squares on the top of the cake, stopping the marks at the border of the image.
    • For the top corners, mark them into triangles instead.

    The buttercream piping

    • Next, colors into the buttercream icing. Divide the icing into 2 portions. Add yellow food coloring to the first portion.
    • For the second portion, add some cocoa powder to make it brown first. And then add black food coloring to it.
    • Fill both the colored buttercream into one disposable piping bag each.
    • In another empty piping bag, snip the tip and drop the star piping tip into it. You can also use an icing coupler. Place the yellow icing bag into this empty piping bag.
    • Start piping with the yellow icing first before moving to the black one. For each square, pipe the lines continuously from the outer edge all the way until you reach the center and the square is all covered in buttercream.
    • In piping the lines, I make sure they were piped close to one another so that there is no gap in between them that could show the crumb coat underneath.
    • Once all the yellow piping is done, remove the yellow piping bag from the piping bag fitted with the star tip and replace with the black icing bag. Similar to the yellow squares, start piping the lines from the outer edges of the squares to the centers.
    • Complete the sides of the cake before moving to the top.

    Adding the name

    • The next step is adding the birthday boy's name. Cut the name from the edible image sheet (if you have ordered it along with the image) and place it on the birthday cake.
    • Again, no 'glue' is required for the name to stick to the cake. The buttercream will hold it well in place.

    Adding the gold sprinkles border (gold dragee frame)

    • And finally, for the finishing touch, add a row of gold dragees or gold sprinkles all around the Transformers edible image, framing it on the cake.
    • Again, there is no glue required to hold them in place, merely push them into the buttercream around the image and they should stay in place.
    • And that completes the Transformers cake decoration.

    Notes

    • Order the edible image in advance so that you have it ready before your party or event. In ordering the image, make sure the size fits your cake.
    • Mixing cocoa powder to buttercream will make it easier to achieve black frosting without using too much of black food coloring.
    • Another option for adding the birthday person's name on the cake would be to cut it out of fondant or gum paste with letter cutters.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 870kcal | Carbohydrates: 183g | Protein: 16.2g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 306mg | Sodium: 1869mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 110.1g | Vitamin A: 462IU | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 8.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @decorated_treats or tag #decoratedtreats!

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    I'm Priya, and I'm so excited that you dropped by 🙂 Welcome to DECORATED TREATS, a place where I share all my cake decorating ideas & true and tried recipes for all things sweet.

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    A square cake decorated with yellow and black buttercream squares and Transformers edible image