Block-Printed Cake
Posted by ReadyMade
by Ashley Brown; Photos by Shane Redsar
“This past semester I took a printmaking class at Otis College of Art and Design. As our final project, we were asked to print something that really interested us. Thanks to encouragement from my professor, I was able to concentrate on my first love, cake design.” ---Maker of the Month, Ashley Brown; Santa Monica, California
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Half a day
Cost
$$
- Cake (baked and iced with fondant; tiers optional)
- Icing color or fondant dye (I prefer Wilton’s icing colors for their thicker consistency)
- Small bowl
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
Materials
- Pattern
- Transfer paper
- Pencil
- Lino cutters with different attachments
- Baking sheet
- Brayer kit
- Rubber printing blocks (Speedball is great)
Tools
Pick out a pattern(s) that you would like to put directly onto your fondant-covered cake. I suggest a repeating pattern that is simple and easy to replicate.
Make a transfer by drawing your pattern on paper or printing out a pattern you found. Then follow the instructions on the transfer paper to transfer the pattern onto the printing block. Use the lino cutter to carve along the lines.
To prepare the “ink,” start with about 1½ tbsp icing color or fondant dye per tier in a small bowl. Slowly add powdered sugar until the consistency reaches that of honey. Add a small amount of milk to smooth out any lumps. (It needs to be smooth enough to roll onto the printing block in a thin layer.)
Pour the ink onto a baking sheet and evenly coat the brayer with a good amount of ink. Use it to cover the printing block with ink.
Print on the cake with the printing block. To do this, line up the block with the bottom edge of the cake, stamp, then continue to stamp around the cake. Use the edge of the pattern on the printing block for registration marks. The ink transfers fairly easily, and the more pressure you apply to the block, the darker the color. After a couple of hours, your cake should be dry enough to handle and show off.
