Help I've got an edible cake topper for ds bday tomorrow, but not sure how to apply it. Anyone done this?

[Jemster]

Hi
I've bought a Mr Men edible cake topper to cover the top of 7.5" sponge cake but I don't know the best way to stick it on and am worried I'll mess it up and have no cake!
I normally use buttercream icing but it says royal or sugar paste are better as they are not as wet. I'm not sure how to make either of these, which one is easiest?

Also would it be enough just to put jam in the middle as I think buttercream too sweet and kids don't like cream.

Any help gratefully received as I am not a confident baker and the tea party is tomorrow.

What sort is it? Rice paper, icing?

It says it is printed on an edible icing sheet.

I had to put mine in the freezer for half an hour (on the recommendation of a cake expert on here) before it would peel off the backing paper and onto the cake properly. The instructiond said no longer than three mins but it was still bendy and stuck on in that short time.

I used royal underneath first.

So you have a plain sponge?

Sugar paste is just roll on icing, royal icing is made from egg whites and icing sugar and sets really hard. It also might not be suitable for your guests (raw eggs/vunerable groups) but you can get a royal icing in the baking isle that you just add water to.

I got mine out of the packaging for a few hours last time to stiffen up (not too long though as it'll dry out) and just peeled it from the backing quite easily. Another time the damn thing just wouldn't peel without ripping and shredding so I had to put it on the cake still with the plastic backing on. It looked shit and you couldn't get the candles in.

So my advice is, whichever way you do it, do it tonight so if it doesn't work out you have time to get a plan B....

Tbh I bought tge royal icing from my local corner shop as I messed that up many times and just had to roll it over the cake and damp the top a bit.

I had a Star Wars one for my son and just had to put a little water on the icing already on the cake to stick it. I did have to be careful not to get it too wet as it could have made it tear. I was also told to put it in the freezer for a couple of mins, but din't need to in the end.

DreamlessSleep that sounds like it might be the easiest thing to do. Is it quite easy to roll on?

The one I bought suggested that if you were using a buttercream or cream cheese frosting, making a thin backing sheet of icing (I just bought a block of white and rolled a ball into a circle). I placed this on top of the cream cheese frosting.

I then sprayed this with a tiny bit of water and laid the edible topper on top of it. You couldn't taste the sheet of icing as it was so thin, it just stopped the fat from the cheese and butter ruining the topper.

Another tip was to place the topper on just before serving the cake.

Dolallytats, what sort of icing did you have on your cake?

It was ok. I just rolled it out and and lifted it eith the rolling pin and slid it slowly over cake so it went on smoothly then used a knife to trim the excess from the bottom edges.

With not eith

It was just some ready to roll icing from Tesco. I figured that would be the easiest to put an icing sheet on.

Well we had the party and cake today. Let's just say I won't be rushing to order another edible cake topper!

Oh dear! What happened?!

First it took ages to start to peel off the paper. Then the cake wasn't quite wet enough for it to stick so had to lift it off to add more water. Then it started to tear where it had got a little wet. Laid it back on paper and rested it on cake. Ds didn't know or care and was thrilled whilst I was a stressed out mess in the kitchen!!
Sainsburys ready made character cake next year!!

Oh no! I must've been very lucky - my eBay cheapie one was super-easy to peel off and apply.

I got my personalised icing topper from ebay too and had no problems when i laid it on top of the cake this morning. I was concerned after reading other posts but will be buying them again.