When we first saw Kim Tranell's celebrity cakes on Instagram, we were blown away. When she told us she could teach anyone—yes, anyone—how to create their own, we threw our heads back and laughed ... until we realized she was serious, and at which point, we demanded that she teach us her ways.
Each decoration is made entirely of buttercream (read: No gummy fondant or plastic-y flavors here), and require little more skill than being able to use a printer and trace.
No, seriously.
Here's what you'll need:
- 1 baked cake (you can use a box mix here; we did!)
- 1 batch stiff buttercream frosting (Tranell recommends this Wilton recipe, which is easy to pipe)
- Food coloring
- 1 small cutting board or tray that can hold the sketch—and fit in your freezer
- Wax paper
- Tape
- Icing bags
- Round piping tips in sizes 1, 2 and 3
- Toothpicks
Step 1: Choose Your Subject—and Create the Template
If you moonlight as a Times Square caricature artist, proceed directly to Step 2. For the rest of us, Tranell has a few suggestions:
- Trace a photo to create a basic sketch of the person's face
- Use Bitmoji, or another emoji app, to create a cartoon-y image of the person you want to feature
- Look for line drawings on Instagram or DeviantArt using #FanArt—just make sure you ask for permission first!
- Use an image from a coloring book (That's how Tranell created her Harry Styles cake.)
Or, if you'd like, you can print and use Tranell's sketch of Taylor Swift, because there is no better way to decorate a cake than by belting out "'cause the bakers gonna bake, bake, bake, bake, bake" as you frost.
Once you have a sketch you'd like to use, scan it (or take a photo of it), and open the image in a file editing program, like Photoshop, Pixlr or even MS Paint. Flip the image horizontally and save it, then print a copy. This step is critical, since you're flipping the photo onto the cake at the end.
Step 2: Mix Up Your Buttercream and Get Tracing
Whew. The hardest part (deciding on a subject worthy of an entire cake) is over. Now, take that printout of your sketch and tape it to a small tray or cutting board, then tape a layer of wax paper on top of it.
Divide the batch of buttercream frosting you made into bowls—one for each color you'll need in your sketch—adding just a tiny drop of food coloring in at a time until you reach the desired shades you need. (For skin tones, Tranell recommends using a mix of ivory and copper food coloring. She buys hers at Party City, and says the cake decorating selection there is better than many craft stores.) Gel food coloring tends to work better than water-based ones, which can thin out the frosting, creating a gloopy, runny sketch that looks more like Edvard Munch'sThe Scream than T-Swizzle.
Outline the sketch using black buttercream frosting. Tranell typically uses a size 2 or 3 round tip for the outer edge of the design, then switches to a size 1 round tip for the facial features, since it creates a finer, more delicate line.
Tranell's Pro Tip: If your frosting is hard to squeeze out, remove it from the bag and microwave it in 5-second intervals, stirring in between, until the frosting is more pliable.
Step 3: Fill in the Outline
Fill in your outline, one color at a time. "Keep layering in mind," Tranell says. "For instance, when you're trying to create depth in a person's hair [like Swift's]—you may do their blonde streaks first, then fill in a darker blonde color all around it."
Once the sketch has been filled in, gently smooth the top of the frosting, so your design is level (and won't look all lumpy when you apply it to the cake later). This also ensures you don't have any blank spots in the design, Tranell explains.
Put it in the freezer for at least four hours. When you check on it, you should be able to peel away the edge of the wax paper, and the frosting design will stay rigid, like a decal.
Step 4: Add the Frosting Design to Your Cake
Grab your baked, frosted cake. If it's still warm, stick it in the freezer to cool a bit, otherwise the frosting face will melt and smear when you apply it. (See previous concerns about recreating The Scream.)
Gently flip the frosting face onto the center of the cake, so the wax paper is facing up. Lightly press the design into the cake's frosting, so it will stick, and slowly peel away the wax paper.
Flecks of frosting may stick to the wax paper, and that's okay. Tranell keeps her frosting-filled piping bags on standby for any touchups.
If you make a celebrity cake, post a photo to Instagram and tag @delishdotcom and @Ktranell so we can fangirl over it. Because you know we will.
