New Cakes on the Block

If you've ever dreamed of making a cake with a picture of Dan Aykroyd's face on it, then edible photo paper is the thing for you!  With websites such as TastyFotoArt.com, it is possible to make that Bee Gees cake you've always longed for.  Just email a graphic of anything you want, and it arrives in edible form at your doorstep within days.  Most baking supply stores also carry a variety of pre-made graphics, typically cartoon or Disney-themed.

NKOTB cake for my friend Cassandra's birthday, graphic ordered from TastyFotoArt.com.  I think she was the lucky girl who got the Joey corner of the cake. 

My friend Matt requested this cake for a special occasion.  His partner designed this artwork as an engraving, and it translated well to edible graphic form.  The cake itself was mocha flavored with mocha mousse filling.

This cake was for my niece Natalie, and was made with a pre-made graphic purchased from a cake supply store.

Tips for using edible photo paper:

• Edible graphics show up best on white or light-colored frosting.  This is because any white parts of the graphic will become translucent to clear once they absorb oils from the frosting.
• Do not remove the graphic from the clear plastic sleeve it is stored in until the very moment you are going to apply it to the cake.  I mean it!  Don't even open it up to peek at or touch the graphic.  I learned this the hard way.  Opening the bag even a few minutes earlier will allow the graphic to quickly absorb moisture from the air, and when you go to peel the graphic off of the paper, it breaks into tiny pieces and then you go into emergency cake panic mode.
• Once you've applied the graphic, don't refrigerate the cake!  This will cause the graphic to buckle and look all shriveled.  It is best to apply it quickly after the cake has been frosted so that the icing is still moist and the graphic will adhere easily.
• Graphics can be trimmed to size with scissors, just be careful not to do this until right before you apply it to the cake.
• If the corners of the graphic begin to lift, you can always pipe a border onto the edge to help the graphic adhere.