Subway Surfer Cake - How To Do a Frozen Buttercream Transfer

I made this Subway Surfer (game app) this weekend using a frozen buttercream transfer technique. You will be surprised at how easy this technique is! 

1. Find an image or draw an image that you want to transfer. For this Subway Surfer cake, I decided to use the main character and use the game's spray-painted lettering look to spell out the Happy Birthday message. Make sure you make it or print it out as the size you want it.  

2. The image will appear on the cake as mirror image to your original drawing. In this case, I needed the lettering to be mirror image so I scanned the picture and then printed it out as a mirror image copy.

3. Place the paper on a hard surface like a cutting board or cookie sheet. Tape a piece of wax or parchment paper over the top of the image.

4.  Fill your bags with the colored buttercream frosting. You will probably wants to start with a black outline of the design. You will want to use tips #1 or #2 for smaller areas and outlining and can go up to a #3 on larger areas. 

5. Outline the image completely with #1 or #2 tip. 

6. Fill in the rest of the image with preferred colors. Keep in mind shading. If you want certain colors to be on top of others, you will actually need to apply the shading first since the colors on the bottom will end up being the colors on the top of the cake once the transfer is flipped. For example, I highlighted the character's face and made his mouth and then colored over it with the flesh colored icing. You will ice it as if you are coloring it with back and forth motions while squeezing the bag.  Make sure the frosting is even in height across the image.

7.  Place the image, still taped to the hard surface, in the freezer for at least 90 minutes. Ice your cake with the desired background color (I used white). After at least 90 minutes has passed, remove the image from the freezer, remove tape, and flip the parchment paper over on the cake.  You can keep it on the hard surface to prevent it from cracking. You will need to proceed quickly but carefully as you peel the paper back, leaving the image on the cake. If you need to alter the image in any way,  wait about 20 minutes for the buttercream to return to room temperature.  

8. Decorate the rest of the cake as desired and you are done!