In this free cake video tutorial, I'm going to show you how to make beautiful monograms for your cakes!
One of the simplest, trendiest ways to personalize a cake for a special occasion is to add a monogram.
Whether you are making a cake for a baby shower, birthday, graduation, or wedding, a monogram can add a touch of elegance or something more whimsical, depending on the style that you choose.
In this free cake video tutorial, I'm going to show you six different monogram techniques using five different mediums: fondant, wafer paper, buttercream, sugar sheets, and chocolate/candy coating.
Materials:
For the Fondant Monograms Demonstrated:
Clay/Fondant Extruder: (Ours is Makins Ultimate Clay Extruder -aff)
Fondant with a little tylose kneaded into it (or gum paste is fine too).
Waxed Paper (for first monogram demonstrated.)
Vegetable Shortening (for the first monogram demonstrated)
Plaque Cutters are optional for the plaque monogram--We used these. You could also place your letters on round, square, blossom, etc. cut-outs.
Buttercream: optional (used for piping and dots on plaque)
Your template of choice. (see below for a few options)
Piping Gel for glue (especially helpful for the first monogram
Wafer Paper Method: Thanks to Teri (MsGF) for giving us this monogramming tip!
Wafer Paper: We bought ours here.
Food coloring pen for tracing your template
Buttercream with your desired size of tip for piping the letters & also your scrollwork.
Your template of choice
Frozen Buttercream Transfer Method
Butter based buttercreams do best. We used our "Classic" vanilla buttercream recipe.
Waxed paper (or parchment paper)-lined cookie sheet
I like to use a little bit of vegetable shortening--optional
Your template & piping tips of choice--I used a Wilton 12 tip to outline my monogram.
Sugar Sheet Method
Wilton Sugar Sheet
Paper template to use for tracing onto the sugar sheet
Buttercream for piping directly onto the sugar sheet letter.
*As we mentioned in the video, you could also use your paper template to mark off your letter on the cake, and then go back in and pipe within that space if you do not have a sugar sheet. Or, if you have an edible image printer, you could print your monogram & pipe directly on top of it for a more textured look.
Chocolate Transfer Method
We used melted White Chocolate Bark (Ambrosia brand) but any candy coating would work. (Candiquik, Sweettooth Fairy, Wilton Candy melts, Merckens, etc.)
Disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away
Waxed Paper (or parchment)-lined cookie sheet
Sugar Pearls or sprinkles
Your template of choice (or you may wish to freehand)
Buttercream for "gluing" the chocolate monogram to the cake.
how to Make a Monogram Template
There are a few good options below for created a monogram template for your cakes.
If you just need one letter for a template, Google Images is a great place to look. Then, you can save the image to your computer (or take a screenshot) and use your photo editing software (I often use Picmonkey for editing) to resize.
Another option is to paste your image to a word document and resize that way, or even to zoom in and out of the photo to the desired size, hold a white sheet of paper to your screen, and very lightly trace the letter/image.
For interlocking monograms or any style of 3-initial monogram, Chicfetti Monogram Maker (free) is a great option!
Creating Monograms for Cakes! Free Cake Video Tutorial
Learn how to make beautiful monograms for your cakes using a variety of mediums including fondant, candy coating, wafer paper, and buttercream!
Materials
For the Fondant Monograms Demonstrated:
- Clay/Fondant Extruder: (Ours is Makins Ultimate Clay Extruder –aff)
- Fondant with a little tylose kneaded into it (or gum paste is fine too).
- Waxed Paper (for first monogram demonstrated.)
- Vegetable Shortening (for the first monogram demonstrated)
- Plaque Cutters are optional for the plaque monogram–We used these. You could also place your letters on round, square, blossom, etc. cut-outs.
- Buttercream: optional (used for piping and dots on plaque)
- Your template of choice. (see below for a few options)
- Piping Gel for glue (especially helpful for the first monogram
Wafer Paper Method
- Wafer Paper
- Food coloring pen for tracing your template
- Buttercream with your desired size of tip for piping the letters & also your scrollwork.
- Your template of choice
Frozen Buttercream Transfer Method
- Butter based buttercreams do best. We used our "Classic" vanilla buttercream recipe.
- Waxed paper (or parchment paper)-lined cookie sheet
- I like to use a little bit of vegetable shortening--optional
- Your template & piping tips of choice--I used a Wilton 12 tip to outline my monogram.
Sugar Sheet Method
- Wilton Sugar Sheet
- Paper template to use for tracing onto the sugar sheet
- Buttercream for piping directly onto the sugar sheet letter.
- *As we mentioned in the video, you could also use your paper template to mark off your letter on the cake, and then go back in and pipe within that space if you do not have a sugar sheet. Or, if you have an edible image printer, you could print your monogram & pipe directly on top of it for a more textured look.
Chocolate Transfer Method
- We used melted White Chocolate Bark (Ambrosia brand) but any candy coating would work. (Candiquik, Sweettooth Fairy, Wilton Candy melts, Merckens, etc.)
- Disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away
- Waxed Paper (or parchment)-lined cookie sheet
- Sugar Pearls or sprinkles
- Your template of choice (or you may wish to freehand)
- Buttercream for "gluing" the chocolate monogram to the cake.
Instructions
Apply monograms as instructed in the video tutorial.
That was Awesome!!!!
So timely! I am making a wedding cake for the 27th, and this will be very helpful....pics to follow!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you all so much for your comments!
@Leslie~ I've done the extruded technique on a cake that was frosted in "fluffy" buttercream, and I'm sure it would be fine for our classic recipe too which contains all butter. However, I've never tried it with Swiss Meringue BC. I would do a trial run to be on the safe side. If placing on top of the cake, no problem. But if it was pressed into the side of the cake, I would want to make sure that the weight of the monogram wouldn't cause sliding. I would imagine it would be fine with a thin, lightweight monogram though. Let us know if you try it!
Hi Melissa - I loved this tutorial and was waiting for something wonderful from you. May I ask one question? On the last monogram made with the melted white chocolate, did you apply that monogram with some melted chocolate directly onto a buttercream cake? And, if so, did it actually stick? Inquiring minds want to know, ha, ha!
Hi Helen! I piped a little buttercream to the back of my chocolate monogram before "gluing" to a buttercream frosted cake. If the cake had been covered with fondant, you could still use a bit of buttercream as glue or even a couple of dots of melted (a little warm, not hot) chocolate. Make sure that your monogram is nice and chilled before applying to the cake so that it will be less fragile.
Thank you so much for doing this tutorial! I've been doing monograms on cakes for a little while now, but I love some of these different techniques!!! Especially the white chocolate method with the pearls!! You are so helpful to me!!! :) Blessings!!!
Thanks so much, Lisa!! Happy to hear it!
Great video! Love the wafer paper one-LOL :)
I really liked the melted chocolate idea. I think I should use chocolate wafers more.
Awesome as always!
Wow love all these ideas. Im just starting out so not very confident piping flowers etc freehand onto cakes, is it possible to use this transfer method for these also?
I'd lust like to say all the tutorials I've watched so far have been amazing and really inspiring, I just need to work out the best place to start! Thank you for all the ideas ?
Could you do the chocolate or candy melts without the sugar perls? I'm making a cake for my mom this weekend and would like to do the monogram in candy melts, but without the sprinkles. What do you recommend?
Hi Beth, yes you can! When I make chocolate decorations I try to make them fairly thick so that they will be less fragile. I also always apply them to the cake when chilled so that they will be easier to handle. When piping your chocolate monogram, I would make more than one just in case of breakage. Also, depending on the look you are going for, you may choose to use the raised side of the monogram or the flat side. If you want the completely smooth look of the flat side, you'll want to pipe the monogram backwards so that it can be flipped over when it's ready. Hope that makes sense! Good luck ;0)
LOVED THIS VIDEO!! SUCH EASY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR DIRECTONS!!! CAN'T WAIT TO TRY!!! THANKS!!!
So happy that you liked it, Jennifer!