Monogram Cake Tutorial
In this free cake video tutorial, I'm going to show you how to make beautiful monograms for your cakes!
Table of Contents
Monograms on 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.
Wooohooooo!!! It's here. It's here. It's here!! Gonna watch right now!
Just watched your entire new video. It was fantastic and just what I have been waiting for. Your step by step demos are very easy to follow and understand. I think everyone will find something they are in love with. I can't wait to try the frozen buttercream transfer monogram; I have been wanting to do this for soooo long, and the candy quick method. I have 2 questions: are sugar sheets and wafer paper so similar that you could use one or the other, and would there be a comparable product to candy quick/candy melts to do your last demo? Thank you Melissa for this outstanding video!!
Thanks ladies!
@Paula M- Sugar sheets and wafer paper are similar in that they are both edible. The main difference between the two is that sugar/frosting sheets are thicker and they are not see through. So, you would not be able to place a template beneath a sugar sheet and trace it with a coloring pen (as we did with the wafer paper technique I demonstrated in the video). However, you can cut letters from wafer paper just as we did with the "s" that we cut from the sugar sheet, and pipe right on top of it.
For the last demonstration, any brand of candy coating would be fine! I often use Ambrosia brand candy coating blocks since that's what my grocery store carries and we always have it on hand. Anything like Candiquick or Wilton's candy melts, Mercken's melts, etc. would work well too.
Awesome Melissa! Thank you for sharing your ideas and talent!
Thank you so much Melissa!!
OK, I haven't even watched it yet and I am SOOOOOO excited!!!!!! I'm sure I'll be jumping up and down after watching. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It always amazes me that your videos provide me with a timely solution for an upcoming order....... You must have ESP, Melissa! LOVED the video!!!
Many thanks:)
@Joan, so glad that you are excited to watch ;0)
@Nancy- Haha, I wish I had ESP-- that would make things so much easier! So glad that you can use these techniques! ;0)
I love, love, love this, Melissa! You make everything look so easy, and have a beautiful eye for color and style! Thank you so much for doing this :D
Enjoyed the video! I especially liked the last one with the chocolate & sprinkles! Thanks Melissa!
Wow! This is such an awesome video! Very inspiring! I love, love, love it! Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming!
The video was fabulous and your teaching superb! I wonder if in the first video where the fondant is extruded, can you place this one on buttercream? If so, could it be SMBC or would it be better on lets say your Fluffy Buttercream? AS always, I have learned so much. Thanks!