A method of coating carbon based electrodes and thick electrodes without mud-cracking is described. The electrode ink is deposited on a decal substrate, and transferred to a hot press before the electrode ink is completely dried. The partially dried electrode ink is hot pressed to the membrane to form a membrane electrode assembly. A membrane electrode assembly including a polymer membrane; and a pair of crack-free electrode layers on opposite sides of the polymer membrane, each of the pair of electrode layers having a thickness of at least about 50 μm is also described.