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Fault line Cake WITH Buttercream Stripes, and Building a Double Barrel Tier
How to make a fault line cake AND perfect buttercream stripes! (Also, building a double barrel cake tier!)
Fault line Cake AND Buttercream Stripes, Honeycomb themed

I used 2, 6" round cake layers baked in 3" deep tins

AND

1, 6" round cake layer baked in a 4"deep tin for this double barrel cake.

 

Jennifer Dockter of  The Farmer's Wife Cakes shared some great tips with me before I started my first ever buttercream stripes cake and they were a big help!

Aaaaand you can get 17% off Ester's Icing combs by entering Jennifer's code at checkout... thefarmerswifecakes

Here are the tips she shared:

  • Use American buttercream for stripes. Some cakers swear by using Swiss and Italian for their stripe cakes, but I’ve found them to not be stiff enough. Also, when the heated metal comb hits that butter in American, it smooths wonderfully.
  • If there are big gaps happening while smoothing, get it semi-looking ok, freeze for 20-30 mins and then fill in the gaps with more bc and smooth again. After it gets to looking how you want it, freeze for another 20-30 and then fill with the contrasting colors of choice.
  • Use warmed, flat scraper to smooth. My Cakeheads scraper has been a total lifesaver for this...annnnnndddd pretty much everything else. Just sayin’.
  • If you find that your BC is dragging in front of or behind the comb, use a spray bottle filled with water and lightly spray the cake and then go over it with the comb. :)
  • It’s going to look like crap for the first few (and sometimes a ton of) spins. Don’t give up. Keep going. It takes a lot of determination!

 

More advice from Teresa Davidson of Next Generation Cakes by T on making perfect, smudge free stripes...

1) Use plenty of buttercream on the cake sides. It needs to be deeper than the comb teeth.

2) Make sure the sides are straight after frosting.

3)The comb works best if the cake is chilled and the buttercream is hard to the touch.

4) It is best to use a piping bag to fill in any depressions/gaps when using the comb.  Warm the comb a bit.

5) Chill the cake before piping the strips. I chill mine overnight.

6) After piping the stripes, use a piping bag to fill any gaps, etc. as you use your straight edge scraper to scrape away the excess frosting so the stripes are clean.

7) Patience is required.

8)All butter buttercream is required.

Join the Cakeheads family to see how I made the honey bee topper, the edible mead/wine bottle and the faux-honey drip...and soooo many more fun cake tutorials! 

This is an adaptation of Lauren Kitchen's Easy Buttercream recipe. It's a little bit sweeter than her original recipe (but definitely not too sweet!) and works well for piping flowers and buttercream designs, as a buttercream underneath fondant (as it hardens in the fridge nicely to get those sharp edges on your fondant) or just left as a buttercream finish on your cake. It's my new favorite!

The only white (vanilla) cake recipe I’ll use, now, as it’s moist, dense, carves well, and is RIDICULOUSLY delicious! (Works great for cupcakes, too!) Just leave out the almond extract and substitute it for more vanilla if you want this to be a delicious vanilla cake!

The only chocolate cake recipe I’ll use, now, as it’s moist, dense, carves well, and is RIDICULOUSLY delicious! 

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Clear With Stripe Boba Straws
Stripe colors may vary: orange, red, pink, yellow, purple, green, blue. Size: approx. 8.25" x 0.5". 172+ quality straws One slanted end. Great for cake decorating also
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Professional Spatula Set - Stainless Steel Oversized Hamburger Flipper
Commercial Grade Quality perfect for the professional kitchen but practical enough for your home or outdoor grill as best griddle grill accessories or bbq tool set. Professional grade restaurant style stainless steel spatulas.
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Cakeheads Bench Scraper
EMAIL THOMAS AT [email protected] (or click on the link and fill out the contact form) IF YOU'D LIKE TO ORDER A BENCH SCRAPER.
(We're running low in stock and don't currently have them listed on Amazon.)

Measuring 10″ in height, the Cakeheads bench scraper is ideal for icing double barrel height cake tiers as well as regular height tiers, and its curved handle sits flush with your cake board creating a 90 degree angle, helping you achieve perfectly vertical sides when icing your cakes.
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Wilton 418-789 Carded Tip Cake Icer
Wilton-Decorating tip. These icing tips simply screw onto Wilton decorating icing pouches or tubes and make it easy for you to create great looking designs on your cakes in minutes. This package contains one decorating tip made of nickel-plated brass. Dishwasher safe. Comes in a variety of styles. Each sold separately.
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Artisan Accents Gel Pastes
Colors so pure and vibrant, a drop or two is all you need. Easy to mix, with no impact on flavor. Our 10 core colors allow infinite combinations.
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Sweet Sticks Edible Art Decorative Cake Paint 0.5 Ounce (15 Milliliters), Metallic Honey Gold
Shake the bottle well, to ensure the solid and liquid ingredients mix together to form an even consistency to paint with; you can also open the bottle and give the mixture a stir with the end of your paint brush before shaking; shake the bottle each time before you use the paint, including between sessions;
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IYARA 30 Edible Leaf Sheets – Multipurpose 24 Karat Yellow Gold Leaves for Food and Cake Decoration
The edible gold leaves are the ideal food decoration. You can use the gold leaf sheets to decorate cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, chocolates, desserts, baking goods, and more. You can also use the gold leaves to decorate your plates and add a touch of luxury to your dining table!
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Duorime New 7pcs Black Oval Makeup Brush Set
Each different 7pcs brushes cover all of your makeup needs in terms of application for artist or beginner.
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Fiskars Acrylic Ruler, 6x24 Inch
Fiskars large Coastal Colors Acrylic Ruler is perfectly sized for cutting strips or squares of fabric right from the bolt. It features clearly marked measurement lines and 30-, 45- and 60-degree line indicators. Made of durable acrylic.
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SINGER 00218 Tape Measure, 60-Inch
The SINGER 60-inch tape measure is made of durable, yet flexible vinyl, making it perfect for a seamstress or tailor. Well suited for clothing design and production, the soft tape measure rests seamlessly along curved and flat surfaces. Black print on pink background allows for easy sight and marked inches and centimeters allows for simple conversions.
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honeycomb mat
Use to add texture and an intricate pattern into sugar paste, chocolate etc.
Measures 6in x 12in
Double sided to emboss or raise the pattern in your paste
Flexible, strong and easy to wash.
Made from food grade plastic
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Ester's buttercream stripes comb
Choose from so many AWESOME icing combs, and use code "cakeheads" to get 17% off your order!