What Is A Fault Line Cake? - Coffee House and Pastries

Fault line cakes are one of the most popular cake trends in the last few years. Similar to a geode cake, a fault line cake is made with deliberate crevices (but this time, around the middle of the cake). This crevice is then filled with sprinkles, cookies, flowers, and more to create a ‘fault line’!
The rough edge, plus the bees and the beehive make it look very organic. The colors and the geometric shapes add a touch of glam to this fault line cake.The matching colors of the sprinkles and the chocolate strokes, the macarons and gold cake toppers bring together the fun yet sober look of the cake.

What is a “fault line” frosting?

If you’re not familiar, this new trend is really just a way of frosting cakes where you have a ring of decoration, then you frost the rest of the cake without covering up that ring. The actual “fault line” can be decorated with anything imaginable.

What are the most common faults in baking?

What follows is a list of the most common faults and their causes. 1. Cake Is Sunk in the Middle Most of the causes of a sunken cake are concerned with recipe imbalance.

What is a “fault line” frosting?

Stunning Fault Line CakesBehind The Cake

Fault Line Cakes are now trending on the internet.

This new Fault Line Cakes trend is going viral in social media.

By looking at these fault line cakes, I can see why they are becoming so popular.It was on one of the baking groups that I belong to that I first became aware of this new fashion.Because of the pointillism sprinkles on the tiger cake, it immediately draws your attention.Susie.The artist explains how she created the picture of the tiger using the sprinkle pointillism method she learned from her mother.

The hibiscus and the leaves really bring the overall design of this fault line cake together perfectly.

Cake by: @Susiemakes

IG:@susiemakescakes

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Cake by: The Cake Barn

Aren’t you thinking that this is a pretty fresh fault line cake?How they utilized the lemons and stenciled the buttercream is fascinating, as is the technique they used.The vibrant colours of yellow and green stand out against the pure white buttercream so beautifully.Fault line cake is both visually appealing and, I’m sure, delicious.This cake is decorated with Oreo biscuits and chocolate drizzle.

Patriotic fault line cake

This is the cake that I baked with a fault line in it.The theme for this year’s Fourth of July celebrations was Independence Day.I used the fault line cake technique as well as horizontal buttercream lines to create this cake.Cake with a story behind it Fault line cake on Independence Day″ data-image-caption=data-image-caption= ″This is a cake with a fault line in it.The Fourth of July is the theme.″ loading=″lazy″ data-medium-file=″ data-large-file=″ data-small-file=″ src=″ alt=″ src=″ The size of the image is 600 pixels wide and 901 pixels high.″ srcset=srcset=srcset ″2614w, 200w, 768w, 682w, 150w, 600w, 1416w, 2124w, 768w, 682w Sizes are as follows: (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px″ data-recalc-dims=″1″>

Cake by: Tracy-Anne Hirst of DreamcatcherCakesbyTracyAnne

Tracy-Anne Hirst created the cake.″loading=″lazy″ data-medium-file=″ data-large-file=″ data-small-file=″ src=″ alt=″ src=″″ width=″708″ height=″708″ width=″708″ srcset=srcset=srcset ″1080w, 150w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 600w, 500w, 1080w, 150w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 600w, 500w ″ sizes=″(max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px″ data-recalc-dims=″1″ data-recalc-dims=″1″ data-recalc-dims=″1″ ″> The following is an example of a formalized formalized formalized

Cake by: The Lovely Baker

The cake is a stunning combination of black and gold. This cake comes with a step-by-step explanation on how to construct it. The rough edge, as well as the bees and the beehive, give it a really organic appearance.

Cake by: Cakes By The Lake

The use of vibrant colors and geometric shapes elevates this fault line cake to a new level of glitz.The complementing colors of the sprinkles and chocolate strokes, as well as the macarons and gold cake toppers, bring the cake’s playful yet serious appearance together in one cohesive whole.www.cakesbythelake.com.au ″data-image-caption=″www.cakesbythelake.com.au″ data-image-caption=″www.cakesbythelake.com.au″ loading=″lazy″ data-medium-file=″ data-large-file=″ data-small-file=″ src=″ alt=″ src=″″ width: 708px; height: 883px; srcset=″ 753w, 241w, 150w, 600w″ sizes=″(max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px″ src=″ 753w, 241w, 150w, 600w″ srcset=″ 753w, 241w, 150w, 600w″ data-recalc-dims=″1″>

Cake by: @maris_sol_cakes

With the bright colors, flowers, and gold leaf, this one is a lot of fun.The use of black lines, in my opinion, enhances the visual impact.@maris sol cakes is on Instagram.″ data-medium-file=″ data-large-file=″ data-small-file=″ loading=″lazy″ src=″ alt=″ src=″″ height=″845″ width=″708″ width=″708″ srcset=srcset=srcset ″1080p, 252p, 768p, 859p, 150p, 600p Sizes are as follows: (max-width: 708px) 100vw, 708px″ data-recalc-dims=″1″>

Cakes by @loveleighscakery

The water color used for the next fault line cakes adds a splash of color and whimsy to these cakes.The top embellishments, such as the macaron, meringue biscuits, or seashells, help to balance the decorative line, drawing your attention to the cake for a symmetrical and entertaining cake.Here is a video demonstration of the sprinkle pointillism method used by @susiemakes, as well as the process of creating the black and gold bee cakes.

How to Make a Fault Line Cake

A new trend in the cake business has emerged in 2019: fault line cakes are everywhere!
You may not be aware of it, but this new trend is just a method of frosting cakes in which you start with a circle of decoration and then frost the rest of it without covering up the circle.
The real ″fault line″ may be embellished with virtually any material you can imagine.
Just a few of the embellishments I’ve come across include sprinkles, buttercream flowers, and fruit to name a few.
I decided to use an abstract buttercream design to adorn the fault line on my fault line cake in order to make things a little simpler on myself.
Despite the fact that the entire process of producing a fault line cake is quite simple, I did learn a few tricks along the road that will make the process much easier for you!

Continue reading for my suggestions and a complete set of instructions, or watch my video guide!

Tips for Making A Fault Line Cake:

Choose a cake that is taller. Using this advice isn’t strictly necessary, but it does make life a little simpler. In order to create a fault line cake, I started with a 6 inch/3 layer cake, which is my standard recipe. Upon closer inspection, I saw that this left little opportunity for my own flaws to manifest themselves. Instead, I went ahead and added three more levels! As a result, if you have the possibility, a higher cake will provide you with far more vertical area in which to construct your fault line.
Make your design flaws more noticeable than you believe they should be. At first glance, it may not appear to be a problem, but as you smooth out your final application of frosting, a significant amount of frosting will be pushed over the margins of your fault line. Using a larger pattern than you think you’ll need will prevent you from accidentally covering too much of it with your final icing.
Check to be that your cake is completely cold in between icing the center ring and frosting the remainder of the cake. Just as with any other type of buttercream design, a small bump can cause major problems! After you’ve finished creating your fault line pattern, place it in the refrigerator to cool until everything is absolutely hard. Make sure the final layer of frosting is thick enough to stand out from the flaw pattern so that if you accidentally bump into the center while icing the rest of the cake, it will not be messed up. In part, the depth difference between the fault line and the outside icing contributes to the visually appealing appearance of fault line cakes. Utilize a fairly thick application of icing so that it remains distinct from the core design even after it has been smoothed

How to Make a Fault Line Cake Step-by-Step

Make your cake according to the recipe. Prepare your cake by stacking it, coating it with crumb coating, and chilling it before beginning your design. To create this pattern, you may use whatever sort of buttercream you choose.
To make a rough indication of where you want the fault line to be, you may use a knife to sketch it out with a pencil.
Decorate the fault line with a pattern of your choosing. I created a basic abstract design using the back of a spoon by dabbing little lumps of buttercream onto the cake. If you want to decorate your cake with sprinkles, fruit, or other embellishments, frost the middle of the cake with a thin layer of frosting to give your decorations something to adhere to.
Refrigerate the cake until the pattern in the middle is totally set.
The rest of the cake should be frosted with a fairly thick layer of buttercream. Apply the frosting solely to the borders of the central design, leaving the rest of the pattern unfrosted. Because you need to avoid the centre of the cake, I found it easier to use a piping bag for this stage. Smooth down the last coat of frosting using an offset spatula or a cake scraper. During the smoothing process, frosting will be pushed over the boundaries of your center design, resulting in the fault line appearance.
Refrigerate the cake once more until the exterior icing is stiff.
It is possible to complete decorating your cake at this point, or you can opt to add further embellishments to it. Many individuals opt to accentuate the fault line boundaries by painting them with a contrasting hue to draw attention to them. With a number 16 star tip, I piped little stars around the margins of my fault line to give it some dimension.

Fault Line Cake

I indicated in my geode cake lesson that I was really looking into wedding cake ideas on Instagram and Pinterest, and that I was doing so right now.
The fault line cake, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, is one of the most popular designs to emerge.
For me, fault line cakes are a twist on geode cakes, but they have substantially more pizzaz and flare than the original.
Instead of filling the cake’s cut-outs with rocks (which, if you follow me on Instagram and read my geode cake tutorial, you’ll know I was adamantly opposed to because I was concerned about chipping a tooth), you can use other ingredients such as candy bars, cookies, fruit, sprinkles, and even buttercream flowers to decorate the top of the cake.

Chocolate Fault Line Cake

I wasn’t sure if I wanted a fault line cake for my wedding cake (they looked too casual and fashionable; I wanted something more classic), but seeing all the varied designs encouraged me to make one at home for my mother’s birthday this year.
Because there is no greater match than yellow cake and chocolate icing, I utilized the yellow cake recipe from my cookbook, Weeknight Baking, and mixed it with a Nutella Swiss meringue buttercream.

Fault Line Cake Tutorial

The following are the main components you’ll need to construct a fault line cake, as well as a step-by-step pictorial instruction on how to ice it:

Ingredients to Make a Fault Line Cake

A Really Good Cake Recipe

In my geode cake guide, I also said that successful cake designs should ALWAYS begin with good cake recipes, which is something I believe to be true.
For my fault line cake, I used the yellow cake recipe from Weeknight Baking, which was delicious.
Because it contains both butter and oil, the yellow cake is extremely moist and tasty; it also contains buttermilk, which helps to keep it from being too sweet.
Although the cake contains a lot of liquid and fat (thanks to the butter), it has a great, strong texture that is easy to frost.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

A large part of what determines the overall ″lewk″ of a fault line cake is the contrast between the rocky centre and the remainder of the cake, which is usually smooth and iced.
Not sure about you, but smoothing out the icing on a cake is one of my least favorite duties when it comes to cooking or decorating.
You need a lot of practice and expertise to make it extremely smooth, and it always takes a long time.
Having said that, there are practices that may assist any baker in their endeavors.
One of them is to use a frosting such as Swiss meringue buttercream to decorate the cake.
Swiss meringue buttercream is a dream to work with; it smooths out wonderfully, pipes well, and holds its overall shape really well.

It is also extremely versatile.
The Swiss meringue buttercream icing that I used for my fault line cake was flavored with Nutella, and it was perfect for the cake.

Nutella

In most cases, chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream is flavored with cocoa powder or some form of melted chocolate; however, for this cake, I had the wonderful idea of flavoring it with Nutella instead.
I’ll admit that the Nutella taste in the buttercream was a little TOO faint, just between you and me.
Overall, I believe this is a positive thing because a heavily flavored Nutella icing paired with the cake would have been far too sweet?
But, even so, as much as I loved Nutella, I couldn’t help but wish there was more of it.
As a result, I made the decision to include Nutella in the fault line as well!
The chocolate pearls (more on that in a moment) that are suspended in the center of the cake are held in place with Nutella spread, to be more specific When it comes to fixing fault lines, most people use icing, but I discovered that adding an extra tablespoon of Nutella in its stead provided my whole cake the chocolate hazelnut taste that was lacking from the buttercream.

Valrhona Chocolate Pearls

Valrhona, one of my favorite chocolate producers and a long-time blog partner, sent me a box of chocolate pearls to commemorate my engagement a few weeks ago.
They were delicious!
In case you haven’t had their chocolate pearls before, you’re in for a treat!
They’re essentially chocolate-covered crunchies that can be sprinkled on top of any dessert (or, if you’re like me, shoved into your mouth by the handful) and are delicious.
Valrhona pearls in various flavors of dark chocolate, dulcey chocolate, caramel milk chocolate, and white chocolate were used to fill the break in my fault line.
I understand that they are very expensive, but I assure you that they are totally WORTH IT.

Edible Gold Leaf

I used edible gold leaf to outline the margins of the cake’s fault line in order to make it stand out even more (similar to how I made this pattern on this mint chocolate kintsugi cake and this ube kintsugi cake).
Not going to lie, it took a long time, especially since I had to use tweezers to position the gold leaf in the right location.
If you don’t have a lot of free time, you may entirely skip this stage (I’ve seen other fault line cakes that didn’t have this border; they’re clearly more rustic, but they still look fantastic!).
There are also other techniques that tell you to use a paintbrush to paint gold dust on instead of using a stencil; however, I cannot personally vouch for this method because I did not attempt it myself.

How to Make a Fault Line Cake

For a fault line cake, you’ll need a rotating cake stand (which will help you ice the sides smoothly) and an offset spatula to create the fault line pattern.
Despite the fact that you can use a large offset spatula, I found that a smaller offset spatula was simpler to work with (because you’re just smoothing out a portion of the cake at a time).
1.
Begin by building your layer cake and applying a crumb coat of Nutella Swiss meringue butter cream to the top and sides of the cake.
A crumb coat is a thin coating of icing that is put over the top of a cake to assist keep crumbs from falling through the layers.
Anyone who has attempted to frost a cake without using a crumb coat will understand how easily crumbs may shake loose from the cake and become entangled in the frosting, resulting in ugly lumps on the finished product.

The crumb coat helps to seal in any crumbs, allowing you to add thicker and smoother layers of frosting later on to finish the cake off perfectly.
2.
Spread Nutella on the centre of the cake.
3.
Only the centre of the cake should be frosted with Nutella, leaving the top third and bottom third of the cake uncovered.

Approximately 12 cup of Nutella was required for the task, and I found it was easiest to microwave it on low for 20 seconds in order to make it highly spreadable and spreadable.
Because the Nutella will be covered with chocolate pearls throughout the bulk of the cake, you don’t have to worry about it being completely smooth; nevertheless, you do want it to be reasonably even across the cake.
This will make it easier to ice the upper and lower portions of the cake later on in the process.

3.Apply the chocolate pearls to the Nutella with a pastry brush.Keep an eye out for messes since this section can get nasty!Place a baking sheet below the cake stand to collect any pearls that fall from the cake stand.

4.Frost the top and bottom portions of the cake with a light layer of frosting.Using an offset spatula, cover the top and bottom portions of the cake with the remaining frosting, being careful to leave the pearl-covered area unfrosted.You want to use enough buttercream to cover the halves evenly and thoroughly, and you want to make sure that these layers are thicker than the layer of chocolate pearls on top of the buttercream.Using thicker layers will help to guarantee that your offset spatula does not become entangled in the chocolate pearls while you are smoothing out the frosting in the following step.

5: Using the offset spatula, carefully smooth the top and bottom parts of the cake to perfection, taking care not to touch the chocolate pearls in the process.
The top and bottom half of the cake should be smoothed out using an offset spatula and your rotating cake stand.
It’s a good idea to dip the offset spatula in hot water at this stage, since the hot water will aid in smoothing the surface.
My preferred method is to keep a pint glass of boiling water nearby and use it to rapidly dip the blade of the offset spatula into it (make sure your offset spatula is made of a heatproof material like metal!
), wipe it dry quickly, and then use it on the cake shortly thereafter

Make It Weeknight Baking

In the same way that I do with other beautifully adorned cakes, I divided down the work for this cake into many days’ worth of effort.
This is due to the fact that creating a fault line cake can be quite time-consuming; in fact, it took me almost the whole afternoon to assemble, apply the fault line, and frost the cake!
Even if I had prepared the cake on the same day, it would have taken me a greater amount of time.
However, in order to avoid being stuck in the kitchen all day, I ended up breaking the recipe into two halves, which are as follows:

Day One: Get the Cake Ready! (about 1 hour, not counting baking time) Cooking Instructions: Cool the cakes to room temperature according to the method below, then flip each layer out onto its own separate piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dish securely in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer overnight—DO NOT refrigerate! Cakes that are refrigerated lose moisture, but cakes that are frozen retain moisture. If you’re in a hurry, I’d prefer it if you left the cakes covered at room temperature
Day Two: Prepare the frosting, assemble the cake, and crumb coat it (about 1 to 1 12 hours).
While working with Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, one of the most frustrating things about it is how time-consuming it is to actually make the frosting. To prepare the meringue, you’ll need to cook the egg whites and sugar to a certain temperature (about 15 minutes), beat it until it reaches room temperature (another 10 minutes), and then gently add butter to produce the buttercream (around 10 minutes total time) (around 15 minutes). The buttercream alone took more than 30 minutes of effort! Liars are those who claim that Swiss meringue buttercream comes together in a short amount of time. Nevertheless, the advantage of Swiss meringue buttercream is that, after it has been prepared, it stores very well in the refrigerator. As soon as I’ve finished making the buttercream, I construct the cake and crumb coat it. It might take as little as 30 minutes or as long as an hour, depending on your level of experience. I then placed the covered cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to allow the buttercream to set before wrapping it in plastic wrap (pro-tip: a chilled cake will be easier to frost the next day, and at this point, the buttercream-covered cake will not dry out as easily as if it were left naked). After that, I transfer the remaining buttercream to an airtight container and (gasp!) leave it out at room temperature until tomorrow so that I may use it up. One caveat: my house is notoriously frigid (in the winter, we’re lucky if the temperature rises over 60°F), so I can get away with keeping it at room temperature
nevertheless,
Day Three: Bake the Fault Line Cake (it should take around 1 to 1 12 hours) and serve!
You’re still with me, aren’t you? To finish your fault line cake, follow the instructions in the tutorial above. The Swiss meringue buttercream will need to be re-whipped before being used on the cake
just scrape it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.

Of fact, the timetable outlined above is a little sluggish.
For a two-day schedule, I recommend creating the cakes the day before and then assembling and decorating the cake on the second day.
This will save you time and money.
And if you liked the way I laid it out above, you should definitely check out my cookbook, Weeknight Baking, because literally all of the cake recipes in the book are laid out in this manner!

Best Tips for Making a Fault Line Cake

If I had to do it all over again, I’d bake the cakes in 6-inch pans and make a 4-layer cake instead of the 3-layer cake (the recipe will make enough batter for this, too). Why? The 6-inch cake will be easier to design than the 8-inch cake because of its smaller circle. It will also be higher, which will allow the fault line to be more prominently displayed. The next time, the next time.
For even cake layers, I like to weigh out the layers with a digital scale before baking to ensure that they are all the same weight. The quickest and most accurate method is to place a cake pan that has been prepared on a digital scale and tare it to ″0.″ Pour batter into the pan until the scale detects the weight specified in the recipe (because, sure, I’ve included the approximate weight of batter required for each pan in the recipe!) and set aside. Make a duplicate of the first cake pan with the second and third cake pan.
Leveling your cakes will result in a robust cake with even quantities of buttercream between each layer of cake. When baked, the majority of cakes will have a little dome in the center (this is because the sides of the cake tend to cook faster and set more quickly than their middles). Using a serrated knife, lop the domes from the top of the cake before assembling it. Believe me when I say that I was a slacker and didn’t level the first two layers of my cake. You can also discern a little bit from the photo. Isn’t it interesting how much more uneven the buttercream filling between those two layers is compared to the buttercream filling between the middle and top layer (which I leveled)? Make a difference
don’t be concerned if you get a little frosting on one or more pieces of your chocolate pearls—most people won’t even notice, I guarantee you! For those who are type A (like me) and this is a major source of frustration, know that the chocolate pearls are really forgiving, and any buttercream frosting that accidently gets on them may be gently wiped or dabbed off with a paper towel.

Other Fault Line Cake Ideas

The Little Blog of Vegan has a recipe for Biscoff Fault Line Cake
Chelsweets has a recipe for Sprinkle Fault Line Cake
and Sugar Geek Show has a tutorial for Strawberry Fault Line Cake.

For the Yellow Cake

2 12 cups (17.5 ounces or 496 grams) granulated sugar
12 cup (3.75 ounces or 106 grams) light brown sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) canola oil
1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) cake flour

For the Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

13 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) egg whites, from about 5 to 6 large eggs
12 teaspoon kosher salt
14 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups (16 ounces or 454 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes
14 cup (2.5 ounces or 71 grams) Nutella
1 12 cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar

For the Yellow Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven and the oven door ajar. Cooking spray three 8-inch cake pans well and coat the bottoms of each with a circle of parchment paper before starting the recipe. Spray the parchment paper as well
In a medium-sized mixing basin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
To make the butter and sugars, place them in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth. On medium speed, beat for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the basin as needed with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light and fluffy and has doubled in volume. Using a small, slow-motion mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, adding each egg only after the previous one has been well mixed and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Using an electric mixer on low speed, carefully pour in the oil followed by the buttermilk and vanilla. Continue to beat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. Gradually incorporate the dry components into the wet ingredients, mixing only until barely mixed. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then continue to beat on low for another 30 seconds.
Distribute the batter evenly between the cake pans
if you’re using a digital scale to measure out the layers, keep in mind that this recipe yields approximately 66.5 ounces of batter
pour 22.15 ounces of batter into each cake pan. Preheat the oven to 400°F or 450°F. A skewer pushed into the middle of the cake should emerge with a few crumbs attached if the cake is done. When it is finished, the top of the cake should bounce back when lightly touched. Allow the cupcakes to cool fully in the pans on a wire rack before icing them.

For the Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

In the top pan of a double boiler, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (or, make a homemade version by placing a heatproof bowl over a sauce pan filled with 2 to 3 inches of simmering water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Using a candy thermometer, cook the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until it reaches 160°F. Once the mixture hits 160°F, immediately transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at a high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and formed medium-stiff peaks, depending on your preference. At this point, the outside of the mixer bowl should be at room temperature, and there should be no residual heat escaping from the meringue through the top of the mixer bowl. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, as well as the whisk attachment and the whisk. Using the paddle attachment, replace the whisk attachment
with the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the butter, a few cubes at a time. Following incorporation, raise the mixer speed to medium-high and continue beating until the buttercream is silky smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove the paddle from the bowl and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix in the Nutella on a medium-low setting with the mixer running. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the frosting is creamy and smooth.

Common Cake Faults: Identifying and Remedying the Problem

Over the course of his career, Gordon has acquired professional certifications as well as hands-on expertise in the baking and confectionery industries.

10 Common Cake Problems and Solutions

It is rather common for cakes to be produced that are not up to the acceptable grade of quality. When this occurs, it is critical to be able to pinpoint exactly what went wrong in order to avoid repeating the same error the following time. The following is a list of the most prevalent flaws and the factors that contribute to them.

1. Cake Is Sunk in the Middle

The majority of the reasons for a sunken cake are related to an imbalance in the recipe.
Excessive amounts of a particular ingredient might cause the cake to rise fast but then collapse (for example, too much baking powder), or an imbalanced recipe can prevent enough air from being whipped into the mixture (for example, too much baking powder) (e.g.
flour too soft, too much fat).
The following are the most often seen reasons:

There is an excessive amount of baking powder.
If the cake also has a crisp, sweet crust, this indicates that there is too much sugar in the cake.
There is too much fat/margarine.
The flour is excessively soft.
The cake was put in the oven before it had time to solidify

2. Cake Is Collapsing at the Sides

Because of the form of the cake after it has been cooked, this is sometimes referred to as the ″X″ flaw on the cake. The most common reason for this is that there is too much moisture in the batter, which prevents the batter from rising evenly.

3. Fruit Is Sinking in the Cake

This is a relatively prevalent condition that can be caused by a variety of different factors. Usually, it has something to do with either the fruit or the batter itself. The following are the most typical causes:

Too much moisture has been absorbed by the flour.
Too much moisture has been added to the batter.
The batter is not sufficiently aerated (either as a result of overmixing or as a result of using too much baking powder)
The fruit (particularly cherry) is heavy because it is moist and consequently hefty.

4. Cake Is too Small

Similarly, this is a fairly frequent condition, and it has a lot of probable reasons, the most prevalent of which are the following:

Inadequate aeration (as a result of undermixing or using insufficient baking powder)
A firm batter has been used in this recipe.
The flour has an excessive amount of strength.
The batter has become tough (either as a result of overmixing or because to an imbalance in the recipe)
The temperature of the oven is too high (which causes the cake to become ″gripped″ and stunted)

5. Badly Cracked Tops

The cause of this is that the oven is set too high, causing the crust of the cake to develop while the cake is still rising, resulting in the crust ″bursting″ and the cake falling apart.

6. Peaked Top

When this happens, it is generally due to a tough batter that has developed as a result of overmixing. It is also frequently accompanied with an extensive hole in the cake.

7. Wet Streak at the Base of the Cake

This is generated by using too much liquid in the recipe, with the surplus liquid remaining as residue in the bottom of the pan.

8. Cake Staling Quickly

This is due to a variety of factors, including:

Because the oven is excessively cold, the cakes bake for an excessive amount of time, resulting in a dry crumb.
There is an excessive amount of baking powder.
A lack of sufficient liquid in the batter to maintain the moisture of the cake

9. Sugary Tops or White Spots on Cakes

The following are the reasons behind this:

Overindulgence in sugar
insufficient fluids (to dissolve the sugar)
Sugar is excessively coarse (and hence cannot be properly dissolved)
Cakes that have been left out too long before being baked. This permits moisture to escape from the top of the cake while also leaving sugar residue in the batter, as described above.

10. Curdled Cake Batter

Fat and water do not ordinarily mix, and when fat and water (in the eggs) are combined in a cake batter, there is a natural propensity for curdling, or the breaking down of the emulsion of fat and eggs, to occur.
Although curdling of cake batter might result in unacceptably little cakes, the majority of the time the cakes are still edible.
Curdling will occur if any of the following conditions are met:

In this recipe, the eggs are added too soon after the butter and sugar have been creamed.
The eggs are added cold to prevent the fat from hardening again and accepting any additional eggs once they have been added. The temperature of the eggs should be roughly 72 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius)
the eggs are put in an excessively large quantity all at once. Eggs should always be added softly and gradually
this is especially true while baking.

Fault Line Cake Recipe and Tutorial

I was never a fan of the geode cake craze — I didn’t understand it and didn’t get behind it either. As a result of: Why would you want to purposefully cut away enormous portions of delectable cake and replace them with hard lumps of coloured sugar that may cause you to lose your teeth?
What gives them the appearance of vajazzled hoo-haas?

I understand that a significant number of people enjoy it, which is why it has become a fad, and I’ve lost out on a few dollars by not responding to inquiries for it, but I’m quite enthusiastic about what I’d term its updated and better version – The Fault Line Cake!
It’s not the same as the geode cake, so perhaps it isn’t a new or improved form at all, but rather a whole new style in its own right; nonetheless, it is comparable in the sense that it is a little ″geo-ey,″ as if it were to resemble a fault line.
The lines of buttercream are swiped out and filled with sprinkles, rather than actual portions of cake being carved out by hand.
In other words, you get ALL the cake, ALL the gorgeousness, and none of the vajazzling.
The fault line cake is a little messy to make since the sprinkles end up all over the place.
It’s also a little more time intensive because it requires periods of chilling time in the refrigerator.

But it’s effective, FANCY, and DELICIOUS at the same time.
If you want to create this look, you’ll need the following basic cake decorating tools: an offset cake leveler and palette knives, an offset cake decorating turntable, a cake scraper, a paint brush, and piped nozzles.
I’ve included links to all of them in my Amazon store (affiliate links), and you’ll be delighted to know that they are all excellent buys that you’ll be able to use for many more cake decorating projects in the future.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Sponge

You may use any sponge recipe of your choosing, but our chocolate cake sponge recipe is one of my favorites, so I’ll be using it for this since the layers look incredible.

Buttercream

If you like, you may use your favorite buttercream recipe here as well, but I prefer our Swiss meringue buttercream recipe since it’s delicious, has a much smoother and glossier finish, and does not crust when baked.

Gel Paste Colours

I’ve chosen Fuschia from Sugarflair in order to get a variety of pink tones in the buttercream. Pink and chocolate is a beautiful color combination, but you may use any color that you like to make your cake.

Sprinkles

I used a combination of silver pearls, white hundreds and thousands, Dr. Oetker’s Unicorn Mix, and bronze sprinkles to create this look. You may use any combination of strands you like, but I’d either leave them out entirely or use them very rarely.

Method

1) After your cake sponges have been allowed to cool completely, use a cake leveller to level them into 2cm high uniform layers.
Wrap the dish in cling film and set it in the refrigerator to firm up.
2) Prepare your buttercream by whipping it until it is light and fluffy.
If you’re making ombre, divide the mixture in half and divide the remaining half into two separate basins.
To produce three distinct colours of buttercream, add half a teaspoon of gel paste color to the large part, a quarter teaspoon to another, and a pinch to the third portion.
3.

Position a cake board on the turntable and dab a dollop of buttercream in the center of the board.
Buttercream is used to stack and sandwich 5-6 of the cake sponge layers together.
Use the brightest colour of buttercream for this step.
2) Apply a thin coating of buttercream on the cake’s surface.
3) Starting at the bottom of the cake, spread a thick layer of the brightest buttercream on top of it, working your way up until one-third of the cake’s height has been covered.

Afterwards, pipe the mid-tone buttercream along the centre of the cake and the lightest-tone buttercream along the top third portion of the cake.
5) Using a cake scraper, smooth the edges of the pan.
Leave a textured border along the top edge of the paper.

Remove lines of buttercream from the cake with a tiny palette knife, using a circular motion.Maintain a clean palette knife between scrapes by wiping it down every few minutes and continuing.In a separate dish, prepare your sprinkles.Hold the cake at an angle from the base, and carefully fill in the lines with sprinkles, using a tablespoon to minimize mess (I initially used my fingers and they literally went everywhere).

They’ve even taken up residence in my bed and SOFA!HOW?!).The cake should be placed in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to harden up after the lines have been filled with sprinkles.The cake should be solid to the touch at this point, so place it back on the turntable and carefully scrape away any excess wayward sprinkles outside of the fault lines.Use the back of a heated spoon to smooth out any scratches or imperfections in the buttercream before frosting the cake.

9) Dissolve half a teaspoon of gold lustre in half a teaspoon of water (you can also use pure alcohol spirit, but I prefer not to use alcohol because a large number of my followers do not use alcoholic beverages).
Next, using a paintbrush, apply the gold luster to the fault line ridges and the upper border of the painting.
Watch as the cake erupts in front of your very eyes.
Then, using your favorite medium nozzle (I used a fine star Savoy from my cake decorating set), pipe little stars randomly in the fault lines on the top of the cake, and swirls and whirls along the rim of the top of the cake to finish off the decorating job.
Fill with sprinkles and take a long, admiring look at your gorgeous masterpiece.
When the cake is sliced into, the layers of chocolate and pink are just as eye-catching as when it is served.

A brief video of the procedure is available here (please don’t judge me on my video producing abilities — this is a low-budget home production!).You can also share your finished product with me by tagging @angesdesucreangesdesucre on Instagram so that I may marvel at your work of art as well as you did.In addition, please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below!Also available for purchase is one of our fault line cakes, which can be delivered to London or picked up at Selfridges if you are unable to get boozed or are short on time.

There is a lot of fault line affection.Reshmi xoxo

Fault Line Cake – Torn Buttercream Cake Design

Fault line cakes have become popular in recent years.
It introduces a whole new subgenre to the world of buttercream cakes.
Learn how to make this innovative ripped buttercream cake method using vanilla and chocolate buttercream, and without the need of decorative sprinkles.
Included is a cake recipe as well as an instruction.
Looking at Instagram these days, you’ll notice that fault line cakes and stripped buttercream cake are all the rage.
It appears that we are bringing buttercream cakes back to life with a whole new appearance.

This is a trend that I really like.
However, I hope that people would refrain from smothering their cakes in sprinkles.
I mean, I adore sprinkles, but consumers – at least my customers – don’t want their cakes to be covered with sprinkles all over the place.
Making this for a friend’s birthday was a fun challenge since I wanted to produce something a bit different from the usual cake covered in sprinkles or crystal sugar.
That’s why I created this chocolate and vanilla cake to satisfy my need.

Why make this cake?

This is a really basic and straightforward dessert to prepare. I’ve included the recipe as well as the whole tutorial in the section below. This recipe was also used to bake our Vanilla Birthday Cake, which we enjoyed. For the cake, I used two layers of vanilla cake and one layer of chocolate cake, sandwiched together with frosting. There’s no reason why you can’t use all three layers of vanilla cake or all three layers of chocolate cake in this recipe. To make this cake, you may use whatever cake recipe you choose – see my page about 30+ layer cakes for ideas.
I’m going to use vanilla pastry cream for the filling. Buttercream frosting, on the other hand, may be used for the filling as well. For something different, try caramel, butterscotch, or fruit fillings like as strawberries or blueberries. Curds made from fruits, such as orange or lemon curd.
For the icing, I used my favorite American buttercream frosting, although there are many other variations available as well. See my collection of more than 30 buttercream recipes.

The timetable for decorating this cake is as follows: Bake the cakes for 40 minutes (10 + 30 minutes).

Preparing the filling (vanilla pastry cream) takes around 20 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes to prepare the icing (American buttercream)
60 minutes to ice the cake

Ingredients and Substitutes

All-purpose flour – Yes, normal all-purpose flour will work perfectly in this recipe. There’s no need to search anywhere else for anything. In addition, if you only have self-raising flour on hand, use it instead, but cut the amount of baking powder by half.
Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter since it allows me to manage the quantity of salt I use. However, if salted butter is all you have on hand, substitute it for the salt in the recipe.
Sugar: I’m using white sugar in order to make a white cake for my birthday. It is usually preferable to use fine-grain white sugar since it melts more quickly in butter.
Buttermilk – Don’t be concerned if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.
It takes about 5 minutes to manufacture your own buttermilk for baking purposes.
Vanilla – A high-quality vanilla bean is essential in any baked dish, but especially in a vanilla cake. In this recipe, I’m using vanilla bean paste, but you may substitute vanilla extract as well.
Cocoa powder – I’m using cocoa powder that has been Dutch-processed. It will impart a deep, black hue to our cake.

Step by step instructions

Cake batter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/165 degrees Celsius/Gas Mark 3
Preparation: Grease and line three 7-inch round cake pans, or use three 6-inch round cake pans to make a tall cake.
To make cocoa paste, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water in a mixing bowl and leave it aside to cool.
Ingredients that are dry
– Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
The butter and sugar should be creamed together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla bean paste, one at a time.
Add the flour and buttermilk in three batches, starting with the flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the batter is smooth. Pro tip: Scrape the edges and bottom of the pan to ensure that the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter into three equal portions and set aside. Pour two portions onto two baking pans that have been prepared — these will be our two vanilla layers. Pro tip: I prefer to use cake strips to guarantee that my layer cakes bake flat when they are assembled.
Combine the cocoa powder mixture with the remaining ingredients in the third bowl. The mixture should be poured into the third baking pan, which will be our chocolate layer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Allow for 5 minutes of cooling time in the baking pan. Before you decorate, invert the container and allow it to cool fully on a cooling rack.

Simple syrup

Prepare the simple syrup and let it to cool fully before using it. Easy-to-make simple syrup is made by boiling sugar and water together for three minutes. It helps to keep the layers of cake moist.

Buttercream frosting

Use an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and powdered sugar until well blended
then fold in the cream and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Continue to whip for at least 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is light and airy. Pro tip: It is critical to beat the mixture until it has the consistency of whipped cream. If this is not done, the buttercream will be too soft to handle.
In a separate dish, combine the melted and cooled chocolate with approximately 1 12 cup of the buttercream to make chocolate buttercream. It’s our chocolate buttercream for the fault line, as you can see.

Pastry cream filling

In this recipe, we are utilizing the straightforward one-pot pastry cream method, although the standard pastry cream method can also be used. To learn how to make them, watch the videos below.
Mix sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot until well combined. Add the milk in little amounts, stirring constantly, to avoid lumps.
Place the pot on a medium heat and whisk constantly until the pastry cream thickens, about 5 minutes.
Note: You want to bring the pastry cream to a low simmer (boil) so that the cornstarch can thicken the mixture and cook off the excess liquid.
Continue to stir on a low setting, being careful not to allow the pastry to stick or burn at the bottom of the pan.
Once the pastry cream has thickened, remove it from the heat and put it through a sieve or mesh strainer to remove any lumps. Any lumps will be removed, and the result will be a silky, velvet-like pastry cream.
Wrap the cream with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the cream. Remove from the oven and allow it cool fully. Advice from the pros: Keeping the plastic from coming into contact with the pastry cream will prevent skin from developing on the pastry cream, which can subsequently produce lumps and clogging in the piping bag.

Assemble

Cut the domes off the tops of the cake layers using a bread knife or a cake leveler. Cake layers should be brushed with the cooled simple syrup
each layer should be placed on a cake board or on a cake stand. Pro tip: If you intend to transfer the cake again, it is preferable to place a cake circle under it so that you can pick up the cake with its base and avoid any mishaps.
Place a cake layer on a cake board or cake stand, and repeat the process. Place the buttercream in a piping bag with a tiny aperture and pipe the design on the cake. Pipe a border around each layer and a circle in the middle of each layer (as seen in the video)
Make a well in the center and fill it with pastry cream. After that, place the second (chocolate) cake layer on top, followed by the filling and frosting, and finally the final cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Suggestions for Improvement The cake should be chilled at this point to ensure that the layers do not shift when you are frosting the outside. However, if you keep the cake uncovered in the fridge for an extended period of time, it will begin to dry out. So you just need 10 minutes to do the task.

Frost

More frosting should be applied on top and around the cake at this point, if necessary. The use of a straight-edge spatula for the top, an off-set spatula for the sides, and a bench scraper for the sides will yield superior results
In the centre area of the cake, spread the chocolate buttercream on the sides of the cake. Using a bench scraper, smooth the surface – set aside for 10 minutes. Pro tip: Chilling the chocolate buttercream will prevent it from mingling with the vanilla buttercream
this is important.

More vanilla buttercream should be spread over the top and bottom parts of the cake at this point as well. Making certain that the chocolate buttercream is not covered (see video). Pro tip: Use a spatula and a bench scraper to smooth up the surface as needed. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes, or until it is stiff.
Combine edible gold luster dust with lemon essence or alcohol to create a shimmering effect. Gold paint should be used to outline the vanilla buttercream margins around the chocolate buttercream that has been revealed.
Place the remaining frostings – chocolate and vanilla – in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the cake. Swirls should be piped on top of the cake.
To finish off each swirl, add a chocolate ball or other decorative elements.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shelf life of this buttercream cake?
When stored in the refrigerator, this buttercream cake will last 3 to 4 days.
Once the cake has been sliced, make sure to wrap the cut side with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
What is the finest cake recipe for making a fault line cake?
There isn’t a specific recipe for this particular cake.
You are free to use any cake recipe that you wish.

So go ahead and prepare your favorite cake recipe of your choice today.
Here are a few of my favorite layer cakes to share with you.
What is the best icing recipe to use for fault line cupcakes?
You may use whatever type of frosting that you desire for this recipe.
Personally, I like to use butter-based frosting since it is easier to deal with than other types of frosting.

See my collection of more than 30 buttercream frosting recipes.
Is it possible to use a different cake filling for this cake?
Absolutely, you may use whatever other filling you like, from fruits to Nutella to dulce de leche, and so forth.

You may easily remove the filling and just use buttercream frosting instead of the ganache.You can find all of my filler recipes here.Is it necessary to store buttercream cakes in the refrigerator?Really, it all comes down to the sort of buttercream you put on your cake.

This American buttercream may be stored at room temperature for up to three days.However, because we are using vanilla pastry cream as a filling, which is created with eggs and milk, it is necessary to keep it refrigerated at all times.

What is a “fault line” frosting?

What are the most common faults in baking?

What is a “fault line” frosting?

Stunning Fault Line CakesBehind The Cake

This new Fault Line Cakes trend is going viral in social media.

Cake by: @Susiemakes

IG:@susiemakescakes

Cake by: The Cake Barn

Patriotic fault line cake

Cake by: Tracy-Anne Hirst of DreamcatcherCakesbyTracyAnne

Cake by: The Lovely Baker

Cake by: Cakes By The Lake

Cake by: @maris_sol_cakes

Cakes by @loveleighscakery

How to Make a Fault Line Cake

Tips for Making A Fault Line Cake:

How to Make a Fault Line Cake Step-by-Step

Fault Line Cake

Chocolate Fault Line Cake

Fault Line Cake Tutorial

Ingredients to Make a Fault Line Cake

A Really Good Cake Recipe

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Nutella

Valrhona Chocolate Pearls

Edible Gold Leaf

How to Make a Fault Line Cake

Make It Weeknight Baking

Best Tips for Making a Fault Line Cake

Other Fault Line Cake Ideas

For the Yellow Cake

For the Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

For the Yellow Cake

For the Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Common Cake Faults: Identifying and Remedying the Problem

10 Common Cake Problems and Solutions

1. Cake Is Sunk in the Middle

2. Cake Is Collapsing at the Sides

3. Fruit Is Sinking in the Cake

4. Cake Is too Small

Read More From Delishably

5. Badly Cracked Tops

6. Peaked Top

7. Wet Streak at the Base of the Cake

8. Cake Staling Quickly

9. Sugary Tops or White Spots on Cakes

10. Curdled Cake Batter

Fault Line Cake Recipe and Tutorial

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Sponge

Buttercream

Gel Paste Colours

Sprinkles

Method

Fault Line Cake – Torn Buttercream Cake Design

Why make this cake?

Ingredients and Substitutes

Step by step instructions

Cake batter

Simple syrup

Buttercream frosting

Pastry cream filling

Assemble

Frost

Frequently asked questions

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Description

Simple syrup

Cake batter

Simple syrup

Buttercream frosting

Pastry cream filling

Assemble

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