Rustic Chocolate Buttercream Cake

I’m in love with little 6″ cakes at the moment.  I think they are the perfect size for an intimate get-together. They hold the perfect amount of servings, usually between 8 to 10 depending on the size of the slice.

I made this chocolate buttercream cake last week for a boy’s 18th birthday.  I think it turned out adorable. I wanted to keep it classy, which is why I choose to keep the colors blues and greens for the numbers 1 and 8 that are made out of fondant.

To achieve the look of stripes I colored small amounts of fondant different colors and then cut little strips. Next, I put the strips together side by side in the order that I wanted and used a rolling pin to have the colors form together. It made a flattened piece of multi-colored fondant that I cut the numbers out from.

This little beauty was chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and a layer of strawberry preserves.

I made a little banner and hand painted on the “Happy Birthday Julian” with black food coloring and a little bit of clear vanilla mixed together.

For this rustic look, you hold the tip of the frosting spatula against a smooth buttercream surface and continue to turn the decorating stand. Just make sure to lightly move your hand up to the next level once you’ve completed a full turn around the cake.  It’s simple, chic, and perfect for a manly type of cake.