Sprinkle Fault Line Cake

The fault line cakes are the newest trend hitting your Instagram feeds. The fault line cakes are beautiful; you’ll see them made with sprinkles, fresh fruit, and even flowers!  

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make your own sprinkle fault line cake! This sprinkle fault line cake is made with soft layers of dark chocolate cake and creamy vanilla buttercream.

 The tender chocolate cake layers are made with dark cocoa powder, buttermilk, and freshly brewed coffee. The coffee deepens the chocolate flavor and makes it richer in taste. Then it’s layered with creamy sky blue vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.

I usually teach how to make the top edges smooth, but this cake is fun because you want the rough, messy edges that you can paint with edible gold. 

It’s a fun and creative cake that you can make your own. You can change up the sprinkle mix or use a different color buttercream. 

Tips for success: 

• Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
• In this cake recipe, you need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 TBSP lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own. 
• This dark chocolate cake recipe needs 1 cup of brewed coffee, but you can also substitute 1 cup hot water mixed with 1 TBSP of espresso powder. This ingredient elevates the chocolate cake and gives the cake a rich and delicious flavor. 
• You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Simply wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month. 
• You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
• A single batch of this cake recipe makes three, 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three, 8-inch cake layers.
• Be careful not to overmix this cake batter or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. 
• Food coloring gets darker over time, so it’s best to gradually add the food coloring, which is best for pastel colors.  
• Serve cake at room temperature. 

What Tools You’ll Need to Make This Cake: 

• 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
• Offset spatula 
• 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board 
• Serrated knife or cake leveler 
• Turntable 
• Bench scraper or cake scraper
• Piping bag (I use silicone reusable bags)
• Whisk or sifter
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
• Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
• Cake Stand, optional
• Baking sheet pan
• Sky blue gel food coloring
• Assorted sprinkles mix
• Edible gold highlighter luster dust
• Clear alcohol (Vodka) or Lemon extract

My hope for you is to be to feel more confident with baker and cake decorator by the end of this tutorial. Here’s how to make this Sprinkle Fault Line Cake! 

Let’s Make Some Cake! 

How to Make Dark Chocolate Cake 

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
2. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. Add the eggs and the vegetable oil on low until well incorporated.
4. Pour in the buttermilk and add brewed coffee. Mix on medium for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
5. Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 

How to Make Vanilla Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated completely. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
3. Add a drop of sky blue gel food color to make the buttercream a medium blue color. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. 
4. Turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles. 

How to Put It All Together 

1. Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even. 
2. Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. 
3. Layer the chilled dark chocolate cake, cut side up onto the cake board. 
4. Place 1/3 of buttercream on top of the cake and add a layer of sprinkles over the buttercream. 
5. Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat the process for another layer — Crumb coat and freeze for 20 minutes.
6. Add a layer of buttercream to the middle of the cake. 
7. Then place the cake in the middle of a baking sheet pan to add a layer of sprinkles to the middle part of the cake. At this time, do not add any big sprinkles that could stick out and make it harder for frosting. Place the cake back into the freezer to set for 20 minutes.  
8. With smooth buttercream add a thick layer to the top and bottom of the cake with an offset spatula while keeping the middle with the sprinkles exposed. Add buttercream that goes over the top edge for the rustic look. 
9. Use a cake scraper to smooth the sides of the buttercream. Place the cake into the freezer to set the buttercream for 10 minutes. 
10. Then mix 1/2 tsp of gold highlighter luster dust and one drop of clear alcohol (lemon extract) until it looks like paint. Then with a small brush, paint the edges of the rough buttercream edges.  

You May Also Enjoy: 

• Ice Cream Cone Drip Cake (tutorial)
• Mermaid Buttercream Cake (tutorial)
• How to Cut & Serve Cake (free guide)
• How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course)
• Cake Decorating for Beginners (online course)

In this tutorial, we are working with simple buttercream techniques. This sprinkle fault line cake takes several basic techniques that’ll elevate your skills and give you the confidence to take on any cake challenge! 

My goal is to help you become a better and more confident baker, let me know in the comments below what’s your #1 baking and cake decorating problem? 

Happy Baking! 

Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out, Cake Decorating Creator Program, my online cake program. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it so you get the results you want most. Like any new skill, it’s important to learn from the ground up to build a foundation, so you can take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/creator-program. I will see you there!

Watch The How-to Video Below: 

 

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