How To Make A Fault Line Cake

Hey Cake Family,  Fault Line Cakes have been a trending cake for quite some time now, they are constantly popping up on my Instagram feed.

The great thing about this style of cake, is it is a pretty simple design to create and it allows room for a lot of creativity.

I finally got a chance to try this trend on my own and I was super excited to share my how-to method with you.

Now, before you think I am some expert, this was my first attempt with this design. My fault line wasn’t the greatest but I learned some valuable techniques that can help you avoid any cake tragedies when you try this design on your own.  

So, let’s get started here is what you will need:  

I used three 8-inch cake but you can go a little smaller and use three 6 -inch cake. Each cake was about 2 inches in height.  

• 2 Batches of Buttercream  
• Icing bench scraper  
• Angled Spatula  
• Gold luster Dust mixes with a little vodka (optional)  
• Small food-grade paintbrush (optional)  

For this blog, we will be using an edible image inside of our fault line. You can use sprinkles, edible roses, and even fresh fruit.

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Step By Step Guide to Create Fault Line Cake   

Step 1: Crumb Coat and Smooth  

To start we are going to add a dollop of frosting on to your cake board to allow the first layer of cake to stick to the board. For this order, we made three 8-inch blue velvet cakes and serrated the top of each cake for even flat layers. 

You are going to add about ½ cup of cream cheese frosting to each layer and smooth out the top of each layer before adding the next layer.

For the last layer, you are going to put the serrated layer facing down and start smoothing out the sides to get rid of any access frosting.

If you notice the cake is a little wobbly you want to stick it in the fridge for about 10 –15 min or in the freezer for about 5-10 min and then finish off your crumb coat.

Crumb coating your cake is ideal to seal in any crumbs to ensure the strips on your cake come out perfectly. Once your crumb coat is completed and smooth, placed the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes.            

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Step 2: Apply your edible Image to the middle of your cake  

The next step is to add your edible image to the middle of the cake. Place your crumb coated cake on to your turntable.

If you are placing sprinkles or fruit to the middle instead of an edible image you are going to add a thin second coat to the middle of your cake this doesn’t have to be even but it should be smooth.

Use your bench scraper to smooth out the middle thin layer.  on to your crumb coated cake.  Then apply your sprinkles or fresh fruit to the newly frosted middle area of your cake.

Be sure to press your edible image, sprinkles or fruit into the freshly applied frosting so that it fits snugly and cannot come off easily.

Place your cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes to make sure the middle is secure before going on to the next step.  

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Step 3: Frost the Fault Line  

Now, we are going to start adding our buttercream to the top and bottom of the cake. You are going to put your buttercream on heavy.

Make sure you stop where the edible image begins in order to keep as much of the image exposed. I find the bench scraper to be the best tool to make the icing smooth.

By putting the buttercream on heavy your icing should glide across the icing and not disturb the image in the middle.

Continue to use your bench scraper to create even sides and fill in any gapes or holds without touching your middle image.

Continue to scrape until the sides are nice and smooth but be sure not to scrape it too thin. The purpose is to have nice thick fault lines with little edges and ridges in the middle.

When your side look smooth enough use your angled spatula to create sharp edges across the top of the cake by swiping any excess buttercream towards the center of the cake.

Once you are happy with your fault line place the cake back in the fridge to chill for about 15-20 minutes. This will help if you decide to do the next optional step.  

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Step 4: Paint the Edges (Optional) 

To complete the look, you can add a little gold or silver luster dust to your fault line. You would need to mix your dust with a little vodka.

Using your small food grade paintbrush paint the edges of the fault line.

For this order, because it was a kid’s cake, I decided not to add the gold but it’s totally up to you when it comes to this option.  

So, there you have it, our beautiful eye- catching Fault Line Cake, now here are a few tips. 

Tips  

• Holding your icing comb at a 90- degree angle against your freshly iced cake works best. 
• Be sure to keep your bench scraper flat against the board to Keep the sides smooth. 
• Be sure to keep the edges thick so stop once you get the sides smooth.   
• If you are noticing holes or gaps in your ridges just added more buttercream and go over it again with the bench scraper.  
• Be sure to chill your cake to ensure smooth even edges.  

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Step 5: Finishing Touch  

Be sure to smooth the top of the cake and decorate the top and sides of the cake as desired.

For this cake, I used another edible round image provided by Sweet Nothings Images which included the child’s name.

For the top I used Wilton Tip 1M to create a swirl border in the same color used on the bottom of the cake.

To make the colorful swirls, I placed a thick line of the colored buttercream in to saran wrap. Wrapped it together and cut off one sides.

Place the cut side inside the pipping bag containing the 1M tip.  

The best part about this technique is, you can use any color combination you desire, follow the above steps for each new color design.  

We hope you enjoyed this blog and will try making your own fault line cake for your next cake.

Nothing puts a smile faster on my face then seeing your beautiful creations.

Please feel free to email or DM with photos of your creations. Leave a comment below, as we love hearing from our readers and never hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Until next time, Happy Caking!!