This is the photo that a bride sent me.  I attempted this technique today and it just does not look as good!  I took a toothpick and separated the icing and painted inside the slashes.  Am I going about this all wrong?  The edges look lighter, so are the marks painted and then a lighter frosting piped on top?

I'm just baffled!  Any ideas or experience with this?

Thid is the cake that a bride sent me

I've been thinking this was buttercream, could it possibly be fondant? 

I'm probably way off, but it almost looks like it's chocolate, and there is powdered sugar, or something like, on top. Then the slashes in chocolate, so they stay dark, the powder sort of gathers at the edges, and looks more light?

It's a cool effect. I would like to know how it was done, myself.

This was my practice cake... It just looks messy and... Blah

AI have seen this cake on Pinterest. If you google birch bark cake you will find a lot of ways to make it. I will keep looking to see if I can find a tutorial :)

http://cakecentral.com/t/735331/howd-they-do-dat

http://cakecentral.com/t/740214/tips-on-how-to-do-a-birch-bark-cake

to me it looks like they used a medium darkness chocolate buttercream and smoothed it on roughly..if that makes sense...then chilled it, and went back over it with either a thinned down light colored buttercream so that the two colors blended or then brushed a light gray wash over the chilled chocolate buttercream and then scored the slashes so the dark showed through. just an idea.

I think your absolutly RIGHT!! I never thought about choc base so I tried a sample piece and molded the knot on to it although I painted hite over it with a wide paint brush dilutted with a little water. The brush bristles just enhanced a bark look although I did have to go back and paint in the slits with a choc brown and I used choc fondant but when I actuall do the cake I think I will make modeling choc so theslits with have that humped up appearence. You've been a huge help Thanks so much I will post a pic when I do the cake.

Cake Box

Megh...I actually like your practice cake.   I would just finish it up with airbrushing that grayish color.

Did you take pictures?!  I would love to see what you came up with!!! :). So you used all buttercream except for the knots?

Thanks Debbie :) the customer liked it, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much, I'm just a perfectionist!

Meg, not sure if your response was directed at me or not but  I didnt use butter cream I used choc fondant, to me I think that is what is used in the picture. Thats the exact picture my Bride wants also.

Yes it was directed towards you :)  could you please be specific about what you did?  So you covered completely in chocolate fondant and then went back over it with a paintbrush to give it texture and color?  what did you do to get the slashes?  Did you actually "mold" the slits out of fondant and they sit on the side of the cake giving the illusion of a slit?  This cake is still completely blowing my mind!  No matter how long I look at it I just can't seem to "get" it!!  Sorry for being so annoying but I appreciate any help you can get me!  Thanks in advance :)

You could contact the creator of the original cake for advice:

http://www.thepeoplescake.com/gallery_non.php

I just tried a practice piece. I rolled out choc fondant and took a tooth pick to make the slits although they weren't raised up enough to suit me so I did add a strip of fondant that I rolled and put it around the slit and just worked it in with my fingers so it looked like one piece and I did th esame to make the knot I just rolled out a small ball and used a fondant tool for petals and pushed in the center then I just rubbed the edges into the piece of fondant and shaped it with my fingers til it looked like a tree knot. I dusted it with white petal dust but it wasnt bright enough so i tried white food coloring with a wide paint brush. The bristles gave it some texture also I did have to go back in the slits and paint with a choc brown but to me I thought it looked pretty close to your picture. Idk if the original creator did anything like that but thats just my take on it. I would wrap the fondant around the cake tier first then paint it so you didnt have to handle it after it was painted. I was happy with it so thats how I'm going to do the cake when I do it in June

Ugggh I do not know what I am doing wrong that it links to my entire library..sorry if you have the patience to scroll you willl get to it..my computer is too much smarter than me

I had a bride who really wanted this cake.  the edding cake decorators at my bakery did not want to attempt it so I stepped up ( i usually stick to birthday and other specialty cakes)..the bride was on her third round of treatments for lymphoma so I REALLY wanted her to have her dream cake.  She was happy with it so I am satisfied.  I hope my link works :o/
 

Bakeawish... love it!  Is it buttercream?  How did you do it?  Thanks.

Linda

These are the supplies you need for the technique I came up ith,

fondant

black

tan

light brown

2 inch chip brush..these are the el cheapo kind with kinda stiff bristles

royal icing

some white powdered food coloring I got mine at a local baking supply store

teeny bit of black food coloring

ivory food coloring

bamboo skewer

cover cake in black fondant

make your branchy nubs and blend in with gumpaste tool damp paint brush etc.

I kind of marbled my tan and light brown fondant together then started with a small ball and "snaked" alternating colors in a pinwheel pattern then roll out to get a tree ring effect for the tops of the tiers.

then I made a snake of black fondant and rolled it thin and wrapped it around the upper edge of the cake and blend it in to give it that little "lip: that sticks up and hides the edge of your tree rings.

I had two small containers of thinned royal icing one colored l ivory and one light grey with the powdered white coloring to make it opaque  i did an undercoat of the ivory brushed on basically just hold the brush against your cake and spin your turn table so the grooves go horizontally I did a very thin coat just to give it a warm undertone. Once that sets up a bit it set, I coated it with the light grey..then I dry brushed it a bit with the powderd white color then carve it and and the bark nicks with a bamboo skewer.  I saw somehwere that the original was done with a chocolate wrap..but that option was not available for me to use at my bakery..Hope this helps you I would definitley play with the technique ona small cake dummy first to get the results you want .:o)

Hello,

I just had a bride send me the same picture for this cake.  Did you have any luck?  If so, will you please send me some advice?  Thanks!!

AHi Brandy! I posted a step by step tutorial of what I did here :)

http://cakecentral.com/t/760582/birch-bark-tree-tutorial

I hope that helps!!

ACan I put a cake in the fridge for a day after putting. Fondant on it

A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3221627/width/200/height/400[/IMG] This is my attempt at this cake with bc and airbrush.

ALooks great!