I got a request to make a cake that looks like a 2x4, a piece of wood. Any tips or links to tips on how to get a good looking wood grain? I'm not digging the thought of fondant right now, but if that will get me the best results, so be it. Any way to do it in buttercream? Any help would be appreciated! Oh, and it wouldn't be very big, cut and carved from a square 8 inch pan most likely

I think fondant is your best bet. You can paint wood grain on it, or if you marble it just right, it will have that wood grain effect.

I just did a search on this site, and found a lot of ideas from previous posters! Cool! And thank you millermom, I think marbling would be a good way to go.