I have a customer who has requested the cake be chocolate with icing and "not be overwhelmingly chocolate-y or overwhelmingly sweet"...
So what do I make?
I was going to suggest Red Velvet or Devils Food cake, both have chocolate in them but less then my Triple Chocolate Fudge cake, but what about the icing?
Every icing I've ever tasted is sweet, so I'm at a loss.

My bad mood from last night is carrying over .....

Tell her if she doesn't want chocolate cake with sweet icing, she can serve broccoli and ranch dip.

Stupid people like this pi$$ me off.

Although I prefer Indydebi's response, how about German chocolate? I love chocolate and I can't figure out why the word 'chocolate' is in the name of that cake. Very subtle chocolate flavor.

As for the icing, she can scrape hers off. Or, you can suggest icing the cake with ranch dressing. LOL

I use a milk choc. cake with almond buttercream, it's a great combo and you get a nice choc. flavor without it being overkill.

There are some chocolate icings out there that use sour cream -- the tang cuts the sweetness a little.

Somebody who wants a cake that's not sweet is funny, but still easier to deal with than the people who want non-dairy, gluten free, hypo-allergenic, low fat, vegan, organic, whatever other restricted diet thing they can come up with. If that's your thing, I say stick with the broccoli. Otherwise, it's cake.

Are the meringue buttercreams less sweet tasting - I haven't tried those. But the German Chocolate Cake isn't real chocolatey - personally, for myself, that triple chocolate fudge cake is right up my alley!

Not sure about the cake(I wouldn't add more to that or it would affect the chemistry), but I make the Wilton recipe for buttercream, but instead of adding the dash of salt sometimes I add up to 1/4 t. of salt, maybe more. Add a little bit and taste often. It cuts the super sweet taste.

I understand exactly what your client is asking for, and it certainly doesn't make her "stupid" for asking. There are chocolate cakes that aren't overwhelmingly chocolate, and the advice about German chocolate cake is spot on. IMBC is definitely a less-sweet buttercream. It's rich and silky and absolutely wonderful.

Deby, perhaps an estrogen patch is in order.