The cake i wanted to put on here used marble chocolate but i can't put pictures on here for some reason so here is the link to a similar cake.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/louisamorriscakes/2299821592/in/photostream/

How do i marble chocolate and then make these chocolate planks to go on the side? Does also does anyone know what these chocolate sides 'planks' are called?

I'm going to guess it was melted white chocolate. I've never done this, but going off the photo alone, I'd say you could pour melted chocolate into a pan (maybe an 8x8 square with a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom - maybe a little extra long so you can pull the whole thing out later- like you can do with brownies). Fill it so you get the depth you're looking for (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch or so). Let it set up until it's almost completely firm and then cut it to size with an exacto knife. Then put in the fridge and let them get hard.

That's how I would do it. You mentioned marbling. You could create the marbling effect when you pour the chocolate into the pan. Just use regular chocolate and white, marbling them as you see fit with toothpick.

I'm sure someone out there has a better idea. But if you asked me to do it tomorrow and I had no other ideas, that's what I'd go with.

thanks heaps

I recently did the same thing, but I used pieces of MMF that had dried overnight.

Yeah, you could probably do something with fondant or gumpaste too, to create the sides and then paint them with food coloring if you're wanting to make it look like wood or something. Or marble together the two colors of fondant before you roll it out.

How about a mold like this, obviously not this one since it has butterflies, but they do make other shapes.

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/product.aspx?productId=637589

Take narrow strips of something (I would use plexiglass) and lay them side by side how ever wide apart you want the piece to be on parchmet/wax paper or silicone, something the chocolate can be relased from.

Pour the chocolate/s into the space, marble, then using a spakling/joint compound knife - from the hardware store - run it over the two strips to level the chocolate (make sure the strips don't move).

Let it firm up.

Then using the same spakling knife (cleaned), dip in hot water, dry with paper towl and cut the chocolate into the appropriate lengths.

The cutting is the most difficult part since the chocolate will be fragile.

This is how I would do it. HTH.

You can buy the chocolate squares online

these are called 'shards', they look awesome don't they! I have a book which teaches how to make the individually, but because you want the sharp edges like your example, then this might help:
http://vipantrywedonthaveablogblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/caramel-mudcake-with-white-chocolate.html

Please note, my internet connection is acting up, and the photos on that page won't load. But from memory I'm almost certain that the shards are similar to the ones you want.

Pretty much what carla said is how I used chocolate to make my City Skyline cake: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1219555

Melted the chocolate and poured into one of my 18x26 baking sheets. the trick is knowing when it's hard enough to cut yet not so hard that it cracks and breaks when you cut it. The chocolate was still in the 'soft' stage, but firm. Used an exacto knife. I also had a template (made just out of regular paper) that I traced around, which you may want to think about for perfect rectangles.

indydebi, that's so unique! Can I come and stay with you and apprentice, I like your style (jokes, I live on the other side of the world, and I think my husband would object)

by the way, where do you get an 'exacto' knife? hardware stores? craft stores? I bought something that LOOKS like it from a $2 shop, but the blade won't stay in, it's rubbish. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

A good art store (crafts) should carry them.

I use the moulds from CK Products number 90-13221. If you look on my website Page 4 Amy S. or Page 11 Ali. Just fill the moulds and wait to set. So easy.

Indydebi, that City Skyline cake is amazing. Can you tell me how thick are the chocolate pcs and how did you attach them to the cake? Do they break easily?

Thanks, indydebi! My friend's DH's birthday is coming up...he's an architect, and I think the chicago skyline would look so cool done in this technique. Of course, I'm not a pro, but even a crude approximation would nice in chocolate.

I really need to get my photo sharing problems resolved so I can post some pics (my DH insists on installing Linux on all our computers, and my camera just doesn't want to play nice with it!)

I would make those planks out of modeling chocolate.....

thanks so much..it will help too now that i know they are called shards