Fault Line Cake

Directions

1. Warm up half the chocolate candy melts following the instructions on the package.
2. Pour the melted chocolate onto a piece of parchment or wax paper, place another sheet on top, and use a rolling pin or cake scraper to press it into a thin, even layer.
3. Roll the parchment with the chocolate into a tube shape and put it in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
4. If your sprinkle mix contains any very large pieces, pick them out and set them aside.
5. Using an icing spatula or knife, apply buttercream frosting only around the middle band of your chilled crumb-coated cake. Right after frosting, press the smaller sprinkles onto that band. Expect some mess—place your turntable on a rimmed baking sheet to catch falling sprinkles so you can reuse them.
6. Use a piping bag filled with buttercream or an icing spatula to frost the top and bottom portions of the cake, leaving a gap in the middle that is slightly wider than you want the final fault line to be.
7. Run a cake scraper around the sides and across the top to smooth the frosting. Check the cake at eye level to ensure the sides are straight and even; patch any thin areas with extra frosting and smooth again.
8. Add the large sprinkles you set aside back into the fault line crevice. If you're making the bark version for a fall look, continue with the next steps. If not, add any other decorations you like and you're done with a simple sprinkle fault line cake.
9. Remove the hardened chocolate sheet from the fridge and unroll it. It should naturally crack; break it further into irregular pieces that will fit well on your cake.
10. Gently press the chocolate bark pieces onto the cake along the upper and lower edges of the fault line. Attach them immediately after frosting so they adhere. Don't worry about perfection—an uneven, natural arrangement looks best.
11. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set the decorations.
12. Melt the other half of the chocolate candy melts. Using a clean paintbrush, brush the melted chocolate over the bark pieces on the cake to give them a wood-like texture.
13. Allow the painted chocolate to dry completely. If you want a stronger wood effect, you can repeat with another layer.
14. If you haven't already placed the large sprinkles back into the fault line, do so now. Should the frosting have formed a crust, stick each sprinkle with a small dab of fresh frosting.
15. For an extra autumn touch, lightly brush cocoa powder into the bark's shadows and edible gold luster dust onto the highlights.
16. And that's it! This simple but striking fall-themed fault line cake is perfect for your next autumn dinner party or Thanksgiving celebration.