Buttercream

When a dear friend calls and says "I need a cake, but just slap some 'regular' icing on it.", what do you do?  You make a cake, and slap some 'regular' icing on it.  I was actually happy with the outcome, just simple and pretty.  

Oh, the woes of buttercream.  Why is it so much harder for me to throw something together with buttercream than to cover it in fondant?  Part of the reason I stopped making sheet cakes, is because they bore me.  I know there is a lot that can be done with buttercream, I just don't practice enough.  So don't look too closely, my skills need some work!  

Not wanting it to look like your typical grocery store cake (not that there's anything wrong with that), I added a subtle texture to the sides and top.  With no texture sheets on hand, I grabbed a clean paper towel.  After the final coat dried out a bit, I rubbed the paper towel over the cake with a fondant smoother and was left with a light texture, adding the extra touch I was looking for.   

It was a 3 layer chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream, and they LOVED it. Mission accomplished!