Add elegance to a simple buttercream cake by accenting it with chocolate shavings. This decorating technique is simple, yet quickly draws the attention of customers.

There are several different ways this technique can be accomplished. If you’re trying to accomplish a more decadent and less elegant appearance, use a French knife to shave strips from a block of tempered chocolate. This will not have a particularly refined or clean look, but is fast and convenient.

If you want to create a more elegant and clean-looking buttercream cake accented with chocolate shavings, melt some tempered chocolate for creating shapes and designs. You will want to lightly pour the melted chocolate onto a pan covered with baking paper. With this method, you can create a very specific style by drizzling the melted chocolate in crisscross patterns or into block shapes. If you prefer a guide and more precision, you can also stencil specific patterns on the baking paper and apply the chocolate using a piping bag.

Each shaving of chocolate can be lightly placed along the side of the buttercream cake. The chocolate will easily stick to the buttercream. The chocolate shavings don’t have to be applied perfectly either. The jagged shapes and placement of the chocolate can provide the cake with a creative and stylized appearance.