Hi!

I have been trawling the internet all morning and having a few doubts. I made a chocolate cake for my son's birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was a chocolate layer cake from the Primrose bakery cookbook. I've made it loads of times before as it's really dense and moist and stays good for ages. but up to now I have just been covering it with buttercream. This time I put buttercream and then decorated it with fondant, and some parts had even more buttercream on top. This, in my opinion, made it way way waaaaay too sweet. 

So I have been asked to make a cake for my husband's colleague's 4 year old, and she said chocolate always goes down well, but doesn't really mind. Now, I'll be making it on the thursday (or before and freezing it) for pick up on friday. But the party isn't until Sunday. My previous chocolate cake would have been fine for this, but searching for other flavours that will be dense enough to withstand buttercream, rolled fondant, a football (soccer ball) on top, stay fresh for 4 days at least, and not be too sweet.....

a lot of requirements! but, can anyone help?

Also, a couple of other questions, the cake will have the football on top, do I need to do this as another tier? (as in, cake board and dowels)

FYI if needed, the plan is to have an oblong cake 9x13 with a fondant scarf, buttercream grass on top, and the football covered in fondant, with a little boy over the top of the ball. 

As an aside, is it best to use chocolate ganache, or buttercream under the fondant?

Sorry for the barrage of questions!!

A x

ANY cake & flavor will be dense enough to be covered in fondant.

I have always baked Betty Crocker box mixes and many of them are covered in fondant. 

It appears you are baking a scratch cake and those almost alwyas are denser than a mix so I don't see where there is anything to be concerned about.  Also just noticed the base cake is covered in b'cream and only the ball will be in fondant so there should be no problem at all.

...........football on top, do I need to do this as another tier? (as in, cake board and dowels)......cake 9x13 with a fondant scarf, buttercream grass on top, and the football covered in fondant, with a little boy over the top of the ball............

I would treat the football as another tier it's always safer that way :)