Christmas Tree Sheet Cake
A photo tutorial for decorating a holiday themed sheet cake using a combination of piping tips and palette knives. Using all buttercream, this cake is decorated with a fireplace, stockings, wreath, garland and Christmas tree.
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Equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 12-Inch Disposable Piping Bags + Couplers
- Piping Tips, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 and 18
- Tapered Palette Knives various sizes
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vanilla Sheet Cake
- ½ recipe Chocolate Buttercream
- 2x recipe Vanilla Buttercream
- Americolor Gel Food Coloring Super Black, Super Red, Electric Yellow, Forest Green, Electric Green, Turquoise, Leaf Green
- Assorted Christmas Sprinkles
- White Sparkling Sugar
- Black Sanding Sugar
- Star Anise
Instructions
Cake
- Prepare the recipe for Vanilla Sheet Cake or Chocolate Sheet Cake as instructed. Cool completely.
- Turn the cake out onto a baking sheet or large serving platter.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Prepare 1/2 the recipe for Chocolate Buttercream as instructed.
- Frost the cake all over with the chocolate buttercream, smoothing out the top the best you can. Make sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the chocolate buttercream to use for decorating.
- Refrigerate the cake for several hours, until the chocolate buttercream is firm and cold.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Prepare 2x the recipe for Perfect American Vanilla Buttercream as instructed. Use half butter / half shortening for a whiter color.
- Use the Super Red gel food coloring to color 1/2 cup of the vanilla buttercream a deep red.
- Use the Super Black, Forest Green, Electric Green, Turquoise, and Leaf Green gel food coloring to color 1 1/4 cups of the vanilla buttercream a deep green. I start with a small drop of each color, then continue to add more of each until achieving the shade of green I want.
- Leave the rest of the vanilla buttercream white.
Decorating the Fireplace
- Fit a piping bag with a coupler and one of the small round tips, like #3 or #4. Fill with chocolate buttercream.
- In the lower left corner of the cake, pipe the outline for the fireplace, then fill in the outline. Lightly dab a small amount of the red and white buttercream on top of the brown, then use a palette knife to smooth it out.
- Drag a toothpick through the buttercream to create the brick pattern.
- Add a few drops of Super Black gel food coloring to a small amount of the chocolate buttercream. Fit a piping bag with a coupler and one of the small round tips, like #3 or #4. Fill with the black buttercream.
- Pipe the mantle above the bricks, and fill in the center of the fireplace. Use a palette knife to smooth out the black buttercream.
- Add a few drops of Electric Yellow gel food coloring to a small amount of the red buttercream, to make it more orange. Use a palette knife to paint some orange flames in the center of the fireplace.
- Use a palette knife to paint some chocolate brown logs over the flames.
- Sprinkle a little black sanding sugar around the logs to resemble coals and ashes.
Decorating the Stockings
- Fit a piping bag with a coupler and a small round tip, and fill with the red buttercream.
- Pipe the outline of the stockings, then fill in the stockings and smooth the buttercream with a palette knife.
- Fit a piping bag with a coupler and a small round tip, and fill with white buttercream. Pipe some fluffy swirls on the top edge of the stockings, then pipe a small loop for them to hang on the mantle.
Decorating the Wreath and Garland
- Fit a piping bag with a coupler and a small star tip, such as #18, and fill with green buttercream. Pipe a wreath above the fireplace.
- If you have long gold sprinkle rods, you can use them to make candles sitting on the mantle. Use a palette knife to paint a small orange flame above each candle.
- Pipe some garland on the mantle, then decorate the wreath and garland with sprinkle ornaments.
Decorating the Christmas Tree
- Using a palette knife, paint branches for the Christmas tree, starting at the bottom and working your way up. This was trickier than I thought it would be, and I'd suggest practicing first on a piece of wax paper before you paint on your cake.
- Decorate the tree with sprinkle ornaments.
Finishing Touches
- Pipe some more green garland at the top edge of the cake, and decorate it with sprinkle ornaments.
- Add a few presents around the fireplace or Christmas tree.
- Use tip #12 to pipe some white buttercream around the base of the tree to resemble snow or a fluffy blanket.
- Add some sparkling sugar and top the tree with the star anise.
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