Pretty Layered Ruffle Christmas Tree Cake - the anti-fruit cake

Cake stand from Tracey Lau Art & Soul

I pretty much hated Christmas cake growing up, which many years ago consisted of fruit cake covered with marzipan and hard fondant.

Maybe hate is too strong a work but just sayin.........I'm not a fan of fruit cake.

So I decided to create an Anti-fruit cake this year and in doing so I think I've made a cake that is so much more Christmassy than fruit cake could ever be.

Yup this is an actual Christmas Tree cake made from white chocolate mud cake, layered with white chocolate ganache, covered with rolled fondant and decorated with strawberry bon bons and glittery fondant decorations.

Which I guess is nothing special, because you know, people have made Christmas Tree Cakes before.

But this one is covered with layers of pretty fondant ruffles- which looks pretty cool.

Someone less determined may have given up on this cake halfway through, perhaps when their daughter told them it looked like a lovely dress.

When I mentioned it was going to be a tree she replied, It's OK mummy, don't worry your just not so good at Christmas Trees, your great at other stuff, you just need more practice (Now I totally know how annoying that must sound when I say stuff like that). However when all the ruffles were attached she conceded it did in fact look like a tree and I had done an OK job.

The recipe I used for the inside of the cake was the white chocolate mud cake from the Planet Cake: A Beginner's Guide to Decorating Incredible Cakes cookbook.

Sorry everyone I can't share the inside of the cake recipe - apart from a couple of early posts before I knew any better I don't post other people's recipes here on my blog - it's all original Bubble and Sweet stuff.

I'm sure if you google white chocolate mud cake you could find a lovely recipe, or maybe a nice peppermint or even lime version. I colored the cake green using Wilton moss green and Wilton leaf green, halved the batch and baked 2 X 16 cm round tins, and then made up another batch and did the same. In all I ended up with 4 X 16cm green mud cakes. I used white chocolate ganache to fill in between the layers (in all  about 850g white chocolate mixed with 1/3 ratio of cream).

Mudcake is quite sturdy and is great for carving shapes

And as an update to my previous post, I have confirmation from quite a few of the stores that my book is in fact being shipped right now so I say the US Release is official. If you like the things I create here on the blog my new book Sweets on A Stick is out now and available to purchase here at Amazon.



Barnes & Noble (Click Here)

Or the book depository UK (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Fondant Ruffle Christmas Tree 
If you don't have non toxic food glitter to make the decorations just use candy, or plain fondant, or maybe some premade sugar decorations, you know just what ever you like or have handy.

4 X 16cm green mud cakes - brown edges, tops and bottoms trimmed, ensure that the cakes are level
Cake board (16cm)
White chocolate ganache set at room temperature (make the day before assembling the cake)
large knife
offset spatula
Green Ready Roll Fondant (I used Bakels brand coloured with Wilton moss green and Wilton leaf green)
white Ready Roll Fondant (I used Bakels brand)
large rolling pin
small sharp knife
small rolling pin
ruffling/frilling tool
non stick petal pad/foam (see here for example) optional for thinner ruffles
cornflour/ cornstarch
small brush and water
small star cookie cutter
toothpick
Small amount of pink fondant
pink non toxic glitter
small snowflake cutter
silver non toxic glitter
strawberry bon bons (or other favorite candy) - my yummy bon bons from Sharnel Dollar Designs
royal icing

* Fondant dries out very fast. You must work quickly and keep in an airtight container when not in use. Knead well before use.
**Some people may prefer to use a pasta machine to roll the ruffles very thin, that is more than ok, I say do what makes you happy and works :)

Using a small amount of ganache adhere one of the cakes to the cake board, spread a generous amount of ganache evenly on the top of the cake and then place a second cake on top of the first cake layer. Place into the fridge to set. Once set remove from the fridge and spread on an even layer of ganache on top of the second layer. Place the 3rd cake on top and pop the cake into the fridge for the ganache to set.

Remove from fridge spread an even layer of ganache onto the third cake layer and pop the 4th layer on the top, quickly pop a skewer or dowel in the center of the cake pushing it thru all 4 layers and return the cake to the fridge to set.

Once the ganache is set securely, use a sharp knife to shape the layers of cake into a cone. (I actually used some of the off cuts to make another layer which you can try if you feel confident with your carving)

Does that carved shape make my layers look really uneven?

Reserve any offcuts of the cake to make cake pops :)

Using an offset spatula spread the remaining ganache on the sides of the cake cone, making the sides as smooth as possible. I popped the cake into the fridge for the ganache to set and then smoothed on a final layer.

Smooth ganache all around the sides of the cake

Tip - although with most cakes you need a really super smooth finish on the ganache you can get away with a little roughness on this one as all of it will be covered with ruffles.

Dust the workbench with cornflour (cornstarch) and using the large rolling pin roll out the green fondant large enough to cover your fondant cone. I shaped my fondant into a rectangle which was tall enough in width to cover the cone from the bottom to the tip of the cone and wide enough to wrap around the base of the cone.

Pick the fondant up and wrap it around the cake cone (I'm using a fake styro one for these pictures), smooth the fondant down along the whole edge opposite where the seam will meet (that would be the middle of your large piece of fondant). Work quickly and carefully. The fondant will rip and tear if you are not careful. Once again the fact that you are covering the whole cake with ruffles will work in your favor here. If the fondant does happen to tear, pull it back together and press it in until it kinda holds.

Anyway, keep working the fondant onto your cake until you get to the seam at the back, wrap one layer over the top of the other and using a sharp knife cut a straight seam down the back through both layers. You can then easily remove the top layer of overhang from one side. Then pull back the fondant to get to the underlayer of overhang and remove that. Push the seams together, once again do your best but it will be covered.

Neatly trim any fondant overhand from the bottom of the cake using the sharp knife.

To Make the fondant ruffles dust the workbench with cornflour (cornstarch), take a piece of fondant about 1 1/2 tsp and shape it into a rectangle, using the small rolling pink roll in out into a long strip. As you roll you may need to press the sides in carefully with the sides/heels of you hands to stop it from getting too wide. (or if you find that is not working you can always use a sharp knife to trim it back to size) Keep rolling until the strip is quite thin. I like to pick the strip up after each roll to ensure it is not sticking to the bench and when necessary dust underneath again.

Roll out some white fondant into a long thin log and press in onto the edge of the thin green strip of fondant. Using the small rolling pin roll up and down until the white fondant is securely pressed into the green strip
.

(Optional for thinner ruffles) Pick the strip of green/white fondant up and place it onto the non stick foam. Using the middle section of the frilling tool roll back and forth (like using a rolling pin) to make the strip even thinner, you will probably get it to double in length. Then use the edge of the frilling tool rolling back and forth to frill the white edge of the strip a little more.

Attach this strip of fondant to your cake cone starting at the bottom. Brush on a very small amount of water to the cake cone and press the fondant strip onto the cake. I tried to gather the strip to make it appear more ruffly (see picture).

Continue making strips of fondant and attaching them to the cake cone working your way up until the whole cone is covered, starting a new strip at the same spot you finish off the last strip.

Using a toothpick push a small hole into the top of the cake (this is where the star will sit).

I allowed the fondant ruffles to set a little while I made the decorations.

Roll out the pink fondant and cut out a star shape (for the top of the cake) and lay on a tray covered with parchment paper. Carefully insert a toothpick into the side of the star, so when the star is laying flat on the tray the toothpick would be parallel with the tray. Brush the star with a small amount of water and sprinkle the non toxic pink glitter over the top of the star. Allow to set and remove excess glitter.

Roll out some white fondant and using a snowflake cutter press out about 20 small snowflakes, lay on some parchment paper, brush each snowflake with a small amount of water and sprinkle on the non toxic silver glitter over the top of the snowflakes. Allow to set and remove excess glitter.

Once all the decorations are set you can insert the star into the top of the cake by gently pressing the toothpick into the hole you made earlier at the top of the ruffle Christmas Cake.

Carefully cut the bon bons in half using a sharp knife and adhere them and the silver snowflake decorations using the royal icing as desired.

Xx

The pretty cake stand in the pictures is from Tracey Lau Art & Soul

It's OUT - Sweets on a Stick available to buy I think

       Boston Cream Pie Pops page 135

It's out!!!!

People have told me they have received copies they pre ordered of my book Sweets on a Stick, so although some online shops are saying not released yet I'm gonna have to consider my book sorta-released.

Safari Mask Cookie page 104

It's very exciting to see the actual book. It was a lot of work for me and also for my family and friends who put up with me for many months while I was testing, writing, retesting and rewriting recipes and instructions for the book.

Cowboy Hat Cookie Pops page 94

I was thinking about writing a post about how the book actually came about so if you are interested let me know, for today I'll just do a short interview with myself:

 Dino Stomp Cookies page 83

Favorite part of writing Sweets on a Stick:

Creating the recipes and ideas

Least favorite part of creating Sweets on a Stick:

writing 150+ introductions to the recipes, yes now my total dorkiness is out there in print for perpetuity for all to see.

Favorite recipe

Oh yay this is so not like having kids - I totally had a favorite, the monster cake pops where I came up with a new technique to make the open mouth.

 Big Mouth Monster Pops page 28

Favorite perk

Getting to thank my mum and dad and other people who have inspired and helped me in actual print. Really come to think of it I should thank everyone I love more often.

Special thanks to everyone who helped me during the development of this book especially Andrea at Adams Media without you the book would not exist.

 

Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks page 118

and thank you, yes YOU for reading my blog, because without your readership, comments and encouragement none of this would exist.

Coconut Ice Cake Pops page 20

Anyway and I always feel like some annoying infomercial when I do this but here are a couple of places online you can pick up my book. If your in the US it should be arriving in books stores soon.

Amazon have it of course:



Or the book depository UK (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)



Sweets on a Stick is a kid friendly recipe book. The cakes and other treat recipes have been created with kids in mind so they are mostly easy mix and all the treats are on a stick. However they are suitable for all ages and can be made without sticks if you choose.

The photos in the book were taken by Terri Vandermeer, the above dark and off center photos were taken by me with my new camera that I can't work and have lost the instructions for.

Penguin nesting doll Christmas Cookies

In Australia it's pretty much the middle of summer in Christmas. I live not far from the Gold Coast (popular touristy beach) and growing up Christmas parties consisted of swimming, BBQ's ,seafood platters and pavlova's. I'm pretty sure I mentioned it last year when I made up some 'prawn' Christmas cake pop (as a joke, not for real).

As you no doubt have noticed the Christmas decorations have been out for a while and more than once I have overheard fellow shoppers while picking up glittery cupcakes and highheel shoe ornaments asking their friends kinda loudly what on earth do THESE have to do with Christmas.

Everytime I smile to myself thinking well kinda as much as the snowflakes and holly leaves do in our weather......

But regardless I have the same weird belief that all things snowy stand for Christmas and for the second cookie off the rank for my Christmas swap cookies I'm going with a penguin with a scarf and beanie once again made using my good ole' babushka cookie cutter set.

I mentioned it before but people always ask so here in Australian I got my nesting doll cookie cutters from Bisk-art HERE

In the US I have noticed them at Fancy Flours and Ecrandal have a super pretty copper 5 set.

The cookie recipe I used is from my newly released book Sweets on a Stick available here at Amazon, the book also has a recipe for Marshmallow Fondant.



Or the book depository UK (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)



Or you can find similar recipes for vanilla sugar cookies, chocolate sugar cookies and marshmallow fondant on my blog by using the search function :)

and don't y'all go worrying your pretty little heads, I AM going to do the nutcraker cookie tutorial, I'm just workin' my way up to it.

Penguin nesting doll cookies

These instructions use the medium nesting cookie cutter, follow the exact same instructions for small or large nesting doll cutter.

Sugar cookies made using medium nesting doll cookie cutter
black rolled fondant shop bought or home made marshmallow fondant (I used shop bought chocolate flavored fondant colored with black americolor gel)*
colored rolled fondant any colors (or home made marshmallow fondant)*
small amount of orange rolled fondant (or home made marshmallow fondant)*
black edible writing pen
small round cutter (around 2cm or 3/4 inch)
oval cutter (around 4.5cm or 1 3/4inch in length)
small 6 petal flower cutters (13mm or 1/2 inch)
small rolling pin
medium nesting doll cookie cutter (around 9.5cm or 3 3/4 inch)
small sharp knife

clean brush and water

*Fondant dries out very quickly. Use small amounts work quickly and when not in use place the fondant in an airtight container or ziplock bag to minimise the chances of it drying out and cracking.

Roll out the black fondant onto a clean benchtop dusted with cornflour/ cornstarch, or you can rub on some crisco or spray a little oil (this method is good if you have trouble with the white flour showing up as dots). Roll out until a couple of mm (1/8") in thickness. I like to lift my fondant frequently and turn it like pie dough to ensure it does now stick to the bench while rolling it out.


Use the nesting doll cookie cutter to cut out a shape. Lightly brush a cookie with water and place the fondant over the cookie, using the rolling pin lightly press down to adhere the fondant to the cookie.

Roll out some white fondant and  cut out a small round face and an oval tummy, attach them to the black fondant coloured cookie, the smaller round in the face area and the larger oval in the tummy area.

Ooops used the wrong oval cutter in this picture it should be quite a bit bigger than the circle

Roll out a small amount of the colored fondant on a cornflour/ cornstach dusted workbench until a couple of mm (1/8") in thickness and using the nesting doll cutter cut out the head, then using the side of the nesting doll cutter where it curves at the shoulder section press down about .5cm from the top of the head to make a little beanie/ hat. You can make the hat bigger or larger as you like. Adhere the hat to the penguin cookie with a small amount of water ensuring the rounded edge of the beanie is in line with the top of the penguin 'head' and the bottom of the beanie will overlap the white round face.Press down lightly on the beanie with the rolling pin as needed to secure.

Still using the curved side of the rolling pin, press in down lightly about 1mm from the bottom curved edge of the hat to make a small decorative indent. Using the knife work your way along the beanie rim you have just made making small indents about 1mm apart. If you like you can use the square corner edge of the cookie cutter to make more decorative indents in the hat to look like knitting. Roll a small ball of white fondant and adhere it to the top of the hat to look like a little pom pom.

Make the scarf by rolling out some more of the fondant and using the sharp knife cut out 2 strips around .5cm wide and 3-4cm long. At one end using the sharp knife to cut a fringe around .5cm long with about 4 to 5 pieces as per the picture.

Using a small amount of water adhere the scarf pieces around the neck of the penguin.and cut any overhang at the neck off using the sharp knife.

Shape a small nose using the orange fondant and adhere with the pointed end pointing down to the middle of the face with a very small amount of water.

Roll out some more of the orange fondant and cut out a couple of small flowers using a 6 petal fondant cutter.

Using the sharp knife cut them in half to make little feet. Adhere 2 feet with the flat edges parallel with the bottom of the cookie with a small amount of water.

Allow the fondant on the snowman to dry a couple of hours and then using the edible pen draw on 2 eyes.
 

Snowman nesting doll Christmas cookies

One of my favorite cookies ever is the babushka doll (nesting doll) which I first posted on this blog about a year ago here and then an even prettier version earlier this year HERE. After I posted tutorial instructions one of my lovely readers Jody emailed me a picture of a set of Santa nesting dolls suggesting they would make a great set of cookies to which I totally agreed and ever since I have had it in the back of my mind to do just that.

So when I was thinking of ideas for the Christmas Cookie swap I was part of,  Santa nesting doll cookies was one of the first things I thought of. But I needed to make a set and so this snowman was the second thing that popped into my head.

Snowman cookies are nothing new, but this version with the nesting doll cookies is cool as you can easily make a family, and once I post the instructions for a couple of the other cookies in the set you can make quite a few Christmas themed cookies using the one basic shape.

Plus anything that uses nesting doll cookie cutters is just really neat!

If you don't have a set of nesting doll cookie cutters, you could follow these instructions and use a regular ole' snowman cookie cutter and they would look just as cute. Well almost.

Over here in Australian I got my nesting doll cookie cutters from Bisk-art HERE

In the US I have noticed them at Fancy Flours and Ecrandal have a super pretty copper 5 set.

Snowman nesting doll cookies

These instructions use the medium nesting cookie cutter, follow the exact same instructions for small or large nesting doll cutter.

Sugar cookies made using medium nesting doll cookie cutter
white rolled fondant shop bought or home made marshmallow fondant
colored rolled fondant any colors (or home made marshmallow fondant)
small amount of orange rolled fondant (or home made marshmallow fondant)
black edible writing pen
small rolling pin
nesting doll cookie cutters
small sharp knife

clean brush and water

Roll out the white fondant onto a clean benchtop dusted with cornflour/ cornstarch. until a couple of mm (1/8") in thickness. I like to lift my fondant frequently and turn it like pie dough to ensure it does now stick to the bench while rolling it out.


Use the nesting doll cookie cutter to cut out a shape. Lightly brush a cookie with water and place the fondant over the cookie, using the rolling pin lightly press down to adhere the fondant to the cookie.

Repeat with remaining cookies.

Roll out a small amount of the colored fondant on a cornflour/ cornstach dusted workbench until a couple of mm (1/8") in thickness and using the nesting doll cutter cut out the head, then using the side of the nesting doll cutter where it curves at the shoulder section press down about .5cm from the top of the head to make a little beanie/ hat. You can make the hat bigger or larger as you like. Adhere the hat to the snowman cookie as shown in the picture using a very small amount of water and pressing down lightly with the rolling pin as needed.

Still using the curved side of the rolling pin, press in down lightly about 1mm from the bottom curved edge of the hat to make a small decorative indent. If you like you can use the square corner edge of the cookie cutter to make more decorative indents in the hat to look like knitting. If you like you can roll a small ball of white fondant and adhere it to the top of the hat to look like a little pom pom.

Repeat for remaining cookies.

Make the scarf by rolling out some more of the fondant and using the sharp knife cut out 2 strips around .5cm wide and 3-4cm long. At one end using the sharp knife to cut a fringe around .5cm long with about 4 to 5 pieces as per the picture.

Using a small amount of water adhere the scarf pieces around the neck of the snowman.and cut any overhang at the neck off using the sharp knife.

Shape a small nose using the orange fondant and adhere to the middle of the face with a very small amount of water.

Allow the fondant on the snowman to dry a couple of hours and then using the edible pen draw on 2 eyes and 5 dots for the mouth. I find starting with the center dot and working my way out makes for a more even smile.
 
Now for some great news (well for me anyway) it seems some of the online book shop warehouses have started receiving my book and have emailed people on the waiting lists to say the book is on its way soon. I had a few copies delivered during the week and I'm so happy with how it turned out. Remember it's a US release book and the weights and measurements are written accordingly although there is a conversion chart in the back of the book. It's available lots of places, here is a link to Amazon:

A Christmas Cookie Swap 2011

Cookie by hello naomi 

I've never dreamed of a white Christmas, but many a time I have watched online as others have shared photo's of fabulous Christmas Cookies that they have swapped and hoped one day I might be participating in something similar.

Well this year my cookie dreams came true and I had the great pleasure of joining in a Christmas Cookie Swap with a group of talented Australian Cookie Decorators.

Cookies by hello naomi

The swap resembled a secret Santa whereby each decorator was provided with a name of one other person and it was their task to decorate a small batch of cookies and send them off. The guidelines were pretty simple, mostly that the cookies were all to be posted off on the same agreed date, that the cookies should be some type of Christmas theme of around 4 to 6 cookies and that no one should reveal the name of their swappee or any pictures until everyone had received their cookies.

Jordan from Polkadot Prints helped us out with some of the administration and drew out the swappee names and emailed out the addresses. Super Big Thanks to Jordan - she is such a good sport.

and my secret cookie sender turned out to be none other than the awesomely talented and sweet Naomi from hello naomi. I have been a fan of Naomi's clean simple style for many years and it was a treat to receive her package which consisted of a forest of elegant white Christmas trees and a super sweet and pretty garland of mini cookies in muted pink and green.

and I secretly sent my cookies to Kate, from Kiss me Kate. I made a set of 5 Christmas themed cookies using my babushka (nesting doll) cookie cutters.

How did I come up with such an awesome idea you might ask....well last year after I did up my babushka cookie tutorial a lovely lady called Jody emailed me with a picture of a set of Santa nesting dolls suggesting it would make a good cookie and ever since it has been in the back of my mind. I just came up with the rest to match.

I'll be doing up a tutorial for at least a couple of these cookies here on the blog soon.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this cookie swap, you were all such good sports. Here is the list of lovely decorators who joined in:

Blissfully Sweet

Bubble & Sweet

Dessert Menu Please

Hello Naomi

Kiss Me Kate

Spoon & Fork

Three Honey Bees

I don't have photo's of everyone's cookies yet but here are some that I managed to grab, photo and cookie credits under each photo:

Cookies and Photo by Jacki at Blissfully Sweet (cookies sent to Kylie at Three Honeybees)

Photo by Jacki at Blissfully Sweet, cookies by Noo at Dessert Menu Please

photo by hello naomi, cookie by Kiss me Kate

if you pop over HERE to flickr you will be able to see some of Kylie from Three Honey Bees pretty Christmas cookies as well.

and you'll be happy to know that the cookies I received from Naomi tasted even better than they looked. Thanks to everyone for joining in the preChristmas fun.

Cookie by Naomi at hello naomi - YUMmmmmm