How to Make an Edible Evergreen Tree for a Cake

Two Styles of Easy 3D Trees for Cake Decorating

© Nicole Wills

Jan 23, 2009

Making a cake or gingerbread house with entirely edible decorations makes the end result even more enchanting. Take pastry designs to the next level by thinking about more than just the basics. By putting some thought into the sugar landscaping or creating three dimensional decorations to top a cake, a simple design can be elevated to true sugar art. All it takes is some basic piping skills and creativity.

To Make Edible Evergreen Trees:

1. Sugar cones—the pointy, sweet variety of ice cream cones—make excellent foundations for tasty trees. They're readily available from most major grocery stores, often in an end cap near the frozen section. Purchase a box. Only one size cone is necessary to make different sizes of trees, so avoid the temptation to purchase larger waffle cones, as they don't have a flat top edge, and it's very difficult to make a stable tree with them.
2. Make a batch of royal icing. Buttercream (also known as decorator's icing) can also be used, but it will not set up in the same way, and the finished tree will be prone to getting unsightly thumb prints. An additional benefit of using royal icing is the fact that the trees can be made far in advance; properly stored, royal icing decorations can last for decades. Color icing.
3. Put a grass tip or leaf tip in a parchment or disposable plastic icing cone. Both parchment triangles and disposable icing bags are available from cake decorating stores and in the cake decorating sections at major craft stores. Fill with colored royal icing.
4. Turn an ice cream cone upside down, so the flat side points toward the floor, and the pointy end sticks up. Use the cone of royal icing to pipe on leaves, starting at the bottom of the cone and working toward the top point. It's easiest to hold the cone in one hand and twirl it, piping with the other, until all but the very tip is covered. At that point, set the cone on waxed paper and carefully cover the last bits of bare ice cream cone.
5. While the royal icing is still wet, if desired, sprinkle the tree with disco dust (also known as pixie dust, an edible form of glitter) or press small candies into the wet icing. Red hots, dragees, and mini MnMs make great ornaments, and chocolate covered sunflower seeds make wonderful Christmas lights.
6. To make a larger tree, simply stack two or more sugar cones on top of one another. Use a bit of royal icing to adhere the cones together.

To Make Edible Topiaries:

1. Unwrap a lollipop and place the stick in a caramel, large gumdrop, or other large, soft candy to create a stable base.
2. Make royal icing, color, and place in an icing cone, as above.
3. Pipe greenery on the lollipop ball.
4. Decorate as desired. Topiaries look particularly charming if adorned with very small royal icing or gumpaste flowers that have been made ahead of time and allowed to dry.
5. Get creative! Animal topiaries can be created in much the same way. Simply sculpt some basic animal shapes out of fondant, gumpaste, or caramels and cover in icing as described above.

Structure for Edible Trees

Basic Finished Edible Trees

Edible Tree on a Gingerbread House

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