How to Cut a Christmas-Tree-Shaped Cake

Make a two-layer cake with one cake mix.

Christmas tree cakes are spectacular creations for Christmas parties and festive activities in December. The triangular pattern is versatile and can be made into other trees or objects with some imagination. Cutting the Christmas tree shape requires a little patience and some practice, but since it is not as complicated as other cake patterns, one or two practice cakes will suffice. Mistakes with the knife are also well hidden with frosting and decorations on this double-layered cake.

Things You'll Need

• Any size rectangular cake pan
• Large serrated bread knife
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Bake a basic rectangular cake at 350 degrees. Make the cake from scratch or using a premade mix. Allow the baked cake to cool for ten minutes, then scrape a knife along the sides of the pan. Pop the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool for an hour.

2. Slice the rounded top off the cake with a serrated knife to make a level surface. Lay the cake out so one short side is facing you. Cut a straight line from the bottom corner of the left-hand long side to the middle of the topmost short side by laying the ruler on the cake then cutting along the ruler with the serrated knife. Repeat this process on the right side of the cake. You will have three triangle cakes.

3. Remove the side triangles from the cake and place them on your presenting plate, which is the plate on which you plan to serve your cake. The pieces will be arranged so the second-longest sides face each other and touch, forming a new triangle shape. This is the first layer of the cake.

4. Place the last triangle on top of the same-sized triangle formed from the two smaller triangles already on the presenting plate. This is the second layer of the cake and should be placed to match the other two triangles, that is, the three points of each triangle will line up to make a double-layered triangle cake. Decorate your Christmas tree cake.

Tips & Warnings

• Try practicing on one cake before creating the final project. If a cut is crooked or too much is cut off the bottom pieces, fix the top piece, pile the cakes on top of each other then hide the mistakes with extra frosting.

• After placing the two triangles on the plate that make the first layer, frost them or spread jam over them for a center filling to the cake before placing the second layer on the cake.

References

• Betty Crocker: Christmas Tree Cake Recipe

Resources

• Family Fun: Christmas Tree Cake Recipe