How to make a Christmas centerpiece with cakes and mini cupcakes

Need an unique centerpiece for your Christmas party or dinner? Here you will find instructions on how to make a centerpiece that is edible as well as visually enjoyable.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• mini wonder mold cake pan
• mini muffin pan 24 count
• 1 or 2 cake mixes
• white icing
• food colors: green, yellow, red, blue, etc
• large tray or cake plate
• decorating bags
• decorating tips: writing 2 or 3, leaf 65 or 66 or 68
• mini cupcake baking cups/papers
• edible cake sparkles, shimmering dust, or snowflake candy sprinkles (optional)

1. Decide how large a centerpiece you want. Do you want 1 center tree or more? 1 cake mix will make 4 to 6 trees, and 1 cake mix will make 60 to 75 mini cupcakes. If only using 1 or 2 trees, I suggest using 1 cake mix. Make the number of tree cakes you need. Now use the rest of the batter to make your mini cupcakes using the baking cups to line your pan with. This helps with clean up later and it's easier to get the cupcakes out of the pan. Cool all completely on a wire rack.

2. Prepare your tray or cake plate by covering with a thin layer of white icing for snow, doilies, or some wrapping paper or foil. Ice the tops of all your mini cupcakes white.

3. Tint enough icing green to ice your trees. Position the tree cakes on your display platter. Ice trees with green icing using leaf tip. It's best to start at the bottom and work up. This will give you the layered look. Tint the rest of your icing yellow, red, blue, and any other colors you would like.

4. Using the writing tip, pipe small dots on trees in different colors for ornaments. I pipe a larger dot on top in yellow for a star. Pipe bows on top of each cupcake. You can use any colors for the bows that you like. Arrange cupcakes around trees as mini presents.

5. Optional: Sprinkle with sparkling sugar or shimmering dust to make glisten. Or sprinkle with snowflake candy sprinkles.

Tips & Warnings

• Use ready made icing.
• Instead of icing cupcakes white and adding bows, use a star tip and pipe icing in a swirl on top of cupcakes. This will help save some time too.
• Freeze cakes before decorating.
• Cover after set up to keep fresh.
• Refrigerate if using cream cheese or whipped icings.
• Get the kids involved!
• Remember to use pot holders when handling baking pans.

[sandhillkar]

on 11/5/2008 COOL!