How to Make a Cake Look Like a Pile of Leaves

This cake could also be served for fall birthday party, just add a fondant squirrel to the top of the pile.

If you really want to surprise your friends and family at your Thanksgiving dinner or autumn dinner party, then consider making a cake that resembles a pile of leaves. This desserts rings in the season changing with colorful designs. The outcome is elegant and complex, making you look just like an expert baker. The trick is making the leaves out of chocolate, it adds texture and dimension to your cake.

Things You'll Need

• Cooled cake
• Maple and rose leaves
• Molding chocolate
• Microwave
• Paintbrush
• Wax paper
• Tray
• Refrigerator
• Cake frosting

Instructions

1. Bake the cake according to your recipe, then place in the refrigerator.

2. Gather non-poisonous plant leaves, such as maple or rose.

3. Clean the leaves thoroughly with warm water, ensure that they are properly dried. Water will damage the appearance of the chocolate on the leaf.

4. Melt molding chocolate, which allows for a shiny, smooth finish. Heat in 30 second time frames in the microwave.

5. Paint chocolate onto the underside of the leaf with unused paintbrush. Do not paint too thick or too thin, try to make the coating approximately 1/8 inch thick.

6. Coat the entire leaf with chocolate.

7. Place the painted leaf onto a wax paper gently. Cover the plate or tray and refrigerate. Continue painting all the leaves with chocolate until you have enough to cover your cake.

8. Wait at least half an hour to ensure that the leaves are properly set.

9. Remove the chocolate molds from the refrigerator. Gently seize the stem of the leaf and delicately peel the real leaf away from the chocolate. Avoid touching the chocolate too much, the heat from your hands will melt it. Once you peel the leaf away, place the chocolate leaf back on a tray. Loosely cover them and refrigerate until ready to use.

10. Remove the cake from the refrigerator.

11. Spread cake frosting outwards from the center and then downwards onto the sides of the cake. Once the cake is completely frosted remove your chocolate leaves from the refrigerator.

12. Begin piling the leaves onto the cake. Work gently and lightly stack the leaves on top of one another until it begins to look like a pile. Use frosting as a glue.

13. Tuck in chocolate leaves into any empty spaces. You want it to look like a pile so avoid bare spots.

14. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips & Warnings

• The number of leaves will depend on the size of your cake. Practice the technique for a smaller round cake (8 inches round) and then work your way up to larger cakes.

• You can use both maple and rose leaves for added texture.

• Use white chocolate with food coloring if you wanted green, orange, or yellow leaves.

References

• An Occasional Chocolate: How to Make Chocolate Leaves
• Chocoley: How To Make Edible Chocolate Leaves
• Flickr Yahoo: Piles of Leaves Birthday Cake