Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm a newbie. I'm just starting out, and actually dont really know where to start. LOL So, I want to make a Christmas tree cake to take to the family celebration Christmas Day. I am planning to make a sheet cake and cut 2 parts off to make the center a triangle/tree shape, then put those cut-off pieces together to make another triangle/tree cake. But, I dont really know where to go from there.
Bake the cakes tonight and freeze them? Then take them out on Sunday and decorate?
You cant use regular store-bought non-Wilton frosting to frost cakes, can you?

I plan on taking a cake decorating class in January, if my work will let me off for 4 Wednesday evenings in a row. *fingers crossed*

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Michelle

Hi there Michelle, you idea sounds like it will work. Or you could just buy the tree pan. I would bake the cake and freeze and decotate it Saturday night. Then on Sunday you can just get dressed and go, no stress. I have a tree in my photos.

I hope you have no problem getting the days off for your classes, they are fun. Hope this helps.

Welcome to your new obsession, Michelle!

You could do a cupcake cake, then you wouldn't have to do all the carving. There's a picture someone just posted recently- I'll try to find it and reply.

You can absolutely use store bought frosting (I'm assuming when you say "non-Wilton" you mean Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker) to decorate your cake- especially if you want to focus more on the carving and presentation and not have to worry about the consistency of frosting if you've never made it before. Especially this time of year, whatever makes your life a little easier and more stress free is definitely a bonus!

Good luck!!

Ok, here's some links to the cupcake cakes for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-22114.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-19153.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-19859.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=lastup&cat=0&pos=-91112

Edited to say: Please note that I just copied a few links in no particular order- please don't be offended if you did a tree CCC and it isn't there!

tyty I would just buy the tree pan, if there was a store in town that sold it. But, there's not, so I have to put a little more work into it.
So I should bake and freeze on Saturday night and decorate on Sunday? Christmas is on Monday, so thats when it needs to be ready to go.
Nice tree in your photos, by the way.

emnjakesmom Thanks for the welcome. The warning on this website about it being addictive will prove true, I'm sure.
The CCC idea sounds good, but I think I'm a little more comfortable with the sheet cake idea, because I've never done a CCC before. The CCC's look so pretty, but I think I'll wait on that.
Awesome that I can use "regular" frosting (yeah, by "non-Wilton" I meant Duncan Hines or a similar brand.)...but just to frost it, right? Not to pipe, right?

This will be my very first cake decorating experience.
When you frost the cake itself, you can just use a knife? I know a spatula would be preferable, but I dont have one of those yet.

I was thinking of decorating graham cracker squares to look like presents under the tree....good idea or lame?

One more question...how do you transport it? Ok, I lied, another question..when I freeze the cakes, do I put them on a board and saran wrap them?

Thanks So much ladies, sorry to be a bother!

Michelle

Welcome I too am a newbie here for hobbie! To asnwer the last few questions for you, I will try! The graham crackers sound cute! Yes a knife will work but try and go to a dollar store and see if you can find something that will work better for you! If not just turn the knife arife around and use the back side so you don't have the knife marks in the frosting. Yes you put your cake on a board and wrap in saran wrap. You really don't have to freeze it if you make it friday! As for transporting the cake I have to transport two cakes on sunday for a friend and I bought the cake boxes at Michaels, yeah I paid for cake boxes but when you have two children and two cakes and want to look like it came from a bakery! Good Luck and don't forget to take a pic and post it! Good Luck!

Hi lmevans,

Welcome to CC

Here's a list of acronyms:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926-acronyms.html

Look forward to your posts and your cakes!