Oh Christmas Tree!
Oh, I used that intro last time.
My bad.
Wanna see how to make this ridiculously raucous ruffled rarity?
Let me show you my inspiration. I saw this photo of a shirt on Pinterest and it screamed cake to me. (Sorry I do not know the owner of this photo.)
“MAKE ME INTO A CAKE!”
Ok, stop yelling at me. I will!
I wanted to make it a little bit more fun by coloring the batter. How did I do it you ask? Just make two batches of batter and color them with your gel or paste colors. Then just plop blobs of the batter into the pan alternately and randomly. Do not spread it out with a spatula, nor stir or swirl it. That will make the colors mix and give you black cake. Ask me how I know. 
…. Bake as usual.
Then I carved a basic triangular tree shape from the cake and used a leftover piece for the trunk. I decided after the first cuts that the tree was too thin, so I added small strips on each side to make it fatter. You can see the icing seems where I glued those pieces together.
Crumb coated.
Covered in fondant. You can surely use buttercream if you like.
Now it is time to make the ruffles. Cut a long strip of fondant.
Use white fondant to cut circles for your polka dots.
Attach the fondant to the cake. Just pinch and press the top edge of the fondant ruffle as you go along the width of the cake. Use shortening as your glue and you will love me forever. Trust me on this. No mess. No drippies. No smears. No cuss words.
I put the polka dots on after the green ruffle was on the cake. It was much easier to do it that way, rather than trying to do it before. Trust me again. I tried it both ways. First way involved some cuss words.
Red strip of fondant with thinner white strips.
Attach the stripes before you put the ruffle on the cake. Trust me on this too. I tried to add them after the ruffle was applied, and it involved some cuss words.
Pinch and ruffle as you go along. Use paper towel scraps to prop up your ruffles or they will just droop down flat.
This green ruffle used the PME smocking roller. Don’t even think about doing the impression after the ruffle is on the cake!
In place.
Another white ruffle with bigger red polka dots.
Diagonal white stripes on green ruffle.
Keep it on going all the way up the tree.
I finished mine with a bow on the top. Prop it up with paper towels until fully dry and firm.When everything is fully dry, take all the paper towels out. If you have dryness, cornstarch residue, or just want to refresh the look of the cake, we then do what? I know you know!
Fondant clay gun squiggles and polka dots to dress up the board.
Cute, yes?
Let’s see how the inside looks:
Fun, yes?
Kewl.
I love my little ruffly tree cake. I think the Tshirt would be proud.
What other color combinations do you think would be cute for this cake?
I hope you like it and try it!
Happy Caking!
Sharon
www.sugaredproductions.com
THis would be a great concept for an Easter Egg cake as well!!!! Great JOb! THanks!!!!!
So incredibly cute!!!
Totally adorable and so very colorful and Christmas-y….love it!!! Thanks, Sharon, for sharing with us!!!
Oh my gosh, I love this cake! So adorable. I need to bake something for a work Christmas party on Monday and couldn't decide what to do. Decision made -I know it will be a hit!!!
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Love it, Love it, Love it!!!
What a super wow! Your creativity is outstanding and I love your writing – so honest and helpful to those following you. This is one terrific looking cake with sensational details! Thanks for sharing your how-to.
Love, love, love this cake, Sharon!! If you could only see me right now… I'm bowing to your cake greatness! =)
Thanks Sharon!! How incredibly creative. My family is going to LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE this!!!
Hope you and your family have a fabulous Christmas and that you get a chance for some well earned R&R.
sharon you are phenomenal! This is an awesome cake! Thanks for sharing.
I got the biggest laugh out of your explanations and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this cake…it is adorable! I am definitely going to make this for the holidays….what an absolute talent you are and your wittiness is exactly what I needed today! I teach junior high and kids made 20 cakes today with fondant…I think I uttered some of those cuss words under my breath many many times today!
Mükemmel, cok basarili… Tebrik ederim…..
Precious! I saw the t-shirt on Pinterest and wanted to make it for my Goddaughter – never thought of cake!
so cute…thank you!!
So adorable! Thank you!
Awesome!!! As far as suggestions…a black and gold Saints cake would be oh so fine too!!!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!
Jessica
I made this cake after I saw you post a picture but before you posted a tutorial! I LOVE it! I wish I waited till you had the tutorial up… my ruffles went a little flat
but it's still cute! I think pinks and greens would also be cute and LSU colors! Do you sell the flocking roller?
Such a fabulous cake!
Bellissimo!!!!!!!!!!!
So cool!
I absolutely love this cake!! Wooohoooo to you, Sharon! Thank you for sharing it with us, it is greatly appreciated. I haven't really been in the Christmas mood and looking at this tutorial, made me smile
I think I might just make it.
Thanks again and Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Love Love LOVE this cake! I won't have time to do it for Christmas but it would be awesome as a baby doll dress for a shower cake…or some other Spring Fling idea…just have to work on a shape:)
Just cute as can be. So nice and neat and Christmas!!!
Wow! You are a cake decorating genius! Love it! Love it! Love it!
Oh my!! This is beautiful and so doable! THanks Sharon!
I almost clicked away from this post as I really thought it was a craft. I could not believe it was CAKE! It's truly amazing!
Hi Sharon, I love this cake. But what do you do to refresh the cake if it's dried out or has corn starch or sugar residue? Or just make it look fresh? I don't know and you didn't say what in the tutorial. please share….
So glad you asked that question!! I laughed when she said “I know you do”. I was shouting No! I really don’t know!!! haha thanks
hi Chiomzie,
You give it a light brushing with shortening!
Me encantó… definitivamente voy a hacerla este fin de semana… Gracias Sharon…
I love it… I'll do it this weekend… Thanks Sharon.
Hey Miss Sharon! I am doing two of these cakes for "Happy Birthday Jesus" parties. What size pan did you use to bake the cake?
Didn't mean to be anonymous… The above question is from Julie Stottmann
hey Julie, a 12×16 and I carved it with the wide side facing me. the 16 inch side was left to right when i was looking at it. did that make sense?
Yep, makes sense to me! Thanks!
rumpheAbsolutely beautiful…..I have several of your tutorial videos; have learned so much from you. You're a cake genius and so funny too. Merry Christmas to you!!!
Amazing!
Great idea for a barbie doll cake…love it!
Amazing! Wonderful!
Love it! Amazing ! Georgeus!
Stunning work! This totally looks like fabric!
Nice tree. I want to see if this thing works: http://iearn123.com/ref.php?page=act/ref&invcod=194778
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! And thanks for sharing such a wonderful tutorial! Happy Holidays~!
Im new to your site, but will be visiting more often! Thankyou.
the most adorable thing I have seen for the holidays. wish I was so talented.
love this and so would my granchildren
Too cute. The tutorial and the cake.
Love this. Am definitely going to make this for myself for Christmas!
Love it ; now I know what to make!! and i love your guiding tut words and cussing!
I love how you say that the tshirt is screaming at you to make it into a cake! I feel the exact same kind of pressure from inanimate objects to turn them into food! lol
Just beautiful. Just baked a few cakes, am going to do 7″ ones as gifts. Thanks for the tutorial.
very welcome!
Fantastic! It gives me a lot of inspiration! I want to do that Method” for fashionista dress with perhaps black and white with shiny red, silver, or gold for accent. Shoes or purse too? New years eve? Or holiday dress with ruffles dots, stripes etc.just have to carve some curves on the sides.
Thanks so much for sharing and for tutorial.
All great ideas! I think I am going to do this as standing 3D tree this year in Sr Seuss xmas colors