• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Around the World in 80 Cakes

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
    • Who I am
    • Press
    • Giving Back
    • For a Good Cause
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Tutorials
  • Cake Designs
    • Celebration Cakes
    • Wedding Cakes
    • Cupcakes
    • Holiday Cakes
    • Favors & Cookies
  • Shop
    • Cakes without Borders Volume 1: The Maiden Voyage
    • Cakes without Borders Volume 2: The Journey Continues
    • How to Bake: The Basics of Butter Cakes
  • Contact
  • Account
You are here: Home / Celebration Cakes / Tree of Life Cake

August 15, 2014

Tree of Life Cake

A few weeks ago I made this lovely tree of life cake for my Aunt’s 60th birthday. She makes beautiful tree of life necklaces so I thought it was time for someone to make something for her! The party was a small intimate one so the cake is an 8 inch round. I frosted it in chocolate buttercream to have a rich dark canvas.

Tree of Life Cake

To make the Tree of Life I first did a google image search to find a good example. There are so many variations it was a touch decision to narrow down. I design I finally decided to go with was actually on a tattoo design website. I took the image I liked and put it into a word document so that I could size it to be 7.5 inches in diameter (it was going on an 8 inch round cake).

I printed the template out and taped it to a cookie sheet. I then taped a piece of wax paper over top of it so that I could use it as a guide to pipe out the design using an amazing product called SugarVeil. SugarVeil is easy to mix, you just add water, and it has the consistency of royal icing. You can pipe out design with it and after it sets the designs remain flexible for a while. Eventually the design will harden, but after it has set you can keep it stored in an airtight container so that it doesn’t harden.

I like using SugarVeil for intricate designs like this tree of life because I can make the decoration in advance and it will stay flexible until I’m ready to put it on the cake. I piped out the tree and let it set overnight. I then used my airbrush to spray it with an antique gold color. If you don’t have an airbrush you can always paint on the gold luster dust using a paint brush and some vodka or lemon extract to dilute it. Once the gold “paint” was dry I stored it in an airtight container so that it didn’t harden. Then once I made the cake I was able to just place the design on top.

I also created lots of little leaves out of fondant using a small leaf mold I have. I painted them in a variety of luster colors that I thought would accept the antique gold of the tree. I’m always trying to think of ways to use SugarVeil. The first time I used it was for the ornate decorations on this beautiful peacock themed Indian Wedding Cake.

Share this...
  • Yummly
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Email

Filed Under: Celebration Cakes Tagged With: birthday, fall, non-tiered

You Might Also Like:

example of how to frost a cupcake

How to Frost a Cupcake Like a Pro

Winter Wonderland Sweet 16 Cake

Winter Wonderland Sweet 16 Cake

How to Apply a Real Ribbon Border

How To Fill and Frost a Cake Video Series

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

My Cart

Number of items in cart: 0

  • Your cart is empty.
  • Subtotal: $0.00
  • Estimated Tax: $0.00
  • Total: $0.00
  • Checkout

Hi, I’m Jen

After graduating from college in 2003 I went to work as a Chemical Engineer. My new job gave me the chance to travel the world and experience many foods and cultures I had never known before. I soon rediscovered my passion for baking and cake decorating. I would always bring back new ingredients and ideas from the places I visited and incorporate them into my cake recipes. Read More…

Get more recipes in my eBooks!

Subscribe…

And get a FREE copy of my How to Bake eBook

Side Chef Recipe App

Footer

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

80Cakes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Don’t Miss These

stay connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Get a free copy of my How to Bake eBook

Copyright © 2020 Around the World in 80 Cakes • Powered by the Genesis Framework