Adorn a cake with edible palm trees.
Whether you live in a tropical climate, or just wish that you resided in a spot that has more temperate weather, one way to celebrate the surf and sand is to create a cake with an island theme. No tropical island inspired cake would be complete without a palm tree. Decorative and edible palm tree cake decorations can be created by a baker of almost any skill level in a single afternoon with tools available at many craft stores. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Combine 10 ounces fondant and 1 tsp. gum paste in a small bowl. The gum paste will help make the fondant more pliable.
2. Add two to three drops of green food coloring to the mixture. Stir in the food coloring and add more, if desired.
3. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour onto a flat surface. Roll out the fondant with a rolling pin until it is approximately 1/8 inch thick.
4. Cut out seven leaf shapes with a small to medium sized leaf cookie cutter.
5. Rub down the rolling pin until it is coated with corn starch. Carefully place each of the leaves onto the rolling pin. This will cause the leaf to take on a more natural, curved shape.
6. Allow the fondant to dry completely, which can take several hours.
7. Remove the leaves from the rolling pin.
8. Place two to three drops of green food coloring into 1 cup of white royal icing, which can be purchased at many grocery stores. The color of the icing should closely match the color of the leaves.
9. Lay out a piece of wax paper. Place a large dollop of the green royal icing into the center of the paper.
10. Arrange 4 of the leaves into an "X" shape around the dollop of green icing. The icing will act as a glue to keep the leaves attached to one another.
11. Place a dollop of the green icing into the center of the leaf formation that was just created.
12. Form a second layer of three leaves on top of the first. Allow the icing to dry. These leaves will act as the top of the palm tree.
13. Carefully turn the palm tree top over and carefully place the end of a pretzel rod into the center of the bottom of the tree top.
14. Secure the pretzel rod to the palm tree top with the green royal icing. Allow the royal icing to dry and decorate the cake with the palm tree.
Tags: palm tree, royal icing, cake with, dollop green, food coloring, into center