Elegant Christmas Cake with Holly Leaves

This is a simple and beautiful Christmas cake that will have all of your friends oohing an ahhing; especially when you tell them you made it yourself and did not buy it as the bakery. If you want though, you can apply these same decorations to a store bought cake or even the tops of cups cakes.

To Make this Elegant Holly Leaf Cake You Will Need:

Your Favorite Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 Tubs of Cream Cheese Icing
Marzipan
Green Food Dye
Red Food Dye
Paring Knife or Holly Leaf Cookie Cutter
Piping bag
#4 Icing Tip
2 round cake pans
Powder Sugar

Start out by baking your red velvet cake mix in two round baking pans. Just follow the direction the back of the box as usual.

Once the cakes have cooled you should apply a thin layer of icing to them. Simply set the first piece on your cake platter. Slather a nice ¼ inch thick layer of icing on top. Then place the second piece on top. Now, spread the thin layer of icing around the entire cake.

Set you cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Once you cake has chilled then apply one nice thick later of the cream cheese icing again. Make it as smooth as possible. Be sure to save at least ½ of one of the tubs of cream cheese icing for decoration later.

You could also add a layer of fondant icing if you like working with that product. If you are unfamiliar with fondant icing you can simply buy it in the baking store or in some arts and crafts stores. It rolls out very similar to play dough. You would lay it over the cake, drape it down the sides, and trim off the excess with you paring knife.

Now, whichever icing you choose you now has a smooth perfectly white cake.

Fill your icing bag with the remaining cream cheese icing. Use the number four tip to pipe a very sweet scallop edge along the border of the top of the cake. Simply start at any point on the circle. Place your tip about ¼ inch in from the edge. Work a half circle with the outside of the circle touching the outside of the cake. Repeat this scallop over and over until the circle is complete. You could also go back and make one little pearl like dollop at each point.

Now, break off about 6 ounces of your marzipan. Blend it with enough green food coloring to make it a beautiful evergreen color. Use your rolling pin to roll it out to a 1/8 inch slab. You can trace out a holly leaf shape with your knife point and then cut it out or simple press the shape out with a holly leaf cookie cutter.

Place three holly leafs in the center of the cake. They should all be pointing in towards the middle and touching.

Now, add your red food coloring to a tiny piece of marzipan, maybe four ounces again. Break off small balls of red "dough" and make the berries by rolling them in your hands.

Take the leftover red marzipan and make along coil with your hands. Then take your rolling pin and flatten this out to a strip that is about 1 inch thick. You need one continuous piece to wrap around your cake, so this may take a few tries.

Add the berries to the center of the cake.

Lightly dust the cake with some powdered sugar to look like snow.

Wrap the bottom outside edge f the cake with the red marzipan bands and you can serve your cake!

Tip: If you can't make the long red strip, then make smaller strips and hide the seams by covering them with some more holly leaves and berries. Use a dollop of cream cheese icing to glue them in place.