Christmas takes the cake! Cool and creative retro decorated Christmas cakes from the 1980s
These edible centerpieces will be the hit of your Christmas festivities.
1. Festive Christmas wreath cake
Read the following hints and piping techniques before you begin. Here’s wishing you and your family a sweet holiday!
- If you don’t have a platter large enough for the cake, try using a large piece of foil- covered cardboard.
- For easier cutting and frosting, freeze cakes after cooling, at least 3 hours.
- Use pieces of uncooked spaghetti and dabs of frosting as “glue” to secure cake pieces together. It’s unnecessary to remove the pasta because it’s edible.
- To prevent cracking, press all decorations into frosting while it is still wet.
- Before decorating, practice piping patterns on a sheet of wax paper.
- If frosting is too thick to squeeze through the bag, add milk. If frosting is too soft, add confectioners’ sugar.
Below are 4 piping techniques for patterns used:
STAR: Use bag fitted with star tip. Hold bag at 45° angle with tip slightly above cake. Squeeze bag using steady pressure to form a star, then stop pressure and pull tip away. For Star Border, pipe stars in a row touching each other.
ZIGZAG: Use bag fitted with star tip. Hold bag at 45° angle with tip just touching cake. Squeeze using steady pressure, moving in a side-to-side motion to form a zigzag line.
SHELL: Use bag fitted with star tip. Hold bag at 45° angle with tip slightly above cake. Squeeze bag using steady pressure and slightly lift tip as frosting builds. Release pressure and pull frosting down to a point.
FOR SHELL BORDER: Begin each new shell directly over point of previous shell.
2. Decorated Christmas cake with a sweet stocking
A fancy stocking stitched up with red licorice lace, decorated with gold and silver dragees and overstuffed with cookies
ALSO SEE: 30 vintage cake mixes you don’t see anymore
3. Smiling Frosty the Snowman cake decoration
We know you’ll agree, a snowman’s never looked better… with a pretzel-stick broom and a marzipan nose, and two eyes made out of raisins!
ALSO SEE: How to make a classic Christmas Rainbow Poke Cake with red & green gelatin (1980s)
4. Tree treat: A Christmas tree cake
Creating this delight is as much fun as trimming a real tree! Edible ornaments include marzipan candy balls and cookies.
5. Jolly Santa Claus cake decorating ideas
Our charming fellow is all dressed up in a red and white icing suit studded with gumballs, jellybeans and sugar wafers; he sports a candy cane.
6. Reindeer cake with vintage Wilton frosting decorating tip (1981)
ALSO SEE: Cherry Christmas tree cake vintage dessert recipe (1986)
