1-Prepare a frosted 6-inch 3-layer cake using your preferred recipe. This sets the base for your festive display and takes about 30 minutes if you’re using a simple mix.

2-Combine ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup coarse sparkling sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the top and sides of the frosted cake before the buttercream sets, using your hand or a pastry brush; catch and reuse any excess sugar to save on supplies.

3-For the cone trees: Gently break pieces off two sugar cones with your fingers to create tall, medium, and short tree shapes. Be careful to avoid crushing them for the best results.

4-Frost the cone pieces using a small offset icing spatula and 1 cup vanilla buttercream. You can apply it smoothly or add texture for a more natural tree look, which makes the process creative and enjoyable.

5-Decorate the frosted cones by sprinkling them with the sugar mixture or rolling them in white nonpareils. You can also press larger sugar pearls onto the frosting to mimic ornaments, adding that holiday sparkle.

6-To pipe leaves: Fit a piping bag with a leaf tip (like tip #352), fill with buttercream, and pipe leaves from the bottom to the top of each cone tree. This step brings the trees to life and only takes a few minutes.

7-Place the decorated cone trees on a plate and freeze for 20 minutes, or until firm and ready to place onto the cake. Freezing helps them hold their shape when you add them to your cake.