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Published on January 15, 2022 by · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Cactus Cake Trio

Skill level: Intermediate

Guest instructor Sara Weber returns for not one, not two, but three awesome, realistic cactus cakes in edible pots.

Each cactus is unique and features a host of tips and tricks, as Sara walks you through the process step-by-step. Learn to make three different realistic cacti, edible flower blossoms for each, and three different decorated pots, featuring a dipped pot, an intricately carved pattern on a pot, and a terrazzo tile pattern that's sure to be one of those "how did they make that?!" moments for your guests at the special occasion.

Sara showcases how to make the structure for the prickly pear, and how to protect and cover your structure in a food-safe way. There's tons of tricks and tips in this tutorial, so let's get our tools together and let's get started!

3:54:57 Minutes of Instruction

What You Will Learn

  • Learn how to create three different realistic cactus cakes in plant pots
  • How to plan out and structure these cakes using wooden dowels
  • Learn how to create a tall, ball and prickly pear cactus from edible materials
  • How to make edible soil
  • Learn how to make three different decorations for edible plant pots

Tutorial Chapters

  1. Overview of the structure 0:33
  2. Measuring the pots 2:20
  3. Cutting the dowel rods 4:53
  4. Covering the dowel rods 7:05
  5. Finding the cake board center 8:25
  6. Adding the dowel rods 10:54
  7. Cutting the thick dowel rods 13:08
  8. Carving and crumb coating the cakes 22:19
  9. Putting the cakes on the boards 33:57
  10. Adding the ganache 39:20
  11. Paneling the cakes with fondant 53:13
  12. Coloring the fondant terrazzo tiles 1:07:39
  13. Coloring the modeling chocolate 1:15:24
  14. Making the fondant terrazzo tiles 1:17:55
  15. Paneling the terrazzo pot 1:30:14
  16. Decorating the dipped pot 1:45:28
  17. Decorating the carved pot 1:57:19
  18. Making the marble bases 2:06:49
  19. Making rice treat cactus toppers 2:09:23
  20. Carving the rice treat base 2:15:39
  21. Making the chocolate ridges 2:19:48
  22. Covering the tall cactus in fondant 2:25:40
  23. Covering the ball cactus in fondant 2:31:22
  24. Making the prickly pear cactus topper 2:43:38
  25. Shading the cacti 2:59:23
  26. Making the cactus spines 3:07:03
  27. Making the spines for the ball cactus 3:10:51
  28. Decorating the tall cactus 3:12:25
  29. Adding the prickly pear spines 3:18:07
  30. Making the flower toppers 3:20:29
  31. Decorating the ball cactus 3:41:46
  32. Finalizing the prickly pear cactus 3:45:56
  33. Making and adding the soil 3:49:03

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About Liz Marek

Liz Marek is a professional cake artist, sweet and savory recipe developer, and the founder of Sugar Geek Show, where she teaches cooking, baking and cake decorating through detailed tutorials, food science explanations, and kitchen-tested recipes. She has been creating recipes and teaching baking techniques since 2008, helping bakers of all skill levels gain the confidence to make professional-quality desserts at home.

Liz is known for breaking down complex cooking and baking concepts into simple, approachable methods. Her work focuses on helping people understand not just how a recipe works, but why it works. Through Sugar Geek Show, she shares step-by-step recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and practical baking guides designed to make professional techniques accessible to everyone.

Over the years, Liz has taught thousands of students through online tutorials, classes, and educational content focused on real kitchen results. Her recipes are carefully tested and written to help people succeed the first time they make them.

When she’s not developing recipes or teaching baking techniques, Liz also hosts curated travel experiences for women through her travel brand Soul Sisters.

You can find Liz’s latest recipes, baking tutorials, and food science tips at Sugar Geek Show.