2.  Level the top of the cakes with a long sharp knife or cake leveling device.

3.  Place the bottom of one of the layers of cake on a straight, flat base.

4.  Spread a filling ont the leveled, top of the cake.

5.  Place the leveled, top of the second layer of cake on top of the filling that has been spread on the first layer.

6.  Frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting being sure to fill in the areas where the cake layers meet.  Let set to form a crust.

7.  Put frosting on the upper area of the metal spatula and place frosting on the sides of the cake until well covered.  Now, hold the spatula in place and turn the turn table slowly as the cake is frosted by smoothing the frosting in place.  Keep the frosting on the cake thick.

8.  Place frosting on the top of the cake and spread the frosting.  Remove any excess frosting.

9.  Refrost the sides of the cake to make the sides as straight and smooth as possible by turning the turntable slowly.

10.  There will be an excess of frosting on the top edge of the cake.  Use the sides of the spatula to bring the excess over onto the top of the cake and smooth the frosting.  Let the frosted cake sit until a light crust forms and there is no stickiness to the frosting.  Lay a paper towel with or without a pattern to the towel on top of the cake and gently and evenly smooth the towel with the spatula or the hands.  Do the entire top of the cake.  Continue this on the sides if desired. 
 

Decorating the Cake
1.  Use red frosting for the candles.  Use tip #22 and, with a circular motion, pipe the candle starting at the top of the candle and finishing at the bottom.  Pipe the middle candle first.  then the candles on each side.  The candles may be piped as wide and as long as desired.

2.  Use yellow frosting for the light of the candles.  Use tip #6 or 7.  Turn the cake around so that the top of the candle is facing you.  Start at the top of the candle and with pressure form the base of the light.  Without stopping, ease up on the pressure as you bring the tip toward you to form the rest of the light as well as the tip of the light.  Turn the cake back to it's original position on the turntable, so that the base of the candles are now toward you. 

3.  Use white frosting for the wax on the candles.  Use tip #7 or 8 and, with frosting that has been thinned down slightly with water in order for it to flow nicely, pipe the white wax. 

4.  Use several shades of moss or avocado green for the leaves.  Add a dab of blue to create a more wintery look.  Place the different shades of green randonly in a parchment bag and pipe the leaves to resemble holly leaves.   Holly leaves are made by pushing and pulling forward and back to make the simulated curve in the edges of the leaves.

5.  Add a little more green to your "holly leaves frosting".  Fill a parchment bag with this green frosting as well as dabs of white to light green frosting.  Pipe the evergreen branches using tip #3.    Pipe the center line of the evergreen branch, first.  And, then, the side needles of the branch.

6.  Use red frosting that has been thinned down slightly with water to pipe the holly berries using a tip #4 or 5. 

7.  Pipe the bottom border of the cake with white frosting and tip #22 using heavy pressure.  Pipe the top border of the cake with white frosting and tip #22 using medium to light pressure to obtain a smaller version of the shell border.

8.  Pipe holly leaves and berries in 8, evenly-spaced places on the bottom border of the cake.