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You are here: Home / Hands-on Learning / How to Make an Edible Cell Model

How to Make an Edible Cell Model

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* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *

Learn how to make an edible cell model, using cake and candies, that looks as incredible as it tastes.

Our science text had instructions for a Plaster of Paris model, but I’m somewhat opposed to projects I have to store and very much in favor of those we can eat! Yeah, we opted for making our model out of cake instead.

It looked amazing and it tasted delicious. Much better than the Plaster of Paris cell would have tasted – and no storage required! Learn how to make an edible cell cake for your next biology project.

I scoured the web for inspiration and found a great plant cell cake and an animal cell cake. We used the animal cell directions as our main source of inspiration.

Ingredients for an Edible Cell Model

  • Cake mix (and ingredients to make it)
  • Vanilla icing
  • Food coloring
  • Various candies to represent organelles
  • Toothpicks and mailing labels for labeling the organelles

Suggested candy for an edible cell model:

  • Blue Mike and Ikes = mitochondria
  • Pink Mike and Ikes = smooth endoplasmic reticulum
  • Air Head Bites = vacuoles
  • Air Heads Xtremes = rough endoplasmic reticulum
  • Sour gummy worms = Golgi apparatus
  • Candy disc sprinkles = ribosomes
  • Cupcake = nucleus

How to Make an Edible Cell Model

Step 1

Bake the cake mix according to package directions. We used round cake pans since we were doing an animal cell model. We also used a little of the batter to make one cupcake to represent the nucleus. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then, assemble as normal with some of the icing between the two layers.

Step 2

Use food coloring to tint the icing so that you have one color to represent the cytoplasm, a second to represent the cell membrane, and a third to represent the nucleus.

Pro Tip:  Start with white frosting and use colors that mix easily to form new colors. That way, you don’t have to divide icing and guesstimate how much you’ll need for each cell part.

Add a few drops of food coloring to the vanilla frosting and mix well to create the cytoplasm. Frost only the top of the cake.

Next, add a few drops of food coloring (using a different color) to tint the icing a different shade (green pictured). Frost only the sides of the cake with the second color. This color represents the cell membrane.

Finally, add a few more drops of food coloring to the remaining icing to create a third color to represent the nucleus. We chose to add red, which created a rather unappetizing color. Just something to think about.

Cut the top off the cupcake. Place it on the top of the cake to represent the nucleus and frost it.

You can discard the bottom of the cupcake if you chose. However, I recommend, that you put a little leftover icing on it and eat it while your kids aren’t looking!

Step 3

Place the candies on the cake to represent the cell’s organelles. As we placed each candy on the cake, we reviewed the job of the organelles.

My kids decorating the original cell cake

  • Pink Mike and Ikes = smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This is where the lipids that form the cell membrane are made.
  • Blue Mike and Ikes = mitochondria. These are the powerhouses of the cell, where energy is created.
  • Candy disc sprinkles = ribosomes. They create the proteins that are used in the cell.
  • Airhead Xtremes = rough endoplasmic reticulum. These are the “conveyor belts” that take the protein created by the ribosomes to the Golgi apparatus.
  • Sour gummy worms = Golgi apparatus. This is where the simple proteins are assembled into more complex proteins.
  • Air Heads Bites = vacuoles. These are the storage closets of the cell, where supplies and waste are stored.
  • Pink icing = cytoplasm, the jelly-like substance inside the cell.
  • Purple icing = cell membrane, the part of the cell that encloses and protects it.
  • Cupcake = nucleus, where the cell’s DNA resides.

Step 4

Use the toothpicks and mailing labels to make flags and correctly label each of the organelles. As you label each, review the organelle and its job again.

Step 5

Take lots of pictures…then, eat your yummy cell cake!

You can find lots more ideas for hands-on fun in my e-book Hands-On Learning, which includes 10 full-color, step-by-step tutorials and dozens of ideas for cross-curricular, hands-on activities. It’s free for subscribers.

Have fun learning together!

Did you enjoy this project? Please pin, tweet, or share on Facebook!

This article was written by Kris Bales–the previous owner of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. 

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By 43 Comments

About Kris Bales

Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 25 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, a fluctuating number of cats, and seven birds.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shelly says

    February 17, 2014 at 9:10 am

    Oh, we are SO doing this! My kids will do any science activity that you can eat!

    Reply
  2. Kelly says

    February 17, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    Awesome! We’ve done book projects that are edible too. I’m with you on the storing issue…

    Reply
  3. Sandra says

    February 17, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    We were supposed to be making the plaster of paris model last week but had so many unexpected things crops up that we skipped it. I was going to find a worksheet instead but this looks much more fun – not to mention tastier!

    Reply
  4. Adrienne says

    February 18, 2014 at 6:57 am

    Ok, I like the cake idea. I’ve seen pizza and gelatin, but this seems doable!

    Reply
  5. Michelle Cannon says

    March 3, 2014 at 4:15 am

    My kids are going to LOVE this.

    Reply
  6. JC says

    September 15, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    I love the idea

    Reply
    • Anna Herron says

      December 9, 2014 at 1:05 pm

      I love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
  7. Taylor says

    October 16, 2014 at 2:02 pm

    I’m doing this for a science project in science at school! These ideas are awesome! Thanks you! This is going to help me a lot!

    Reply
    • Will says

      October 23, 2014 at 7:09 am

      So am I

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        November 7, 2014 at 8:02 pm

        I am also doing this for a project a school. I does not seem hard and it does not take that long. Not to mention, I love to eat!!!

        Reply
    • Melanie says

      March 26, 2016 at 11:47 am

      I’m also doing a 3D cell model this is what I want to do
      A+ here I come

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        April 28, 2016 at 7:20 pm

        So am I, I’m soooo getting an A.

        Thank-you Kris

        Reply
  8. Cat Lumley says

    October 21, 2014 at 5:09 pm

    I’m doing this for my cell model project for highschool biology and I was wondering how you did the labels because nothing is working for me!!

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      October 21, 2014 at 5:14 pm

      We wrote the organelle name on one label, then, stuck it back-to-back with a second label with the toothpick in between. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  9. Will says

    October 23, 2014 at 7:08 am

    Thanks this will help me in science

    Reply
  10. Will freeman says

    October 23, 2014 at 7:18 am

    Thanks this will help me in science
    Also this will help me through 7th grade science

    Reply
  11. isheona says

    October 28, 2014 at 6:08 pm

    We Are Doing This Right Now As I Type.

    Reply
  12. Mrs G says

    November 12, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    My daughter is in the 7th grade and we just finished purchasing the supplies. We will be making this tomorrow. Thanks for the great idea.

    Reply
  13. James McCue says

    December 3, 2014 at 5:30 pm

    I am doing this for my 7th grade science project. Thank you for the amazing idea!

    Reply
  14. Anna Herron says

    December 9, 2014 at 1:06 pm

    I did it for a school projet

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      March 9, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      i was in a jam for my science extra credit this is perfect

      Reply
  15. JEFF says

    February 5, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    IM DOING THIS FOR MY PROJEST AND IT IS GONNA BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I LOVE FOOD

    Reply
  16. cody says

    February 27, 2015 at 9:19 am

    this is pefect for my project

    Reply
  17. christina allen says

    May 8, 2015 at 9:04 am

    do we have to do the colors just like you have them in the steps?

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      May 8, 2015 at 9:46 am

      No, you don’t.

      Reply
  18. Linda Olszewski says

    September 13, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    Thank you for the inspiring idea! My daughter and I had so much fun making this project together for her science class. I appreciate you taking the time to share it with all of us.

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      September 14, 2015 at 9:59 am

      Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  19. joshua says

    September 30, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    do we leave it in the fridge

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      October 1, 2015 at 9:40 am

      We didn’t. I’d say just to store it the same way you normally store a regular cake. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  20. Lexi says

    October 15, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    This is great!!! I can’t wait to do this!!! Thanks for the info

    Reply
  21. Sapphire says

    October 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    OMG. This is the best cell project ever. At least I don’t have to worry about not getting an A+ 🙂

    Reply
  22. Katrina says

    January 10, 2016 at 11:01 am

    I sincerely appreciate all the homeschooling moms that share information as you have. Public school has gotten so horrible. I’d love to homeschool but honestly…I’m too afraid that I don’t know enough/remember enough for my children (9th grade girl & 2 6th grade boys) to be able to help them properly.
    Again, thank you for sharing, my boys will be doing this for their project – 1 animal cell and 1 plant cell.

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      January 11, 2016 at 10:51 am

      Thankfully, you don’t have to know/remember it all. That’s what the teacher’s manuals are for. 🙂 I have really enjoyed learning and relearning a lot of things alongside my kids, too. Have fun with the cell cake!

      Reply
  23. phyllis wlls says

    May 11, 2016 at 7:42 am

    how would make this into a 3-D model?

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:19 am

      You’d probably need to do something like this: https://cakecrumbs.me/2013/05/24/commission-earth-structural-layer-cake/

      But that’s way beyond my area of expertise. Good luck!

      Reply
  24. Jay says

    November 15, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    Hi, I’m making the cell cake, and following your recipe, I was wondering if you had a picture of the whole cake when it was finished. And maybe could post that. I need to finish the cake before tomorrow.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Bales says

      November 15, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      I’m sorry, but the only photos I have are included in the post.

      Reply
      • Jay says

        November 15, 2016 at 3:53 pm

        Well thanks anyway! Great recipe! Homeschoolers rock????????????????

        Reply
  25. Jennifer says

    October 19, 2017 at 8:51 am

    We live and homeschool on a sailboat, so I don’t like doing many projects that need to be stored either. This is great. This week we are making cookies three ways to learn about different types of rocks. My son is only kinder age, so I’ll modify this cell cake a bit, but we’re going to do it. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  26. Karen Gangne says

    January 22, 2018 at 6:36 pm

    I love this. My daughter and I made one of these for our home school group a few years back. I found it to be so cool — educational and edible!

    Reply
  27. starrstimson says

    January 31, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    best idea ever

    Reply
  28. Emmy says

    September 25, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    I’m ALSO doing this for a project at school. I’m so excited!!!

    Reply
  29. bvbn says

    October 13, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    love it

    Reply

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