Last week, we did a hands-on science project that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks – we made an edible cell model. 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!
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
We used:
- Blue Mike and Ikes = mitochondria
- Pink Mike and Ikes = smooth endoplasmic reticulum
- War Heads = 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 in between.
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. We chose to use colors that would mix easily to form new colors, so that we wouldn’t have to divide the icing and guesstimate how much we’d need for each beforehand, so those are the instructions I’ll include for you.
Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the vanilla frosting and mix well. This is for the cytoplasm. Frost the the top of the cake only with the yellow icing.
Next, add a few drops of blue to the yellow-tinted icing to create green. Frost the sides of the cake only with green. This presents the cell membrane.
Finally, add a few more drops of food coloring to the remaining icing to create a color to represent the nucleus. We chose to add red, which created a rather unappetizing color. I’ll leave that last color to your discretion.
Cut the cupcake in half and place the top half on the top of the cake to represent the nucleus and frost it. You can discard the other cupcake half if you chose. I recommend, however, 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.
- Pink Mike and Ikes = smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This is where the lipids that from 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.
- War Heads = vacuoles. These are the storage closets of the cell, where supplies and waste are stored.
- Yellow icing = cytoplasm, the jelly-like substance inside the cell.
- Green 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 labels to make flags to label the organelles. As you label each, review the organelle and its job again.
Step 5: Take lots of pictures…then, eat it!
Did you enjoy this hands-on project? 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.
Have fun learning together!
Oh, we are SO doing this! My kids will do any science activity that you can eat!
Awesome! We’ve done book projects that are edible too. I’m with you on the storing issue…
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!
Ok, I like the cake idea. I’ve seen pizza and gelatin, but this seems doable!
My kids are going to LOVE this.
I love the idea
I love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!
So am I
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!!!
I’m also doing a 3D cell model this is what I want to do
A+ here I come
So am I, I’m soooo getting an A.
Thank-you Kris
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!!
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!
Thanks this will help me in science
Thanks this will help me in science
Also this will help me through 7th grade science
We Are Doing This Right Now As I Type.
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.
I am doing this for my 7th grade science project. Thank you for the amazing idea!
I did it for a school projet
i was in a jam for my science extra credit this is perfect
IM DOING THIS FOR MY PROJEST AND IT IS GONNA BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I LOVE FOOD
Agreed!
That is really cool!
this is pefect for my project
do we have to do the colors just like you have them in the steps?
No, you don’t.
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.
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
do we leave it in the fridge
We didn’t. I’d say just to store it the same way you normally store a regular cake. Hope that helps!
This is great!!! I can’t wait to do this!!! Thanks for the info
OMG. This is the best cell project ever. At least I don’t have to worry about not getting an A+ :)
I am doing the same project in my 7th grade science class and I needed to think of some ideas to make some of the organelles thanks
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.
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!
how would make this into a 3-D model?
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!
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!
I’m sorry, but the only photos I have are included in the post.
Well thanks anyway! Great recipe! Homeschoolers rock????????????????
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.
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!
best idea ever