Description
A fun and festive homemade version of the classic Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (for frosting)
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 4-5 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. green sugar sprinkles
- 2-3 drops red gel food dye
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a 9″ x 13″ pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In a larger bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix gently without overdoing it.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Repeat the greasing and lining steps in the same pan and bake the remaining batter for the second cake.
- Once both cakes are cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- For the buttercream, beat the room-temperature butter and confectioner’s sugar in a mixer. Slowly add in the heavy cream until smooth. Then mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Cut the cooled cakes into a Christmas tree shape using a stencil for perfect edges. Save any scraps for other treats.
- Place one cake on your serving dish, frost the top with buttercream, and place the second cake on top of it.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream around the entire cake and refrigerate for one hour.
- After chilling, frost the cake with a thicker layer of buttercream. Use a spatula to achieve a smooth finish.
- Dye about 1/4 of the buttercream red and decorate the cake with green sprinkles and red lines.
- Enjoy your festive creation!
Notes
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results. Use a stencil for equally shaped Christmas trees and be gentle when mixing the batter to avoid toughness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American