I did a thing, people. I made a 3D Christmas tree cake and it was a jolly good time! Although it seems like there would be cake carving involved, there isn’t – all you need for this design is a handful of circular cake layers in increasingly smaller sizes, some green buttercream, your favorite piping tip, and of course, plenty of plenty holiday sprinkles & candy for decorating!

Have fun with this Christmas Tree Cake. Be as simple or as elaborate as you want.  No matter the size or how you glam up and glitz out your cake, don’t stress. Get the whole family or friends involved, and let loose as you decorate your Christmas Tree with the Christmas spirit as your guide!

I hope you’re having the happiest Holiday season and baking all the things! If you’re ready to venture out into oddly shaped cakes, this is the perfect project for you. Let me know if you make it by tagging me on Instagram – I love to see what you’re working on!

Christmas Tree Cake

prep time: 20 MINUTES cook time: 40 MINUTES additional time: 30 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

For Chocolate Cake

• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cup fresh brewed hot coffee
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 & 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature
• Leaf green food gel color

For Tree Topper

• 1 medium sized or small sized star shaped cookie cutter
• Yellow candy melts
• Edible gold spray
• Gold sprinkles

For Decorations

• Assorted sprinkles or M&Ms
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

For this cake, I used 1 round pan of each size: 16 inches, 12 inches, 8 inches, 6 inches, & 4 inches. You don’t need to make this tree exactly.

If you’d like a smaller or larger cake, just adjust the amount of cake and buttercream frosting needed.

For Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prep cake pans.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
3. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
4. Add the wet ingredients the dry ingredients. 
5. Whisk to combine then mix on low for about a minute.
6. Distribute batter evenly cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow time to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.

Vanilla Buttercream

1. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar & set bowl aside.
2. Cream butter & shortening.
3. Blend in vanilla extract.
4. Scrape down the sides.
5. Place your mixer on the lowest speed & slowly add in your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
6. Do not worry if your buttercream looks crumbly & dry because we will fix that next.
7. Scrape down the sides one last time.
8. With your mixer on a medium high speed, slowly add in heavy cream and a few drops of 3-4 drops of leaf green food gel.
9. Turn mixer up to a high speed and whip your buttercream until you have light & fluffy consistency you are looking for.

For Tree Topper

1. Using your star cookie cutter as a template, outline a star shape onto a piece of parchment paper.
2. Place template under silicone baking sheet.
3. Take melted yellow candy melts and place in a piping bag and outline the star and fill in. Set aside to firm.
4. Once firm, cover star with edible gold spray followed by gold sprinkles.
5. Set aside to for the spray to set for least 25 minutes.

Cake Assembly

1. After your cakes have cooled, level your and half each cake.
2. Place your first and largest layer onto your cake turntable.
3. Spread a generous amount of vanilla buttercream on top and spread evenly with your straight or offset spatula.
4. Place your next largest layer of cake, top with more vanilla buttercream, and spread evenly. Repeat the process by covering with buttercream and continuing on the layers getting smaller and smaller 
5. Once stacked, begin to cover your cake in a green buttercream crumb coat. Start from the bottom, and while rotating your cake turntable, pipe on your buttercream in an upward motion.
6. Using a cake frosting scraper, straight spatula, or offset spatula you will want to smooth over your buttercream. The best way is to hold your smoothing tool upright and gently pressed against your cake while rotating your cake turntable and moving your smoothing tool upward.
7. You’ll want to continue this until you have a smooth coating. When you’re doing the final smoothing and you notice the texture of the buttercream become a bit ragged there’s an easy fix! Get a bowl of HOT water and dip your tools into the bowl to warm them up. pat dry and smooth. The warm metal will melt the buttercream and give you a nice SMOOTH finish.
8. Smooth the top of your cake with an offset spatula. Your cake may be slightly wobbly so do this patiently.
9. Remove from fridge and with an opened star tip, pipe all over cake until it is fully covered. You can do this in so many different ways. Why not try a variety of tips or sizes? Perhaps even a mix of star tips and rosettes.
10. Place sprinkles (or peanut M&M’s) around the cake to look like ornaments.
11. Place your star on top and lightly sift powdered sugar on and over your tree for a snowy effect.

Notes

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• You can use this buttercream right away or place it in an airtight container in your fridge until ready to use. Just be sure to whip before using.
• If you’d prefer to skip the shortening, simply swap it out with 1 additional stick of room temperature butter.
• If you’d prefer a more white, stiffer, buttercream then simply omit the butter & replace with 1 additional cup of shortening. Also be sure to swap out the vanilla extract for clear vanilla extract.
• Make sure you sift your powdered sugar. This will help the sugar mix into the butter & shortening smoothly.
• When all your powdered sugar has been added in, the buttercream will appear dry. Don’t raise the alarms. When adding in your milk or heavy cream, your buttercream will start to have the fluffy texture it‘s known for.
• Keep in mind that your heavy cream should be added in 1 tablespoon at a time. I do this way to make sure I am not drowning my buttercream to the point of a soupy mess.
• Also worth mentioning, if desired, you can easily swap out the heavy cream for equal parts of your preferred milk such as whole milk or buttermilk.