This moist, fluffy, and delicious Christmas tree cake has vanilla layers enrobed in creamy, vanilla buttercream, covered with beautiful Christmas trees that turn this cake into a dreamy winter wonderland.
Ingredients of Christmas Tree Cake
Baking spray with flour 2 pkg. food cake mix 4 cups unsalted butter 1 pkg. powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tube green food coloring gel ½ teaspoon blue food coloring gel ¼ teaspoon yellow food coloring gel ½ cup candy-coated chocolate pieces 1 cup popped popcorn
How to Make Christmas Tree Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in top third and bottom third positions.
Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and 3 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray.
Prepare cake batter, and spoon about 2 1/2 cups batter into each 8-inch pan and about 1 1/3 cups batter into each 6-inch pan.
Place all cake pans in preheated oven, Bake 26 minutes for 6-inch pans and 28 minutes for 8-inch pans. Let cake layers cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes.
Remove cake layers from pans, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Tightly wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap; freeze about 1 hour.
Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until pale and smooth.
Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated and smooth.
Add vanilla, salt, and food coloring; beat until well combined.
Add additional blue or yellow food coloring until desired color.
Remove cake layers from freezer, and unwrap. Using a serrated knife, gently slice and remove the domed top from each cake layer, leaving 1 (6-inch) cake untrimmed.
Place 1 of the 8-inch cake layers on a cake plate.
Using spatula, spread top of cake layer with about 1/2 cup frosting, spreading to edges. Top with remaining 8-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer.
Place 1 of the trimmed 6-inch cake layers in center of cake stack on cake plate; spread top with about 1/3 cup frosting, spreading to edges.
Top with remaining trimmed 6-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer. Top with domed 6-inch cake layer.
Using a serrated knife, carve cake stack into a cone shape, starting at the top center of the top cake layer and cutting downward with the knife pointed outward at a 30-degree angle, carving around all sides of cake stack and leaving bottom layer mostly uncut.
Using spatula, spread a smooth, thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup) around all sides of cone-shaped cake.
Rest about 30 minutes.
Spoon remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Starting at base of cake, pipe a ring of quarter-sized dollops of frosting around cake.
Repeat piping directly above first ring. Repeat until entire cake is covered. Decorate cake with chocolate pieces and popcorn.
Yummyyy!! Christmas cake is ready.
