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Festive Tree Cake

Featured in Sweet Endings: Irresistible Desserts.

Turn a simple vanilla cake into a holiday showstopper with a Christmas tree design using green frosting, candies, and sprinkles. Great for festive gatherings.
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Updated on Sun, 13 Apr 2025 11:06:13 GMT
A green frosted Christmas tree cake with candy sprinkles on a white frosting layer. Pin it
A green frosted Christmas tree cake with candy sprinkles on a white frosting layer. | linacooks.com

Our family gatherings light up when I bring my Christmas Sheet Cake. I first whipped this up for a school fundraiser, and now we can't imagine holidays without it. The fun confetti vanilla base tastes wonderful, but I truly love watching everyone smile when they spot that buttercream Christmas tree. And the best part? I can throw it together even when holiday madness takes over.

A Festive Holiday Essential

This cake couldn't be easier to make. I can pull it off during my packed schedule without any special equipment. The tree decoration looks fancy but forgives mistakes easily. I love how it travels to gatherings without hassle and guests can easily grab pieces. When time allows, I often bake the cake part ahead.

Your Shopping List

  • Flour: Two and three quarter cups all-purpose flour for that just-right tender crumb.
  • Eggs: Three large eggs brought to room temperature first.
  • Oil: One cup vegetable oil ensures everything stays super moist.
  • Buttermilk: One cup at room temp for that wonderful tangy richness.
  • Sprinkles: Half cup festive colors to brighten inside and outside.
  • Butter: One and half cups for creamy dream frosting.
  • Powdered Sugar: Six cups to make that velvety buttercream.
  • Food Coloring: Green gel for that perfect tree shade.
  • Candies: Small colorful chocolates as decorative elements.
  • Sour Candy: One red strip creates an adorable bow topper.

Lets Make Magic

Start With Your Cake
Warm your oven to 350°F and coat your large sheet pan. Combine dry stuff in one bowl. In another, beat sugar and eggs until light, then mix in oil and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk gradually. Gently stir those colorful sprinkles last.
Baking Time
Spread the mix into your pan and bake around 20 minutes until it springs back when you touch it. Let it cool completely for an hour so your frosting won't melt away.
Whip Up The Frosting
Cream your butter until soft and airy. Gradually add powdered sugar to avoid a messy kitchen. Mix in milk and vanilla, then beat until fluffy. Set aside some white frosting before turning the rest green.
Time To Decorate
Spread white frosting across the cake. Sketch your tree shape and pipe green branches starting at the bottom. Each frosting stroke creates another branch.
Make It Sparkle
Put on your candy lights and ornaments. Top with that cute red candy bow. Scatter sprinkles around the sides and add tiny snow spots too.

My Secret Tips

Just a smidge of blue coloring makes your green look more like real pine. Clean your spatula between branches for neat edges. I always outline my tree first so it doesn't end up crooked. Stick the cake in the fridge briefly if your frosting gets runny while decorating.

A slice of festive cake topped with colorful candy and frosting, sitting on a decorative plate with holiday decorations in the background. Pin it
A slice of festive cake topped with colorful candy and frosting, sitting on a decorative plate with holiday decorations in the background. | linacooks.com

Make It Your Own

Try using silver dragees instead of regular sprinkles for extra glam. My children always pick different candy ornaments yearly. You can also pipe several mini trees all over the cake for a sweet forest. There are so many ways to switch it up.

Keep It Fresh

This treat stays good on the counter for three days. Store it in the fridge to keep it longer. I sometimes bake the cake weeks ahead and freeze it, then thaw and decorate later. Just wrap it carefully and let it defrost in the fridge overnight.

Time to Share

This showstopper always grabs attention at holiday events. We love enjoying slices with warm cocoa after dinner. Cut nice square portions so everyone gets part of the pretty design. It works great for cookie exchanges, classroom parties, or whenever you need to feed lots of people.

What You Need

Your largest sheet pan works perfectly. An offset spatula makes frosting so much simpler. Regular zip bags cut at the corner work fine for piping if you don't have decorating tips. A simple ruler helps create a straight tree, and regular scissors make quick work of cutting that candy bow.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I prepare the cake early?
Sure! You can freeze the baked cake for up to 3 months. Once you’ve added the frosting, leave it out for 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
→ How can I get the tree centered?
Mark 2.5 inches from the bottom and edges for the base, and 2 inches down for the top. Use a spatula and ruler to outline before you frost.
→ What’s the point of room temp ingredients?
Using eggs and buttermilk at room temperature helps them mix easily, improving the batter texture and giving better results.
→ Are other decorations okay?
Of course! Swap the candies for similar-sized ones in the same colors to keep the tree theme intact.
→ How do I make the branches look real?
Pipe small green dots, then drag each down with a spatula to overlap rows. This makes a layered branch effect.

Holiday Tree Cake

This sheet cake is dressed up as a Christmas tree, featuring green buttercream details and candy decorations to make it stand out.

Prep Time
60 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Total Time
80 Minutes
By: Paolina

Category: Desserts

Difficulty: Difficult

Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 Servings (1 sheet cake)

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

01 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
02 2 teaspoons baking powder.
03 2 3/4 cups plain flour.
04 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.
05 3 large eggs, room temp.
06 2 cups white sugar.
07 1 cup vegetable oil.
08 1 cup room-temp buttermilk.
09 2 teaspoons pure vanilla.
10 Half a cup of holiday sprinkles in red, green, and white.
11 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) salted butter at room temp.
12 6 cups of powdered sugar (about 1 1/2 pounds).
13 1/4 cup milk.
14 1 tablespoon vanilla.
15 Green gel food coloring (forest shade).
16 Blue gel food coloring (optional).
17 5 brown mini candy-coated chocolates.
18 30 yellow candy-coated mini chocolates.
19 40 tiny red candy-coated chocolates.
20 2 tablespoons of holiday sprinkles.
21 One 6-inch piece of red sour candy belt.

Instructions

Step 01

Turn the oven on to 350°F and coat a 13x18-inch pan with a baking spray.

Step 02

Combine baking soda, baking powder, flour, and salt with a whisk.

Step 03

Start by whisking eggs and sugar until bubbly. Pour in oil and vanilla. Gradually alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients. Gently stir in sprinkles.

Step 04

Add batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes until it’s golden, then let it cool down fully (at least an hour).

Step 05

Whip butter until airy. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until creamy and smooth.

Step 06

Spread frosting across the whole base, then pipe green frosting to form a tree design. Add candies and sprinkles for decoration, following the outlined arrangement.

Notes

  1. Freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months.
  2. Frosted cake lasts 3 days stored at room temp, or about 7 days if kept cold.
  3. Outline the tree placement precisely to keep it centered.

Tools You'll Need

  • 13x18-inch baking sheet.
  • Mixer—hand or stand type.
  • Angled spatula.
  • Bag for piping.
  • Ruler for measuring.

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Includes eggs.
  • Contains dairy.
  • Made with wheat flour.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: ~
  • Total Fat: ~
  • Total Carbohydrate: ~
  • Protein: ~