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Christmas Tree Cakes Recipe

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4.8 from 104 reviews

These festive Christmas Tree Cakes are a delightful holiday treat combining moist yellow cake layers with a fluffy marshmallow filling, all coated in smooth vanilla almond bark and decorated with red candy drizzle and optional green sanding sugar for a sparkling seasonal finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 13.25 ounces yellow cake mix
  • 4 large eggs (3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk)
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted

Filling

  • 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
  • ¾ cup salted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Coating and Decoration

  • 1 pound vanilla almond bark
  • 1 cup red candy melts
  • Green sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Making The Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk, 1 cup milk, and ½ cup melted salted butter. Mix thoroughly using a silicone spatula or whisk until the batter is smooth and even. Pour and spread the batter evenly onto the prepared pan.
  2. Baking The Cake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
  3. Preparing The Filling: In a medium bowl, combine marshmallow fluff, ¾ cup softened salted butter, and powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer, whip the ingredients together until well combined and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and continue whipping until smooth and airy.
  4. Assembling The Cake Layers: Carefully lift the cooled cake from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut the cake in half crosswise. Spread the prepared filling evenly over one half, then place the other half on top, creating a layered cake sandwich.
  5. Cutting The Trees: Using a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter, carefully cut out tree shapes from the cake sandwich. Place the cut trees on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
  6. Melting The Almond Bark: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the vanilla almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl and melt at half power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted (approximately 2–3 minutes).
  7. Coating The Trees: Remove the frozen trees from the freezer. Quickly dip each tree into the melted almond bark, tapping off excess chocolate back into the bowl. Use a spoon if needed to evenly coat the cakes. Place coated trees on the lined baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with green sanding sugar if using, before the coating hardens.
  8. Melting The Candy Melts: Place the red candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt at half power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and fully melted (about 2–3 minutes). Transfer melted candy melts to a strong zip-top bag.
  9. Decorating The Trees: Snip a small corner off the zip-top bag while the candy melts are still warm. Drizzle red candy melts over the coated trees to create festive stripes. Allow the candy drizzle to harden completely before serving.

Notes

  • For best results, use a 13×18 inch jelly roll pan or similar size as noted for the batter amount.
  • You can substitute salted butter with unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt if preferred.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before adding filling to prevent melting or sliding.
  • Freezing the cake trees before dipping helps prevent crumbling and makes coating easier.
  • If green sanding sugar is not available, colored sprinkles or shredded coconut tinted green can be used as alternatives.
  • Use parchment paper to easily lift the cake from the pan and for easy cleanup.

Keywords: Christmas cake, holiday dessert, layered cake, marshmallow filling, festive treats, vanilla almond bark, candy melts, cake sandwiches

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/christmas-tree-cakes-recipe/