Christmas Tree Cake
, Published Dec 11, 2025
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Easy Christmas Tree Cake inspired by nostalgic Little Debbie’s Christmas Tree Cakes but made completely from scratch. Soft vanilla sponge, creamy buttercream and a simple cut-out template do all the hard work for you. Perfect for parties and kids’ decorating sessions, with step-by-step instructions that walk you through baking, carving and icing 🎄🎄🎄
This Christmas Tree Cake is pure holiday fun – a soft vanilla sheet cake cut into a tree shape, sandwiched and covered with fluffy vanilla buttercream and festive sprinkles. Think of it as a giant version of Little Debbies Christmas Tree Cake only much fresher and made to share. No special tins, just regular sheet pans, a paper template and a little bit of trimming.
If you grew up with nostalgic Christmas snack cakes wrapped in crinkly plastic, this is the grown up glow-up. My Christmas Tree Cake starts with a simple vanilla sheet cake, cut into a tree shape, filled with fluffy buttercream and decorated with festive sprinkles.
Even if you’ve never heard of Little Debbie, this cake Christmas tree is still an instant showstopper – it’s basically the easiest way to turn a plain rectangle into a magical holiday centerpiece for your dessert table this holiday season.
Here’s What You’ll Need
Click on the link to download the Christmas tree template.
- Vanilla sheet cake – A soft, close-crumbed vanilla sponge that’s sturdy enough to cut and stack but still light to eat. You can use your favorite white or yellow cake base.
- Vanilla buttercream – Whipped until fluffy and spreadable so it fills the layers without squishing out when you press them together.
- Red decorating gel – or you can tint some of the buttercream with red food coloring.
- Green sprinkles – For that crunchy festive sparkle on top, plus a selection candy if you want to decorate your cake tree.
How to Make my Christmas Tree Cake
Prepare the cake
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Mist two 9×13 cake pans with cake release and line with paper, or bake in batches.
- Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a measuring jug and set aside.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir together.
- Add the cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and beat together until you have a crumbly, sandy texture.
- Pour in the milk / egg mixture and beat until the batter is completely smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake, in batches if necessary, for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the tree shape.
Make the buttercream
- Beat softened butter and salt until creamy, scraping the bowl with a spatula as needed – you can do this in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer.
- Add sifted powdered sugar and beat together on low speed until combined. Beat until light and fluffy, gradually adding heavy cream.
- Beat in vanilla extract and two heaping tablespoons of marshmallow fluff (if using).
Assemble the cake
- Remove the chilled cake from the pan. Place the template on top and use a sharp knife to cut out the tree shape, reserving any offcuts. Repeat on the second sheet cake.
- Spread a generous layer of buttercream over the bottom layer. Carefully place the second layer on top. Cover the entire cake, including the sides, in a thin layer of buttercream, then chill until firm.
Decorate and serve
- Finally the fun part! Add a second, thicker coating of buttercream and smooth over the cake.
- Use red decorating gel to pipe stripes across the tree and scatter with green sprinkles. Use M&Ms or large sprinkles to add Christmas baubles onto the cake (optional).
- Place your Christmas Tree Cake on a large board, surround it with cookies, truffles and chocolates and let guests slice their own pieces.
Flavor Twists and Variations
- You can use your favorite sheet cake recipe for the cake layers – such as red velvet, Biscoff or chocolate and tailor the buttercream flavor to suit.
- A thin layer of seedless raspberry jam under the buttercream adds a delightful Victoria sponge type twist.
- Use cream cheese frosting instead of vanilla buttercream or cover with chocolate frosting.
- Add mixed colored sprinkles, sugar pearls, mini candy canes, gingerbread cookies or chocolate candies to decorate just before serving.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Storing: Once assembled and frosted, keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, especially if your kitchen runs warm. Bring to room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving so the buttercream softens again.
- Freezing: Freeze the undecorated tree layers tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before filling and decorating. Leftover slices can be wrapped individually and frozen; thaw in the fridge, then let them come to room temperature before eating.
What to Do with the Cake Offcuts
Don’t you dare throw those trimmings away – the best part of a Christmas tree cake recipe might just be the “scraps”. Here’s how to use them (other than sneakily snacking on them):
- Make a trifle: Layer cake cubes with whipped cream, custard, berries or crushed cookies in small glasses or a large trifle bowl.
- Turn them into cake pops or truffles: Crumble, mix with buttercream, or cream cheese frosting, roll into balls and dip in melted chocolate. Decorate with Christmas sprinkles – ta-da!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A vanilla or yellow cake mix works perfectly for this Christmas tree cake. Bake it in two 9x13in pans, cool completely, then cut into the tree shape as directed. If you don’t have two pans you can bake the layers in batches.
Chill the cake layers until firm. Print the template (or sketch one yourself!) place on top of the cake and trim around it with a sharp knife.
Oven temperatures can vary so set a timer for 5 minutes before the specified time. The cake is done when the top is springy to the touch, the cake has just started to pull away from the edge of the pan and a skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
If you give this Christmas tree cake recipe a try, please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment and star rating on the recipe card – it really helps more people find the recipe – and feel free to share a photo of your cake Christmas tree on social media and tag me so I can see it. You’ll find me on @Instagram TikTok and Pinterest 🎄🎄
Christmas Tree Cake
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup (180ml) milk room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) flour all-purpose / plain
- 1 ⅔ cups (330g) sugar granulated or superfine / caster
- 3 level tsp baking powder
- ½ level tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ⅓ tsp salt
- ⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter cubed (needs to be firm but not fridge-cold)
For the icing & decoration
- 2 cup (226g) unsalted butter , softened
- pinch sea salt
- 4 cups (400g) powdered sugar (icing sugar), sifted
- ½ cup (120ml) cold heavy cream (double cream)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp marshmallow fluff (optional)
To decorate
- 1 tbsp green sprinkles or green sanding sugar
- red decorating gel
- M&Ms, candies, sugar pearls whatever you like!
Instructions
Bake the sheet cakes
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Mist two 9×13 cake pans with cake release and line with paper. If you only have one pan, you can bake in batches – see note 1.
- Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a measuring jug and set aside.3 large eggs, ¾ cup (180ml) milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.2 ¾ cups (330g) flour, 1 ⅔ cups (330g) sugar, 3 level tsp baking powder, ½ level tsp baking soda, ⅓ tsp salt
- Add cubed unsalted butter and beat together until you have a crumbly, sandy texture.⅞ cup (200g) unsalted butter
- Pour in the milk / egg mixture and beat until the batter is completely smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake, in batches if necessary, for 16-17 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Make the buttercream
- Beat the butter and salt until softened and creamy, scraping the bowl with a spatula as needed – you can do this in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer.2 cup (226g) unsalted butter, pinch sea salt
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat together on low speed until combined. Continue to beat until light and fluffy, gradually adding heavy cream and increasing speed once ingredients have combined.4 cups (400g) powdered sugar, ½ cup (120ml) cold heavy cream
- Beat in vanilla extract and two heaping tablespoons of marshmallow fluff (if using).2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp marshmallow fluff
Assemble the cake
- Remove the chilled cake from the pan. Place the template on top and use a sharp knife to cut out the tree shape, reserving any offcuts. Repeat on the second sheet cake.
- Spread a generous layer of buttercream over the bottom layer. Carefully place the second layer on top. Cover the entire cake, including the sides, in a thin layer of buttercream, then chill until firm.
Decorate and serve
- Add a second, thicker coating of buttercream and smooth over the cake.
- Use red decorating gel to pipe stripes across the tree and scatter with green sprinkles. Use M&Ms or large sprinkles to add Christmas baubles onto the cake (optional).1 tbsp green sprinkles, red decorating gel, M&Ms, candies, sugar pearls
- Transfer your Christmas tree cake to a serving board, slice and serve
Notes
- Bake the sheet cake up to 2 days ahead, cover in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
- The frosting can be made 3–4 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and re-whipped before using.
- You can assemble and crumb coat the cake the day before, then do the final white icing and decorations on the day so it looks fresh and bright.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
