Our Christmas Tree Cake invites the magic of baking into the holidays whether it’s a creative outlet for yourself, or a fun holiday activity for children.
Christmas Tree Cake for a Christmas Party
Some of my favorite memories involve baking and decorating with friends and family members who love to eat as much as they love to spend time together. I’ve found that the holidays are the best time to invite some creative baking into your home. And I make sure to budget some time to experience baking together as a tradition.
This recipe is great because you can either use it as a creative outlet for yourself and turn your Christmas tree cake into a gorgeous centerpiece for your Christmas party dessert table. Or you can bake the cake ahead of time, and then let younger children use different types of frosting and edible decor to decorate it themselves during a Christmas party.
And the flavor of this chocolate cake is so soft and delicious. We use coffee to enhance the flavor of the natural cocoa powder. The coffee also adds moisture which ensures that your cake won’t be dry and flaky on the inside. The coffee taste is barely detectable within the chocolate, so it will still be great for younger taste buds.
For more of our Christmas favorites, check out, Decadent Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Why you will love this recipe
- This recipe has coffee enhanced moisture that adds the wow factor to the cake.
- You can bake this cake ahead of time, and decorate it later.
- This recipe is baked in a Wilton Christmas Tree Cake pan. You can either leave it inside the pretty green pan or gently take the cake out and let it stand on its own.
How to make the perfect Christmas Tree Cake
Prep with joy. I’d like to add to this post that before I start baking Christmas recipes, I prep myself with all of the cheesy holiday music, lights, and scented aroma of the season I can find. I like to set the stage for my kiddos, and other family members that I’m hoping to draw in, and create a memory out of the activity of baking.
Preheat and Grease. Don’t forget to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and at this time, I also like to prepare the cake pan by coating it with butter or a non-stick cooking oil. Then set it aside.
Mix dry and wet separately. When baking a cake from scratch, it’s important to mix your dry and wet ingredients separately so that the rising agent is distributed evenly and the entire cake texture is consistent.
I tend to forget this golden rule of baking because cake mixes do this step for you. But it’s really easy. Anything dry, like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, etc goes in the dry bowl. Anything wet like oil, egg, vanilla, and milk go into a different bowl.
Add hot coffee. When your batter is fully mixed, add hot coffee, mixing slowly until it is fully distributed. Use decaf for a more mellow chocolate taste. This step adds moisture and flavor enhancement to the cake.
Use a Wilton Cake Pan. I really like this Wilton cake pan. It separates from the fully baked cake well, and it holds the shape well. However, this recipe can be used in any cake pan.
Avoid Overbaking. The rule for checking if a cake is done is to insert a toothpick. When pulled out the toothpick should be clean. In this case, it won’t be completely clean because it is a moist cake recipe.
Cool. After baking, allow the cake to fully cool before you separate it from the pan. A hot cake is still baking and deciding how it is going to take shape. If you pull it out before, it will likely fall apart. I sometimes like to work up to this step before involving kids in the decoration process too.
Tips for making buttercream frosting for a Christmas Tree Cake
Use softened butter. To soften butter, you can leave butter out or near a stove that’s warm for an hour or two. Or you can fill up a glass with hot water, empty the glass, then turn it over onto your exact amount of butter (so that the steamy warmth from the glass heats the butter) for a few minutes. I don’t recommend using a microwave as it can melt the butter and get it much too hot for buttercream frosting.
Use an eclectic mixer or upright mixer. Frosting is where an upright mixer can really save you some frustration. These types of mixers are easy to turn on and let them do their thing while you add slowly add ingredients. There is really no way to be fast enough by hand mixing.
For dry or crumbled frosting add milk. If the buttercream comes out dry, add a teaspoon of milk and mix again until you get the desired consistency.
Add food coloring to the milk. Instead of adding food coloring directly to the buttercream, which can create splotchy frosting, add it to the milk beforehand and slowly add the milk in increments to the buttercream.
Use a piping bag. On a cool cake, use the piping bag with the star shaped tip to create the base Christmas tree shape. After the base is done, decorate with any holiday toppings you like.
Frequently asked Questions about Christmas Tree Cakes
Which cake pan is recommended for making a Christmas tree cake?
The preferred choice for a Christmas tree cake pan is the Wilton Christmas Tree pan, available at various locations.
What is the recommended cooling time for the Christmas tree cake before decorating?
It is crucial to allow the cake to cool entirely before decorating, typically requiring approximately 1-2 hours.
Can I substitute buttercream with a different frosting for the Christmas tree cake?
Certainly! You have the option to use cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, or even ganache as alternatives to buttercream, providing a unique flavor experience.
Christmas Tree Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup prepared instant coffee or brewed coffee + hot water
Buttercream
- 2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 stick butter slightly softened to room temp
- 1 tbsp whole milk 2 if needed
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp green food coloring gel
Toppings
- choose any Christmas themed sprinkles M&M, gummies, or candy cane
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease the cake pan with butter or non-stick cooking oil. Set it aside.
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt) into a large bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (oil, egg, vanilla, and milk) and whisk to combine.
- Add hot coffee, it will enhance the chocolate flavor and add moisture to the cake. Stir until the coffee is fully incorporated into the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with tiny crumbs, not clean as it’s a moist cake.
- Let the cake cool completely before unmolding. In the meantime, prepare the buttercream.
- To make the buttercream, place softened butter into a large bowl. Mix at high speed with an electric mixer until the butter is creamy. Reduce speed to low and gently add sugar. Keep on mixing until sugar is integrated, then run it to high speed again, and add one tbsp of milk, salt, vanilla extract, and a pinch of food coloring (you’ll add more as needed).
- Mix for five more minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Check color and adjust if necessary, just a tiny amount at a time.
- If the frosting is still dry or crumbly, add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again. Adjust the color and consistency as needed by adding more food coloring or milk, but do so in small increments.
- Taste the buttercream, and adjust the vanilla extract if needed.
- Assembly: Once the cake is completely cooled and removed from the pan, you can start decorating it with buttercream. Use a piping bag with a star-shaped tip to create the Christmas tree shape, piping the buttercream onto the cake following your favorite pattern. Get creative and add your chosen Christmas toppings, such as edible gold or silver stars or colorful sprinkles.
- Slice and serve: Once decorated, slice the cake and serve it to your delighted guests. Enjoy the moist and rich chocolatey goodness of your homemade Christmas tree cake!
Notes
- Make sure to prepare the pan properly to prevent the cake from sticking and ensure easy removal.
- Avoid overbaking, as it may result in a dry cake. The moistness of the cake is a desirable characteristic, so don’t expect the toothpick to come out completely clean.
- Allow the cake to cool: Once baked, let the cake cool completely in the pan before attempting to remove it. This helps the cake set properly and prevents it from breaking or falling apart during the unmolding process.
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