Description
This festive Christmas Sheet Cake is a delightful, moist cake layered with rich homemade buttercream frosting. Bursting with holiday sprinkles in the batter and decorated intricately to resemble a Christmas tree using vibrant green frosting, colorful candy ornaments, and a candy belt bow, this sheet cake is perfect for holiday parties and family celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- Nonstick baking spray with flour, for the pan
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup red, green, and white holiday sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 lb powdered sugar (6 cups)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- Forest green gel food coloring, for the frosting
- Blue gel food coloring, for the frosting (optional)
- 5 brown mini candy-coated chocolates (about 1/2 tsp), such as mini M&M’s
- 2 Tbsp red, green, and white holiday sprinkles
- 30 yellow mini candy-coated chocolates (about 2 tsp), such as mini M&M’s
- 40 red mini candy-coated chocolates (about 2 1/2 tsp), such as mini M&M’s
- 1 (6-in.) piece red sour candy belt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Spray an 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan with nonstick baking spray that contains flour to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Make Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar with the eggs until the mixture becomes foamy and lightened in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry flour mixture alternated with buttermilk, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Gently fold in the red, green, and white holiday sprinkles.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, smoothing it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan, at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the Frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the salted butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and blend in half of the powdered sugar until combined. Add the milk and mix to incorporate. Add vanilla extract and remaining powdered sugar and mix thoroughly. Beat again on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Apply Base Frosting: Using an offset or rubber spatula, spread 3 cups of the buttercream evenly over the cooled cake to create a smooth base layer. Reserve 1/4 cup of the remaining frosting for piping and put it into a piping bag with a small 1/8-inch opening.
- Color and Prepare Green Frosting: Add forest green gel food coloring to the remaining 1 3/4 cups frosting until you achieve a deep green shade. For a very dark green, incorporate a few drops of blue gel food coloring. Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a slightly larger opening (about 1/4 inch).
- Decorate Christmas Tree: Use a ruler and small offset spatula to lightly trace a large triangle on the frosted cake as a guide for the tree body. Arrange 3 rows of brown mini candy-coated chocolates (5 per row) centered under the triangle to form the tree trunk. Pipe a row of 3/4-inch green frosting dots across the triangle’s bottom (~above trunk). Drag each dot downward and outward to form curved branches, wiping the spatula clean between swoops. Continue piping rows of dots and dragging them down, overlapping preceding rows, covering the triangle fully to simulate the tree branches.
- Add Border and Snow Dots: Outline the cake’s edges with the red, green, and white holiday sprinkles. Using the reserved white frosting, pipe small dots around the tree area on the white frosting to resemble snow.
- Create Garland and Ornaments: Pipe swooping white lines across the tree to mimic garland. Press yellow mini candies sideways into these lines about 1 inch apart as Christmas lights. Place red mini candies flat on the tree to represent ornaments.
- Make and Place Bow: Cut the red sour candy belt lengthwise in half. Fold one strip into a bow shape and position it atop the tree. Save or enjoy the other half as desired.
Notes
- The unfrosted cake can be baked ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months.
- The cake can be frosted up to 3 days in advance and stored at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- For a perfectly centered Christmas tree, position the cake pan so one short side faces you. Outline a triangle measuring 2 ½ inches up from the bottom of the pan and 2 ½ inches in from each side at the base, and 2 inches down from the top of the pan for its tip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 cake)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 48g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
