This giant Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake is just like the original small cakes. Vanilla cake layers are filled with a smooth whipped cream, topped with a vanilla buttercream, and decorated with red frosting and green sugar sprinkles!
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🎄A Big Version of a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake
I wanted to keep this cake close to the original little cakes. This giant Little Debbie Christmas tree cake has vanilla cake layers, same as the original.
Filled in between the cake layers is a smooth whipped cream. Whipped cream is not normally a great filling to use in cakes because it can deflate so easily and can get runny. To fix, I added vanilla instant Jell-O pudding to make a stabilized whipped cream. I want to put this in all my cakes now (like this one, but make it a chocolate whipped cream!)!
I chose to frost this cake with vanilla buttercream. It's a different choice from the little cakes, but It's much easier to frost a cake with buttercream. I think it makes the cake be more cake-like too. Don't worry about getting the cake all smooth, a little rough-ness makes it look like real tree branches. Mine is definitely not smooth, and that's okay! 🤣
Red buttercream frosting and green sugar sprinkles are used to decorate the cake. Serve at room temperature but store leftovers in the refrigerator.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Milk - I used full fat milk in this recipe. 2% milk will work too.
- Sour cream - I used full fat sour cream in this recipe.
- Shortening - I like to use half butter/half shortening in my buttercream. Feel free to use all butter if you like.
- Butter - If you use salted butter in this recipe, leave out the extra salt in the recipe.
- Cake flour - all purpose flour can be substituted, but cake flour is preferred in this recipe.
🔪Instructions
Vanilla Cake
To make the cake, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set that aside.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until lightened in colour and well mixed together, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients in and mix until just combined. Add half the milk to the bowl and mix to combine. Continue adding another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the milk, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined after each addition.
Pour cake batter evenly into greased baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to drag cake batter into corners. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350°F (180°C), rotating pans halfway through. Cake should be lightly browned at the sides when done, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should be clean. Let cakes cool in their pans.
Cut out the same large Christmas tree shape out of each cake. Place one tree on a cake board. Here's the pintables for the Christmas tree outline. You will need to print out both, one is the top half of the tree, and the other is the bottom half. Print these both horizontally and make sure to check that it prints in actual size.
Whipped Cream Filling
Whip heavy whipping cream and instant vanilla pudding together in a large bowl, until stiff peaks.
Scoop whipped cream filling onto the top of one cake, making sure to spread it evenly and out to the branches. Place the second Christmas tree shape on top of the filling.
Vanilla Buttercream
Mix butter, shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and smooth. Add heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is the right consistency. Reserve ¼ of the buttercream and dye it red.
Add a thin layer of white buttercream all around the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes until the cake and frosting are cool.
Frost the cake again with the remaining white buttercream. Pipe curved lines over the top of the cake with the red buttercream. Scatter green sugar sprinkles all over the top of the cake and serve.
✔️Expert Tips
- Freeze the remaining cake after you cut the Christmas trees out of the cakes. You can save it for cake pops or trifle.
- Cake flour makes this cake light and fluffy. You can use all purpose flour, but cake flour is preferred.
- Place cake layers in the freezer for 20 minutes after cooled, to make it easier to cut the trees out.
- You can make and freeze the cake layers up to 3 days before assembling.
💭FAQs
You can make the cake layers ahead of time. Freeze them for up to 3 days.
The vanilla buttercream can be made a day ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Give it a mix before using it the next day.
Cake flour has a lower protein ration than all purpose flour and therefore creates less gluten. Using a flour with less gluten will make a more tender and soft cake.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Giant Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake
Equipment
- 2 half sheet baking pans
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 4½ cups cake flour
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 cups whole milk room temperature
Whipped Cream Filling
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- red food colouring
- 2 tablespoons green sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 half sheet baking pans with parchment paper, and grease the sides of the pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until lightened in colour and well mixed together, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients in and mix until just combined. Add half the milk to the bowl and mix to combine. Continue adding another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the milk, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined after each addition.
- Pour cake batter evenly into the prepared baking sheets. Use a spatula to drag cake batter into corners.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cake should be lightly browned at the sides when done, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should be clean. Let cakes cool in their pans.
- Cut out the same large Christmas tree shape out of each cake. Place one tree on a cake board. I have a Christmas tree shape printable in the recipe notes.
Whipped Cream Filling
- Whip heavy whipping cream and instant vanilla pudding together in a large bowl. Whip until stiff peaks.
- Scoop whipped cream filling onto the top of one cake, making sure to spread it evenly and out to the branches. Place the second Christmas tree shape on top of the filling.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Mix butter, shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is the right consistency. Reserve ¼ of the buttercream and dye it red.
- Add a thin layer of white buttercream all around the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes until the cake and frosting are cool.
- Frost the cake again with the remaining white buttercream. Pipe curved lines over the top of the cake with the red buttercream. Scatter green sugar sprinkles all over the top of the cake.
- Serve cake at room temperatures. Left overs need to be refrigerated because of the whipped cream filling. Cake will last for up to 3 days.
Notes
-
- Freeze the remaining cake after you cut the Christmas trees out of the cakes. You can save it for cake pops or trifle.
-
- Cake flour makes this cake light and fluffy. You can use all purpose flour, but cake flour is preferred.
-
- Place cake layers in the freezer for 20 minutes after cooled, to make it easier to cut the trees out.
-
- You can make and freeze the cake layers up to 3 days before assembling.
-
- Here's the pintables for the Christmas tree outline. You will need to print out both, one is the top half of the tree, and the other is the bottom half. Print these both horizontally and make sure to check that it prints in actual size.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️