Description
This festive Christmas Sheet Cake is a delightful holiday treat featuring a moist and tender cake studded with colorful holiday sprinkles, topped with a luscious green buttercream frosting decorated to resemble a Christmas tree with candy accents. Perfect for celebrations, this sheet cake is a cheerful centerpiece that combines classic flavors with joyful decorating, making it an irresistible seasonal dessert.
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
- Prepare the Cake Pan: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly spray an 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan with nonstick baking spray containing flour to ensure easy removal of the cake after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt throughout the flour.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until the mixture becomes foamy and lightened in color, which should take about 1 to 2 minutes. Then whisk in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk well after each addition to create a smooth, well-blended batter. Finally, gently fold in the red, green, and white holiday sprinkles to add festive color and texture.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the Frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the salted butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in half of the powdered sugar until combined. Add the milk and vanilla extract, then the remaining powdered sugar. Increase speed again to medium-high and beat for an additional 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Frost Base Layer: Spread 3 cups of the buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled cake using an offset or rubber spatula, creating a smooth surface.
- Prepare Piping Bags: Place 1/4 cup of the remaining white frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small tip (about 1/8 inch opening). Add green gel food coloring to the remaining 1 3/4 cups frosting until a deep green color is achieved; optionally add a few drops of blue for a darker shade. Transfer this green frosting to another piping bag with a slightly larger tip (about 1/4 inch).
- Outline the Tree: Using a ruler and small offset spatula, lightly outline a large triangle on the frosted cake to represent the Christmas tree’s body. This triangle should be centered and sized as described for perfect placement.
- Create Tree Trunk: Place 3 rows of brown mini candy-coated chocolates under the triangle to form the tree trunk, with 5 chocolates per row, centered beneath the triangle.
- Pipe Tree Branches: Starting at the bottom of the triangle and just above the trunk, pipe a row of 3/4-inch green frosting dots across the width. Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to drag each dot downward and outward in a curved motion to form branches, cleaning the spatula between each swoop. Continue piping rows of dots, overlapping as you move upward, until the entire tree shape is filled with textured green frosting branches.
- Decorate Cake Border and Snow: Sprinkle red, green, and white holiday sprinkles around the edge of the cake. Use the white frosting bag to pipe small dots around the tree to simulate snow.
- Add Garland and Ornaments: Pipe swooping lines of white frosting across the tree to resemble garland. Press yellow mini candy-coated chocolates sideways onto these lines about 1 inch apart to mimic Christmas lights. Place red mini candies flat on the tree to act as ornaments.
- Create Candy Bow: Cut the red sour candy belt in half lengthwise. Fold one strip into a bow shape and position it on top of the tree as the finishing touch. Save or enjoy the remaining strip separately.
Notes
- The unfrosted cake can be baked, 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 up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- To perfectly center the tree on your cake, position the pan with a short side facing you. The triangle’s bottom side should start 2 ½ inches from the bottom and sides of the pan, with the top tip 2 inches from the pan’s top edge.
- Use gel food coloring to tint frosting without altering its consistency.
- This cake serves 12 people.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 12 servings)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
