Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes: 1 Easy Copycat Recipe That Tastes Like the Snack Cakes You Grew Up With

Homemade Christmas tree cakes are the from scratch answer to the little striped snack cakes that vanish from store shelves every December. You know the ones: soft vanilla cake, a sweet creamy filling, a white coating, green zigzag stripes and a sprinkle of red. This version needs one sheet pan, one tree shaped cutter and about an hour of hands on time, and the creme filling tastes even better than the box..

Interest in these cakes takes off every fall. On Google Trends in the United States, searches for Christmas tree cakes sat at zero for months, then shot up to 61 in the week of October 18, as the new seasonal cakes, creamers and donuts started showing up. One home baker’s copycat video on YouTube has passed 1.4 million views. The love is real, and it is mostly nostalgia: for a lot of us, these were the treat in the lunchbox the week before Christmas break.

The cakes that started it all are Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. This is not their recipe. It is our own home version, made with real butter and vanilla, that captures the same look and feel. Make a batch for a cookie swap, a kids baking day or a tin for the neighbors.

What You Need for Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes

For the cake (one quarter sheet pan, 9×13 inches):

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk

For the vanilla creme filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the coating and decoration:

• 3 cups white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup green candy melts or white chocolate tinted green
• red nonpareils or red sanding sugar

Tools: a 9×13 pan, parchment paper, a 3 inch Christmas tree cookie cutter, a wire rack set over a sheet pan, and a piping bag or a small zip top bag.

How to Make Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes, Step by Step

1. Bake a thin vanilla cake. Heat the oven to 350 F and line the pan with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour in two parts with the milk. Spread the batter thin and even, and bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the top springs back. Cool completely.
2. Whip the creme filling. Beat the soft butter and powdered sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Add the marshmallow creme, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Split and fill. Lift the cooled cake out and cut it in half crosswise, so you have two thin rectangles. Spread the filling over one half and set the other half on top, flat side up.
4. Chill, then cut. Wrap and chill the filled cake for at least 1 hour, or freeze it for 30 minutes. Cold cake cuts clean. Press the tree cutter straight down and lift it out. You should get 10 to 12 trees. Save the scraps for cake pops or a trifle.
5. Make the coating. Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil in short 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring each time, until smooth and pourable. Let it cool for a few minutes so it is warm, not hot.
6. Coat the trees. Set the cold trees on the rack. Spoon the coating over each one, letting the extra drip down, or dip each tree with two forks. Chill 15 minutes until set, then give the tops a second coat if you like a thicker shell.
7. Add the stripes and sprinkles. Melt the green candy melts and pipe zigzag lines across each tree. Before the green sets, sprinkle on the red nonpareils. Chill until firm.

Tips for the Best Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes

• Keep the cake thin. The original is a slim, soft cake. Spread the batter all the way into the corners so it bakes evenly.
• Always cut cold. A warm cake squishes and the filling oozes out. Cold cake gives sharp tree edges.
• Do not overheat the white chocolate. White chocolate burns easily and turns thick and grainy. Low heat and short bursts keep it smooth.
• Brush off the crumbs. Before coating, brush loose crumbs off each tree with a dry pastry brush so the white shell stays clean.
• Use the scraps. Crumble the trimmings with a spoon of leftover filling, roll into balls and dip them in the coating for bonus cake pops.

Chocolate and Shortcut Versions

Chocolate tree cakes are one of the fastest growing searches this season. For a chocolate version, swap 1/4 cup of the flour for unsweetened cocoa powder and add 2 tbsp more milk. Keep the vanilla filling and white coating for a fun contrast, or use melted chocolate chips and coconut oil for a fully chocolate shell.

Short on time? Bake a boxed white cake mix in a 9×13 pan instead of the homemade cake, and use the same filling. You will still get homemade Christmas tree cakes that taste far fresher than anything from a box. For more easy holiday baking, see our Christmas shortbread cookies.

Make Ahead, Freezing and Gifting

These cakes are made for planning ahead. Keep finished cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, with parchment between the layers. To freeze, set them on a tray until hard, then pack them in a container for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge overnight so the coating does not sweat.

For gifts, tuck each cake into a paper cupcake liner and stack them in a cookie tin lined with parchment. They also travel well to cookie swaps. A kids decorating station is easy too: coat the trees ahead of time and let the kids pipe the green stripes and add their own sprinkles.

Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes FAQ

Can I use a different shape? Yes. Stars, snowflakes and round cakes all work. Any cutter about 3 inches wide is a good size.

Why did my coating crack? The cake was very cold and the coating was very hot. Let the coating cool until just warm, and coat the cakes straight from the fridge, not the freezer.

Can I make them without marshmallow creme? Yes. Use a classic vanilla buttercream for the filling instead. It is a little less fluffy but still delicious.

How many does one batch make? About 10 to 12 trees, depending on the size of your cutter.

So, are you team classic vanilla or team chocolate? Bake a batch this weekend, and do not be surprised if they disappear before December even starts.