Description
This Copycat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes recipe recreates the festive favorite with moist yellow cake, fluffy marshmallow filling, and a smooth white almond bark coating decorated with green sanding sugar and red candy melt stripes. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these charming tree-shaped treats are fun to make and delicious to enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 13.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup melted butter
Filling
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Coating and Decoration
- 1 pound white almond bark
- 1 cup red candy melts
- Green sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 16×12 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with nonstick cooking spray. Secure edges with binder clips to keep parchment in place.
- Make Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yellow cake mix, 3 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 cup whole milk, and ½ cup melted butter until smooth and combined.
- Bake Cake: Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan using an angled spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Prepare Filling: In a medium bowl, beat marshmallow fluff, ¾ cup room temperature butter, and 2 cups powdered sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons milk and whip on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Assemble Cake Layers: Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Spread the filling evenly over one cake half, then top with the other half to create a filled cake layer.
- Cut Out Trees: Using a tree-shaped cookie cutter, carefully cut out tree shapes from the filled cake layers. Place cut trees on a parchment-lined baking sheet. For easier cutting, freeze the filled cake for 30 minutes beforehand if desired.
- Chill Trees: Place the filled trees in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Melt White Almond Bark: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white almond bark in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and fully melted.
- Coat Trees: Dip each chilled tree into the melted white almond bark, tapping off excess coating. Place coated trees on parchment-lined tray and immediately sprinkle green sanding sugar on top so it sticks. Repeat for all trees.
- Melt Red Candy Melts: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the red candy melts in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. If too thick, add ¼ teaspoon melted shortening or coconut oil to thin.
- Decorate with Red Stripes: Transfer melted red candy melts into a sandwich bag, cut a small hole in one corner, and pipe red wavy stripes onto the white coated trees.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- If short on time, canned frosting can be used in place of the homemade filling.
- Yield depends on the size of your tree-shaped cookie cutter; smaller cutters yield more cakes.
- Freezing the filled cake before cutting makes shaping easier and cleaner.
- Use binder clips to keep parchment paper secure during batter spreading and baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
