Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes Recipe

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs 50 mins

Servings:

Whether it's the light and fluffy sponge cake, decadent buttercream icing, or sinfully sweet outer layer of white chocolate, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes have long been a fan favorite. And of course, the Christmas tree variety puts the delightful treat over the top.

Equal parts festive and delicious? Yes, please! That's why Southern Living Test Kitchen professional Ivy Odom created a homemade Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes recipe. It's easy, tasty, and (dare we say) better than the store-bought version.

Swiss meringue buttercream sits between two luscious layers of vanilla sponge cake. As if that's not enough, the cheerful treats are shaped like Christmas trees and dipped in an unmistakable layer of white chocolate. They're garnished with green sprinkles and a drizzle of red icing. Serve the Christmas tree snack cakes at your next holiday party, and we guarantee they will steal the show.

The History of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Now available in vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet varieties, these treasured holiday snack cakes have been on the market since 1985. Originally made in a triangle shape with a chocolate trunk, Christmas tree cakes evolved into a scalloped tree shape in 2012 and have been enjoyed as an iconic part of the holiday season ever since.

Ingredients for Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Sponge cakes are simple to make, and they have a short ingredient list. To make these cakes, you'll need:

Large eggs: Whipped to create a light, spongy batter.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake batter.
Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely vanilla flavor to the cake.
Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the whipped eggs for a light, fluffy batter.
Cake flour: The low protein content of cake flour makes for a light cake with a tender crumb.
Baking powder: Aids the whipped eggs in leavening the cake.
Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor.
Swiss meringue buttercream: A silky, heavenly buttercream made by cooking egg whites and sugar and whipping with butter until velvety and delicious. Can substitute with any (vanilla) frosting you prefer.
Vanilla melting wafers: Melted for coating the trees.
Green sanding sprinkles & red cooking decorating icing: For decorating the trees after coating.

How To Make Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray an 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Spray paper with cooking spray.
Step 2. Beat yolks and 1 cup sugar until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla.
Step 3. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar gradually, beating to stiff peaks. Fold one-fourth of the egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until just combined, then the rest.
Step 4. Sift one-third of the combined dry ingredients over egg mixture. Fold gently until just blended, then fold in remaining flour mixture. Spread batter gently into prepared pan.
Step 5. Bake until golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Run a small spatula or knife around edges of pan to loosen; cool 2 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6. Cut out 16 tree shapes from cake. Spread about 2 tablespoons of buttercream on half the trees, then top with remaining trees. Place onto a wire rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet.

Step 7. Melt candy wafers. Pour melted candy coating evenly over cakes. Decorate with sprinkles and chill until coating is set.
Step 8. Decorate with decorating icing. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour, then store in an air-tight container up to 5 days.

Tips for the Best Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Don't under whip the eggs—the egg yolks should be thick and tripled in volume, and the egg whites at stiff peaks for the loftiest batter.
Fold and spread the batter gently to avoid deflating it.
Chill cakes to set the buttercream in place for the cleanest coating.
Scrape up and reheat excess melting wafers if needed to coat all the cakes.
Remember to add the sprinkles when the coating is wet to help them adhere to the cakes.
Snip a very small tip in the decorating icing for elegant lines. You can always cut the hole a little larger if needed after testing the design.

How To Store Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Since these cakes are filled with Swiss meringue buttercream and coated with vanilla wafers, they may be sensitive to warm temperatures. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, or freeze for up to two months. They'll defrost quickly at room temperature for serving.

More Mini Christmas Dessert Recipes You'll Love

There's nothing more fun than a dessert table at Christmastime. Load your platters up with a variety of mini desserts, and everyone will find something they love.

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

10 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
24 oz. vanilla melting wafers, such as CandiQuick
Green sanding sprinkles
Red cookie decorating icing

Directions

Prepare oven and baking sheet:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Spray paper with cooking spray.
Beat eggs yolks:

Beat egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar with a heavy duty electric stand mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Beat egg whites:

Using clean, dry beaters and a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high, and beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold one-fourth of the egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until just combined, then fold in remaining three-fourths egg white mixture.
Make batter:

Stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over egg mixture. Fold gently until just blended, then fold in remaining two-thirds of flour mixture. Spread batter gently in prepared pan, taking care not to deflate batter.
Bake cake:

Bake in preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned on top, 11 to 13 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around edges of pan to loosen; cool in pan 2 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Cut out trees:

Using a 3 1/2 or 4-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut out 16 tree shapes from cake. Discard any scraps. Spread about 2 tablespoons of buttercream on 8 of the cut out trees, then top with remaining 8 trees to create 8 cake sandwiches. Place sandwiches on a wire rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet.
Coat trees in candy coating and decorations:

Melt candy wafers according to package directions. Pour melted candy coating evenly over cakes, being sure to coat each cake evenly. If needed, scrape any excess candy coating back into bowl and pour over cakes again to coat fully. Sprinkle with green sanding sprinkles. Place baking sheet in refrigerator and chill until candy melts are set, about 20 minutes.
Create garland:

Snip the tip of decorating icing and drizzle over Christmas Tree Cakes to create a red garland pattern. Let sit until red garland is set, about 1 hour at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other frostings can I use for filling these Christmas tree cakes?

Swap in any frosting you prefer for filling the cakes, whether homemade or store-bought. A classic vanilla buttercream, or holiday flavored options (eggnog, bourbon, or cream cheese frosting) would all be delicious, even if not classic Little Debbie.
Can I repurpose the cake scraps?

Mix the leftover cake scraps with just enough frosting to bring the mixture together, and roll into balls for quick cake pops. Chill and coat with any leftover melting wafers before decorating as desired.
Can I use boxed cake mix for this cake?

Feel free to use boxed cake mix and mix as directed, baking in a sheet pan for cutting out the tree shapes. With this shortcut, you can even double up and make multiple flavors.