Description
This Little Debbie Christmas Tree Sheet Cake is a festive, multi-layered dessert featuring a moist yellow cake, fluffy whipped cream filling, and rich white chocolate buttercream frosting. Decorated with a red buttercream border and holiday sprinkles, it’s perfect for celebrating the Christmas season.
Ingredients
Scale
Classic Yellow Cake
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 3 whole eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 15.25 oz box Yellow Duncan Hines Cake Mix
Whipped Cream Filling
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
White Chocolate Buttercream
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 8-9 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (if needed to thin)
Red Buttercream Border & Decorating Elements
- 1/2 cup green sanding sugar
- 1 cup Wilton Christmas Tree Sprinkles or other holiday sprinkles
- 2-3 drops red gel coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the Yellow Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9×13-inch cake pan by greasing it with baking spray, cake goop, or shortening and flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, hand-whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Sift in the yellow cake mix and gently stir until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.
- Slice the Cake: Once cooled, flip the cake onto a countertop lined with parchment paper. Using a cake leveler or serrated knife, carefully slice the cake horizontally in half. Slide a thin cutting board under the top layer and lift it off. Place the bottom layer back into the 9×13 pan.
- Make the Whipped Cream Filling: Chill a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 minutes. Pour heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and whip using a stand mixer starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high over 2-3 minutes: 1 minute on low, 1 minute on medium, and 1 minute on high until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla, almond extract (if using), and powdered sugar, then whip again until combined. Spread this filling evenly over the bottom cake layer.
- Assemble Cake Layers: Carefully place the top cake layer over the whipped cream filling to form the cake sandwich.
- Prepare White Chocolate Buttercream: In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat heavy cream and white chocolate chips for 30 seconds, stirring until smooth. Add additional 10-second intervals and stirring if chocolate isn’t fully melted. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, and the cooled white chocolate ganache; beat to combine. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream if needed to thin the consistency. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes until the buttercream lightens in color and texture. Use a wooden spoon to gently beat down air bubbles.
- Frost the Cake: Spread the white chocolate buttercream evenly over the entire cake using a flat cake scraper, reserving about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of buttercream for decorating.
- Decorate with Red Buttercream and Sprinkles: Add 2-3 drops of red gel coloring to the reserved buttercream and mix well. Using a piping bag fitted with a small circle tip, pipe a red wavy pattern on the cake and on the Christmas tree shapes. Then, using a large star piping tip, pipe a shell border around the edges of the cake with the red buttercream. Sprinkle green sanding sugar over the center of the cake and arrange festive Christmas tree sprinkles along the border. The cake is ready to serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, sour cream) help create a smooth batter and even baking.
- Chilling the bowl and whisk for the whipped cream filling ensures better volume and stiffness.
- If you don’t have a cake leveler, use a serrated knife carefully to slice the cake in half horizontally.
- The white chocolate buttercream can be thinned slightly with heavy cream if too thick for spreading or piping.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant red color without thinning the buttercream too much.
- Decorate with any holiday-themed sprinkles if Christmas tree shapes are unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
