Copycat Little Debbie Tree Cakes

5 from 1 review

Copycat Little Debbie Tree Cakes

Homemade copycat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes made with soft vanilla cake, buttercream filling, and a white chocolate coating.

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 18

Servings cakes

Calories 597kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cakes

1 box (approx. 15.25 oz) white cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup water or milk (check specific cake mix box instructions)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the buttercream filling

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coating and decoration

24 ounces white candy melts or almond bark
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil (optional, to thin white candy melts or white chocolate)
1 tablespoon Green sanding sugar or sprinkles
1 teaspoon red food coloring gel (or more if needed)

Instructions

Prepare and Bake the Cake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two sheet pans (approx. 11x15 inches) with parchment paper and grease with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, powdered sugar, eggs, water, and oil. Mix until combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Spread the batter evenly and thinly across both prepared pans (about 16 ounces of batter per pan). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.Cut the Cakes: Once cooled, use a 3 to 4-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the cake layers (about 14 tree cakes per pan).
Make the Buttercream Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Reserve 1/2 cup of frosting to tint red. Keep remaining frosting plain.
Assemble the Cakes: Transfer the filling to a piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe a layer of frosting onto half of the cake cutouts, and then top with the remaining cake cutouts to create sandwiches. Place the assembled cakes in the freezer for at least 1-2 hours until they are very firm. This is crucial for dipping them without falling apart.
Coat and Decorate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white candy melts (or almond bark) in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Stir in the oil (this helps to make it smoother for dipping). Dip each frozen cake into the melted white candy melts using a fork to lift and drain the excess. Place the coated cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with green sanding sugar before the white coating sets.
Finish and Serve: Once the white coating is dry, use the red frosting to draw horizontal stripes across each tree using a piping bag and a #4 round tip or a small zip-top bag with a tiny corner cut. Chill for another 15 minutes to set completely. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Best if eaten at room temperature.

Video

Notes

If you plan to package the cakes in individual plastic bags for gifting, use melted red candy melts for the stripes instead of red buttercream. Transfer the melted candy to a piping bag or zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner, and drizzle over the dipped cakes once the coating has set. Let the stripes firm up completely before placing the cakes in bags to prevent smudging.

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