Homemade Copycat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Made with your favorite gluten free cake mix, these copycat Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes are a fun holiday dessert for Christmas parties.
Ingredients
For the Cake Layer
- 15 ounce package vanilla cake mix gluten free if needed
- 2-3 large eggs room temperature, will vary depending on your cake mix requirements
- 6 tablespoons butter can sub dairy free butter or oil depending on your cake mix requirements
- ⅓ cup milk or water depending on your cake mix requirements
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- ½ cup butter or dairy free butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar can sub powdered monk fruit
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons milk of choice
For the Chocolate Coating
- 1 ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 cake pan.
- Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Pour into the pan and bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
- Make the Christmas tree shapes. Slice the cake horizontally through the middle to create two thin layers. Using a Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut out 12 trees. Place cutouts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze again while you make the frosting. If you're using store bought frosting, you can skip right to step 5.
- Make the frosting. In a bowl, mix frosting ingredients with a hand mixer. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. Too thin, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Assemble tree cakes. Remove trees from freezer, frost one side, and sandwich to make 6 total cakes. Freeze again.
- Make the chocolate coating. Melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 10-second increments until smooth.
- Coat the trees. Drop each tree into the melted chocolate and coat using two forks. Place back on parchment lined baking sheets and immediately add sprinkles. Let set and enjoy!
Notes
- Freeze between steps. It keeps everything firm so the coating doesn't slide off.
- Pick your cutter size. A medium cutter gives you 8 to 12 cakes. A large cutter gives you fewer, thicker cakes.
- Thin the coating if needed. Stir in ½ teaspoon of coconut oil at a time until it's easy to dip.
- Sprinkle fast. Add sprinkles right after dipping, before the coating sets.
- Add almond extract. ½ teaspoon in the frosting adds a fun bakery flavor.
- Change it up. Use chocolate cake mix and frosting for chocolate trees, or tint the white chocolate green with food coloring.
How to Store Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Store the cakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them individually wrapped for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy one, thaw it in the fridge for the best texture. Tried this recipe?Mention @prettydeliciouslife or tag #PDLrecipes!