Twinkling Christmas Tree Lights Cake Recipes

CHRISTMAS TREE SURPRISE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• You have to bake 3 cakes, but bake them one at a time, mixing up the batter only when you're ready to bake. For 2 of the cakes, tint the batter green. For the third cake, tint the batter red. Bake each cake until the center springs back when lightly touched, about 45 minutes.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes so the cake becomes firm.
• Carve and level the cakes: Using plates, bowls, glasses or round cookie cutters to trace around, cut the following: From the two green cakes, cut out 4 rounds: 8 inch, 6 inch, 4 inch, and 2 inch. Then from the red cake, cut out 4 rounds: 7 inch, 5 inch, 3 inch, and 1 inch. Take the round cookie cutter and cut a hole through the centers of the 4 inch, 5 inch, 6 inch, and 7 inch layers. (Save all the scraps for making Christmas-colored cake pop dough!)
• Make the buttercream frosting. Measure out 1 cup and tint it red. Tint the rest dark green.
• Spread a little green frosting on the cake board, lay down the 8 inch green cake layer, and spread a layer of frosting on top. Add the 7 inch red layer and repeat, taking care not to frost the inside edges of the center hole. Continue stacking and frosting gradually smaller cake layers until you reach the 4 inch layer.
• Take the 3 cups of candy and fill the center core of the tree, pressing down a little to compact the candy. Frost the top of the 4 inch layer and continue stacking and frosting until all the layers are stacked.
• Once stacked, take a serrated knife and gently carve away the sharp edges of the layers to form a tall cone shape. Apply a very thin "crumb coat" of frosting all over the outside of the cake. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Christmas lights. Melt the Candy Melts. Cut the colored Tic Tac candies in half crosswise. Use a toothpick dipped in the melted candy to attach a Tic Tac to the end of a peanut M and M of the same color (the M and M is the bulb and the Tic Tac is the base). You will need about 40 of these.
• To make the star for the top of the tree, trace around a star cookie cutter onto parchment. Pipe an outline of white melted candy, then fill in the shape. Place a lollipop stick in the center and cover with more melted candy. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and let set at room temperature.
• Place the green frosting into a piping bag fitted with a number 21 open star tip. Starting at the top of the cake, pipe 3/4 inch long strands of frosting in neat rows around the entire cake, like layers of pine branches on a Christmas tree.
• Once the cake is covered, place the red frosting into a piping bag fitted with a number 21 piping tip and pipe draping lines of "tinsel" around the cake. Attach the colored M and M lights directly to the red frosting. Work quickly here, as the frosting will start to form a crust, which can make attaching the decorations difficult.
• Take the star and flip it over. Coat the back with white melted candy and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Allow to set. Insert the lollipop stick into the center of the top of the tree.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 x 3 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer, with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and eggs on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixer bowl. Add the oil to the creamed mixture and combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture and beat on high speed until the flour is completely mixed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the batter into the pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.
• Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes, and if the top is browning too much, tent with foil. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a metal spatula around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a stand mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed for at least 5 minutes, until the butter has lightened in color and is thoroughly whipped. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds into the butter and beat to incorporate.
• Add 1 cup of the sugar and begin mixing on low speed to combine, then beat on high speed for about 2 minutes. Repeat this process 1 cup at a time until all the sugar has been added. Add milk a dash at a time if the mixture becomes too thick or dry. Scrape down the sides as needed and make sure no sugar is visible.
• The frosting will last for 1 month in the freezer, 2 weeks in the fridge, and 3 days at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESECAKE POPS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the cheesecake into 8 even wedges. Firmly insert a wooden ice pop stick into the short side of each cheesecake slice, about 2 1/2 inches deep. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the green candy melting wafers and coconut oil to a tall wide-mouth microwave-safe container. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the melting wafers and coconut oil are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute 30 seconds.
• To make a plain tree: Dip a frozen cheesecake slice in the candy melts to fully coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with green sprinkles. Dip the bottom of a gold star dragee in the candy melts and press on the top of the tree.
• To make a tree with rainbow lights: Follow the directions above for a plain tree, quickly sprinkling a few a few rainbow nonpareils over the green sprinkles. Add a gold star as above.
• To make a tree with white lights: Follow the directions above for a plain tree, quickly sprinkling a few silver nonpareils over the green sprinkles. Add a gold star as above. Attach a small round piping tip to the tube of white decorating icing and pipe a garland on the tree.
• To make a tree with snow: Follow the directions above for a plain tree, quickly sprinkling a few white nonpareils over the green sprinkles. Add a gold star as above.
• Freeze the pops until ready to serve. Use a sharp knife to trim any frozen candy melt drips from the sides of the pops. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving, or serve frozen.

WHITE FOREST CHRISTMAS TREE TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• To make the frosted leaves and cherries, whisk the egg white with a fork until frothy. Tip the sugar onto a plate. Brush the egg white onto the bay leaves or dip them, then sprinkle the sugar over the leaves and half the cherries to coat. Leave to dry on a sheet of parchment for 6 hrs or until the frosting has completely dried.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the sponge, butter and line a 30 x 20cm traybake tin with parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until creamy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, then sieve and fold in the flour, spices and baking powder. Fold in the yogurt, vanilla and chocolate chips. Tip into the tin, smooth over and bake for 30-35 mins until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment and leave to cool completely. Or, to make a round cake, see our tip below.
• Reduce the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½ and leave the door open briefly to make sure the temperature drops low enough. To make the meringues, whisk the egg white in a large bowl with an electric whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form. Continually whisking, add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's completely combined. Once it's all added, beat for another 3-4 mins until you get a stiff, shiny meringue. Transfer the mixture to two small piping bags fitted with star and round nozzles. Use a cocktail stick, knife or spoon dipped in the food colouring to paint the inside of the bags in stripes up the length, painting each bag with a different colour and leaving the area nearest the nozzle uncoloured, then fill with meringue. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, using a little of the meringue on the underside to stick it to the tray. Pipe blobs onto it, well spaced apart, to make meringue kisses - they will come out plain first. Bake for 30 mins, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool to room temperature. Decorate them with gold leaf or glitter, if you like.
• Press the jam firmly through a sieve to remove any large chunks and stir what's left in the sieve back into the jar. Stir in a few pinches of glitter, if you like, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
• Beat the buttercream ingredients together using an electric whisk until you get a pale, fluffy icing. Transfer to a large piping bag with a wide, round nozzle.
• To cut the sponge into a tree shape, first split the cooled cake into two layers using a cake cutter or serrated knife. Using a ruler or a sheet of baking parchment the same width as the cake, mark a halfway point at the top end of the cake. At the bottom end of the cake, mark it into thirds. Using these as a guide, cut squares from the bottom end of the cake, leaving a centre section for the tree stump, then cut from your middle mark at the top down to the bottom edges to create a Christmas tree shape. Use the off-cuts to make cake pops, or in trifle. Carefully lift off the top sponge using a baking sheet, and pipe blobs of buttercream all over, starting from the outside edge. Chill for 20 mins to firm up. Pipe some of the jam between the buttercream blobs, except the outer edge.
• Position the remaining cake on top, and pipe more icing blobs all over. Add the frosted leaves, frosted and plain cherries, ginger biscuits (see our recipe) and meringues, sprinkle a little glitter over the un-frosted cherries, and pipe on the remaining jam in blobs. Add the biscuits, putting a star-shaped one at the top, and add gold leaf, if you like. Will keep, well covered in the fridge, for two-three days.

LITTLE DEBBIE-INSPIRED CHRISTMAS TREE CAKES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 2 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• in a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating between each addition until fully incorporated.
• Add a third of the flour and continue mixing until just incorporated. In a small bowl, combine the milk and rum, if using. Add half of the milk mixture to the batter and mix until nearly combined. Continue alternating additions of the flour and milk, using a rubber spatula to finish bringing the batter together.
• Divide the batter between the prepared baking sheets, spreading evenly all the way to the edges. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are pale golden brown and the edges begin to pull from the sides of the pans. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water. Set a large heat-safe bowl over the pot, making sure the bottom is not touching the water. Add the egg whites, sugar, and salt to the bowl and whisk together until homogenous. Turn the heat to medium and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. When you lift the whisk, the mixture should fall into the bowl in ribbons that hold their shape for a moment before disappearing.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel on a flat surface. With an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, whip the egg white mixture until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and, with the mixer running, add the butter, a cube at a time. As you add the last piece of butter, the mixture will look broken; don't worry! Continue mixing until the mixture smooths out again, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix until just incorporated.
• Assemble the cakes: Invert a cake onto a cutting board with a piece of parchment on top and peel away the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Carefully flip the cake over so the flat side is on the bottom again. Spread the filling evenly over the cake, then invert the remaining cake on top of the filling. Peel off the parchment from the top of the cake. Transfer the cutting board with the cake to the freezer and freeze until the cake is hardened, but not completely frozen, about 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the cake from the freezer. Use the Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 8 cakes and place on the prepared baking sheet. Discard (or snack on) the cake scraps. Chill the cakes in the refrigerator while you prepare the decorations.
• Add the candy melts to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave according to the package instructions until melted.
• Dip each cake in the melted candy, using a fork to flip until completely coated. Carefully lift the cake out of the candy and gently scrape the bottom across the side of the bowl to remove any excess. Return the coated cake to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cakes.
• Sprinkle the cakes lightly with the green sanding sugar, and then decorate with the red cookie icing. Refrigerate until the candy shell hardens, about 5 minutes.
• Enjoy!