Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Y’all know those Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes at the grocery store? Well I made y’all a bomb copycat that straight up delivers. And it’s just so fun to make with the fam during the holidays. I keep it easy by starting with cake mix to cut down time but I spend some effort on a delish swiss meringue filling that’s just perfection. Add some icing and sprinkles and these will look just like the OG.

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How to make Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

For the Cake 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large-rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the box’s baking instructions and pour it onto the prepared pan. Use a spatula to smooth over the top and even out the batter as much as possible.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Use a butter knife or offset spatula to release the edges, then flip the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to carefully remove the layer of parchment paper.
• While you wait for the cake to cool, prepare the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
• Once cool, use a 3-4” (will depend on how large you’d like your cakes to be) Christmas tree cookie cutter to gently cut out as many trees from the cake as possible. Keep in mind you’ll need two of the cutouts per cake.

For the Buttercream Filling 

• Put an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir egg whites, sugar, and salt until combined.
• Place a mixing bowl over the saucepan but be careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until the sugar dissolves and reaches a temp of 160 F, about 5 minutes. While you stir, scrap the sides of the bowl to ensure no sugar grains are lurking on the sides.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and add to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. They will be glossy. This can take up to 10 minutes. The bowl will continue to cool down in the process as well.
• Reduce the speed to low and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at a time making sure to mix in thoroughly after each addition. When butter is incorporated, add vanilla extract and beat on low until incorporated then frost or refrigerate until ready to frost.

To Assemble

• Set a wire rack over a rimming baking sheet. Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of buttercream on 8 of the cut out trees, then top with the remaining 8 trees to create 8 cake sandwiches. Place sandwiches on the wire rack.
• Melt the candy wafers according to package instructions. If you’d like a shinier look or the wafers need a little help smoothing out, add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil.
• Pour the melted chocolate coating evenly over the cakes, recollecting excess coating and redistributing if necessary.
• Sprinkle each cake with green sanding sprinkles, then place them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the fridge and drizzle the red decorating icing over the tops to create a garland pattern.

Let the cakes set at room temperature for an hour, then serve! Store cakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe Tips

• Once you’ve frosted the inside of your tree cakes, place them covered in the freezer until hardened, up to 2 hours, before icing the outside. This will keep the cake firm without falling apart during the decorating process.
• Baking your cake on a large sheet pan is essential in creating the thin cake inside of Little Debbie snack cakes.
• Add your green sprinkles and red icing right after coating the outside with white frosting, this will help the sprinkles stick to the treat before it dries.

More Christmas Recipes

• Christmas Punch
• Red Velvet Bundt Cake
• Best Bread Pudding
• Peanut Brittle
• Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

If you love these, you will also love my Perfect Sugar cookies, Red Velvet Trifles, and Red Velvet Lava Cakes.

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!