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Christmas Tree Cakes Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 550 reviews

These festive Christmas Tree Cakes are a delightful chocolate sponge treat shaped like Christmas trees and decorated with vibrant green buttercream and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cakes combine a rich cocoa-flavored sponge with a smooth buttercream frosting, piped to resemble a decorated Christmas tree. They are easy to make and keep well, making them a wonderful holiday dessert to share.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 200ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin
  • 80g cocoa powder
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 250g light brown soft sugar
  • 225ml natural yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

Buttercream Frosting

  • 250g salted butter, softened
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • Green food colouring gel
  • Sprinkles or sweets (star and ball shapes for tree toppers and baubles)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the oven and tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Oil a 22 x 32 cm baking tin and line it with baking parchment to prevent sticking.
  2. Make the cocoa paste: Place the cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl and stir in 125ml of hot water from the kettle until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside to cool completely.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, light brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Shake the mixture to loosen any sugar lumps, then break them up by rubbing between your fingers. Mix well to fully combine.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: Add the vegetable oil, natural yogurt, vanilla extract, and eggs to the cooled cocoa paste. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
  5. Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until you achieve a loose, lump-free batter. Scrape the batter into your prepared baking tin.
  6. Bake the cake: Place the tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should come out clean when ready. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin after baking.
  7. Prepare the buttercream: Using an electric whisk, beat the softened salted butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together until smooth and creamy. Add green food colouring gel a few drops at a time and mix until you achieve a vibrant, even green color.
  8. Shape the cakes: Turn the cooled sponge out onto a large board or tray. Rotate it so one of the short edges faces you. Cut the sides on an angle to form a triangular tree shape, then trim the short edge to form a trunk. Arrange the offcuts on a separate board to create another tree, joining angled sides together, and form the trunk from remaining offcuts.
  9. Decorate the trees: Fill two piping bags fitted with star nozzles with the green buttercream. Pipe the buttercream onto the trees as desired, leaving the trunks plain. Decorate with sprinkles or sweets to mimic ornaments. Store the decorated cakes in an airtight container, good for up to four days.

Notes

  • You can freeze the uniced sponge for up to three months, wrapped well.
  • Use star and ball-shaped sweets or sprinkles for authentic Christmas tree decorations.
  • Ensure the cocoa paste is completely cooled before mixing to prevent curdling in the batter.
  • For a different color theme, adjust the food coloring in the buttercream accordingly.
  • These cakes are best enjoyed at room temperature for optimal texture and flavor.

Keywords: Christmas cake, chocolate cake, Christmas tree dessert, holiday baking, buttercream frosting, festive cakes, chocolate sponge cake

Find it online: https://cookedbycleo.com/christmas-tree-cakes-recipe/