Vintage Christmas Tree Cake
Yield: 12
This Vintage Christmas Tree Cake will bring you straight back to your childhood- just like the retro ceramic Christmas tree, only sweeter!
Ingredients
- 1 cake prepared
- 1 jumbo sprinkles
Crisping Cake Buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup shortening (like Crisco)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract see notes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
- 1 pinch salt to taste
Instructions
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl for use with your handheld electric mixer, place shortening, butter, and extracts. BEAT until creamy (at least 1 minute).
- ADD powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
- ADD cream 2-3 Tablespoons at a time, alternating with the powdered sugar.
- MIX until creamy. Use more or less cream (or whole milk) to reach the desired consistency. (I like for it to be smooth enough to pipe through a piping bag, but still a bit more firm than typical store-bought frosting.)
- ADD a 2-3 drops of gel food coloring if desired.
Cake
- PREPARE cake as instructed. Let cool completely.
- PREPARE buttercream frosting.
- Using a large star tip, FROST the tree cakes starting from the sides and then from the bottom up.
- PLACE jumbo bulb sprinkles and top with a cookie or frosting star.
Notes
- The frosting does not dry hard; it simply forms a crust due to the shortening.
- If opting out of using almond extract, use more vanilla extract.
- All butter may be substituted for shortening, but it will change the texture, and it will not "crisp" up.