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Christmas Tree Cake with Mini Trees

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  • Prep 2 hr 10 min
  • Total 5 hr 55 min
  • Servings 14
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The Christmas tree cake and mini trees are an awesome edible holiday centerpiece. Decorate them with small colorful candies to represent ornaments, or layer with white frosting for a snow-covered look.
By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Sep 20, 2016
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Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 box yellow cake mix with pudding
  • Water, oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Green gel food color

Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 9 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Green gel food color

Decorations

  • 1 (10-inch) wooden skewer
  • 7 classic waffle cones or pointed sugar cones
  • 84 pink or red candy coated chocolate balls

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 4-cup and a 2-cup oven-proof measuring cup. Place paper baking cup in each of 7 regular-size muffin cups.
  • 2
    Make cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and eggs. Add almond extract and enough green food color to make light green batter; blend well. Fill 4-cup measuring cup with 2 cups batter. Fill 2-cup measuring cup with 1 cup batter. Divide remaining batter into muffin cups.
  • 3
    Bake cupcakes 20 to 25 minutes, 2-cup measuring cup 30 to 35 minutes and 4-cup measuring cup 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan and cakes from measuring cups to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • 4
    Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Mix in 3/4 cup milk, vanilla and enough green food color to make desired green colored frosting. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time.
  • 5
    Assemble and Decorate: Using serrated knife cut rounded tops off cakes baked in measuring cups to make a level surface. Place large cake, wider end down, on cake plate. Spread 1/4 cup frosting on top. Put small cake on top of large cake, wider end down. Spread 2 tablespoons frosting on top. Remove paper liner from 1 cupcake. Trim off rounded top of cupcake to flatten. Place cut side down on top of small cake. Spread 1 tablespoon frosting on top. Insert skewer through center of all cakes to secure tree. Break off pieces of one waffle cone to make top of cone even. Place cone, top side down, to form top of tree.
  • 6
    Place frosting in resealable food storage bag or decorating bag. Cut 1/2 inch off corner of bag for tip of decorating bag. Starting at the base of the tree, pipe about a 1 inch dot of frosting. Use back of teaspoon, spread frosting vertically upward. Continue piping dots and spreading frosting around base of tree. Pipe another row of dots overlapping dots from previous row; spread vertically upward. Continue making and spreading dots to tip of cone. Place dot of frosting in tip of cone. Decorate tree with candy coated chocolate balls.
  • 7
    To assemble and frost 6 mini trees, remove paper liners from remaining 6 cupcakes. If necessary, trim off rounded tops to flatten. Place cut side down on doilies or small individual plates. Break off pieces of 6 waffle cones to make tops of cones even. Place top side down to cover cupcakes, using frosting to secure cones on cupcakes. Using frosting in bag, pipe 1-inch dots around base of tree and use to teaspoon to spread frosting vertically. Continue making rows of dots and spreading them vertically upward to top of cone. Place dot of frosting on tip of cone. Repeat for remaining trees. Decorate trees with candy-coated chocolate balls.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    For a fun surprise, fill mini trees with small candy coated chocolate pieces or balls. Fill cone with candies and press cupcake into top of cone then invert onto doily or individual plate.
  • tip 2
    Pointed sugar ice cream cones can be used in place of waffle cones. For mini trees, use frosting to secure cones on top of cupcakes.

Nutrition

740 Calories, 31g Total Fat, 3g Protein, 112g Total Carbohydrate, 93g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories
740
Calories from Fat
280
Total Fat
31g
48%
Saturated Fat
15g
77%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
95mg
31%
Sodium
430mg
18%
Potassium
65mg
2%
Total Carbohydrate
112g
37%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
93g
Protein
3g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
8%
8%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 6 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 6 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
7 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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