Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake

When the cake comes out of the oven, that broad, even surface is exactly what you want: there’s room for frosting and a tree piped right on top, with no layers to stack or trim. This Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake keeps the familiar cocoa-and-buttermilk flavor in an easy-to-slice sheet cake, then turns the decoration into the centerpiece.

The batter comes together in two bowls. Whisking the wet ingredients separately helps distribute the red coloring, vinegar, and vanilla before they meet the flour mixture; then stop as soon as the batter is smooth. Buttermilk and vinegar bring the acidity that works with baking soda, while oil keeps the crumb tender.

Cream cheese frosting gives the cake a tangy finish, and a little green gel coloring turns a portion of it into the piped tree. Holiday sprinkles add the last touch, and a short chill helps the frosting hold its shape when you slice into the cake.

Why a 9×13 Sheet Cake Makes the Tree Easier to Decorate

A Christmas tree piped on a cake needs a little open space around it. The 9×13-inch pan gives you a wide, level canvas, so the green frosting can read clearly against the cream cheese layer instead of disappearing among stacked sides or crowded decorations. You can also cut the cake into straightforward squares without having to carve a tree shape from the crumb.

The sheet-cake format helps with the frosting, too. Spread the white frosting in an even layer first, then the green zigzag stands out as its own design rather than blending into a thick mound of icing. Set aside the portion for the tree before frosting the cake; once the full surface is covered, it’s harder to judge how much frosting you have left for piping.

That contrast is what makes this decoration work: red cake, white frosting, and a distinct green tree with sprinkles for color. Keep the design simple and centered, and there’ll still be plenty of frosted cake around it for neat portions.

What Gives This Cake Its Red Velvet Character

• Buttermilk and white vinegar — Their acidity gives the batter its classic tang and works alongside the baking soda. Shake the buttermilk before measuring so it’s evenly mixed. Plain milk isn’t a close stand-in because it doesn’t bring the same acidity.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder — A modest amount gives the cake a gentle chocolate note without taking it into full chocolate-cake territory. Use unsweetened cocoa rather than sweetened cocoa mix, which brings extra sugar and other ingredients.
• Red food coloring — This is what gives the crumb its red hue. The cocoa naturally deepens the color, so expect red velvet rather than a bright, artificial-looking red.
• Vegetable oil — Oil helps keep the sheet cake tender after it cools. Another neutral cooking oil can replace it measure for measure, though a strongly flavored oil would show up in the finished cake.
• Cream cheese and unsalted butter — Together they make a smooth frosting that’s tangy but still sturdy enough to spread. Let both soften before mixing; cold cream cheese is more likely to leave small lumps.
• Powdered sugar — It sweetens and thickens the frosting. Add it gradually, as the mixing step calls for, so it doesn’t puff out of the bowl and the frosting has time to turn fluffy.
• Green gel food coloring — Gel adds concentrated color without bringing much extra liquid into the reserved frosting. Add it little by little; liquid coloring can thin the frosting before it reaches the same shade.

Mixing, Baking, and Decorating Without Guesswork

Whisk the dry and wet bowls separately

Heat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt so the leavening is spread through the flour. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, white vinegar, red food coloring, and one teaspoon of vanilla. Keep the bowls separate until both mixtures are ready.

Bring the batter together gently

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk just until the batter looks smooth. Don’t keep beating once the flour disappears; overmixing can make a cake crumb tougher than it needs to be. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly into the corners. The batter should cover the base without leaving a thick ridge in the middle.

Bake until the center springs back

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The center should spring back lightly, and a toothpick inserted there should come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter. A completely clean toothpick can mean the cake has gone a little too far. Cool the cake completely in the pan, about 1 hour, before frosting.

Beat the frosting smooth before spreading

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla, stopping when the frosting is fluffy. Set aside three-quarters of a cup for the tree, then spread the rest evenly over the cooled cake. If the frosting meets warm cake, it can soften and drag instead of making a clean layer.

Pipe the tree and give it time to set

Tint the reserved frosting green, adding gel coloring a little at a time until it reaches the shade you want. Spoon it into a zip-top bag, snip off a small corner, and pipe a zigzag tree on the cake, making each row wider toward the bottom and adding a short trunk. Scatter the holiday sprinkles over the tree. Refrigerate the decorated cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Two Ways to Change the Cake Without Losing the Idea

Questions That Come Up While Making This Christmas Tree Cake

Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake

Red velvet Christmas tree cake turns a tender, cocoa-kissed red velvet sheet cake into a festive holiday dessert with creamy frosting. Pipe a green zigzag tree over the cream cheese frosting and finish it with holiday sprinkles.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

cooling and chilling 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 678

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 1 nonstick cooking spray for coating the pan
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk well shaken
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs large
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract divided
• 1 tbsp red food coloring

For the frosting

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar

For decorating

• 0.25 tsp green gel food coloring or as needed
• 2 tbsp holiday sprinkles

Equipment

• 1 9x13-inch baking pan
• 1 electric mixer

Method

 

Make the cake

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vinegar, red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk just until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

Make the frosting

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fluffy.

Decorate the cake

1. Set aside 3/4 cup frosting.
2. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
3. Tint the reserved frosting green, adding the gel coloring a little at a time.
4. Spoon the green frosting into a zip-top bag and snip off a small corner.
5. Pipe a zigzag Christmas tree on top of the cake, widening each row toward the bottom and adding a short trunk.
6. Decorate with the holiday sprinkles.
7. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For clean tree piping, snip just a small corner from the zip-top bag. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; the cake can be frozen. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.