Description
A festive and delicious Red Velvet Tree Cake perfect for holiday celebrations, featuring moist red velvet layers frosted with creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting and decorated to resemble a Christmas tree.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp red food coloring
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations
- Festive sprinkles or decorations (optional)
- Nonstick spray or butter (for greasing)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a tree-shaped cake pan or a standard bundt/tube pan with nonstick spray or butter to ensure the cake releases easily after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt until thoroughly combined to create a uniform dry mix.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, room temperature buttermilk, large eggs, red food coloring, white vinegar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is fully blended and smooth.
- Combine Ingredients: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl, mixing gently just until the batter is smooth and no dry flour pockets remain, being careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully baked.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Afterwards, invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: While the cake cools, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and Decorate: Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake’s surface. Decorate with festive sprinkles or other holiday decorations to mimic the look of a Christmas tree.
Notes
- You can use a silicone tree mold for easier removal or carve a tree shape from a sheet cake if a tree pan is unavailable.
- For added festive flair, try incorporating edible glitter or colored sugar on top of the frosting.
- This cake can be prepared up to one day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
