These homemade Little Debbie copycat Christmas Tree Snack Cakes are light, fluffy, and filled with a delicious Swiss buttercream. Covered in a glossy white chocolate glaze and topped with red and green sprinkles, these little snack cakes are as fun to make as they are to eat. The best part? They only take 35 minutes to make!
Growing up, I remember decorating sugar cookies and building gingerbread houses with my family during the Christmas season and these snack cakes capture that same Christmas magic.
With their fluffy sponge cake and creamy buttercream, they're a fun twist on the Little Debbie snack cakes. Plus, the decorating possibilities are almost endless. Add sprinkles, chocolate glaze, edible glitter, etc. to make each cake unique.
And one of my favorite things about this recipe is that is deceivingly so easy to make. Whether you're a pro baker or a newbie, you'll have no problem baking these mini cakes to perfection.
Why I love these Christmas Snack Cakes
- Effortlessly impressive: With its fluffy sponge cake, creamy filling, and rich white chocolate coating, this recipe yields bakery-quality results while being simple enough for a beginner baker.
- Customizable: Decorate each cake with your favorite colors, holiday sprinkles, or glitter to make them yours.
- Make ahead option: Similar to these red velvet cookies, they can be prepped in advance, making them perfect for busy holiday schedules.
- Deliciously festive: Shaped like christmas trees and topped with red and green sprinkles, these adorable treats will fit right in on any holiday dessert table alongside Christmas Oreo truffles.
What you'll need to make Copy Cat Little Debbie Christmas Snack Cakes
- Eggs: Whole eggs for the cake and egg whites for that fluffy buttercream filling.
- Sugar: White sugar works best for the cake and for the filling.
- Flour: Feel free to swap with a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour if you want to make these gluten free.
- Vanilla: Brings the flavors together, you'll need this for the cake and the frosting.
- Butter
- White Chocolate: For the glaze topping, feel free to use any type of chocolate you like.
- Sprinkles and toppings: I like red and green sprinkles, but you can get as creative as you'd like with the toppings.
Can I use a different filling?
Yes, you can swap out the Swiss Buttercream for for cream cheese frosting or even a whipped ganache for a deeper flavor. Feel free to make a chocolate buttercream if you're a chocolate lover.
How to make Christmas Tree Snack Cakes
The cake:
Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven and line a 9x13 with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
Mix the batter: Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and gently fold in the flour, being careful not to over mix.
Bake: Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Buttercream:
Whisk and heat: In a heat safe bowl, whisk egg whites and sugar over simmering water, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches about 160 degrees.
Whip: Transfer the egg and sugar mixture to a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form.
Add Butter: Gradually add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add in vanilla and salt to taste.
Assemble the snack cakes
Layer the Cake: Once the cake has cooled, slice it in half horizontally. Spread buttercream over one layer and place the second layer on top.
Cut Trees: Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out tree shapes. Freeze the shapes for 30 minutes or until they're firm.
Glaze and Decorate: Dip or drizzle white chocolate over the chilled cakes. Decorate with red and green sprinkles or icing before the white chocolate sets.
What can I use if I don’t have a tree-shaped cookie cutter?
You can freehand the Christmas trees with a knife or use any festive cutter you have on hand, like stars or gingerbread men.
Tips for making Christmas Snack Cakes
- Chill before cutting: For cleaner lines, you can chill or freeze your cake before cutting into Christmas trees. Make sure you're using a metal or sharp cookie cutter if using this method.
- Thin the white chocolate: For easier dipping, melt the white chocolate with 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter. This will help the chocolate harden as well as make it easier to decorate with. Similar to our white Chocolate christmas crack recipe.
- Decorate quickly: After dunking the snack cake in chocolate, make sure to decorate quickly before the chocolate dries. This way, the decorations stick on the cakes.
Storing and Make Ahead
How to store: Store the snack cakes in an airtight container or ziplock baggie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Make ahead option: The buttercream and cake layers can be made in advance and stored. Feel free to freeze the cake layers and buttercream for up to 3 months or store in the fridge for up to a day. If freezing, let come to room temperature then cut and decorate.
More Christmas Recipes You'll Love
- Frosted ginger cookies
- Homemade york peppermint patties
- Mini gingerbread houses
- Holiday cookie boxes
- Christmas wreath cookies
- Christmas cookie bars
35-Minute Christmas Tree Snack Cakes (Little Debbie Copycat Homemade)
Ingredients
For the cake
- 5 eggs
- 5 tablespoon sugar
- 5 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Swiss Buttercream Filling
- 5 egg whites
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White Chocolate glaze
- 10 ounces white chocolate
- Red and green icing sugar
Instructions
The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar until the eggs become light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract and flour and mix until incorporated.
- Be careful to not overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter on the prepared baking pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down.
The Filling
- Add the egg whites and the sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bowl should be over the steam, not touching water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160˚F (takes about 3 min). The sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between finger tips). Mixture will feel hot to the touch.
- Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form
- The bowl should be at room temperature so that it doesn't melt the butter.
- Once the bowl is at room temp, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed by meringue. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency.
Assemble:
- When you have the filling ready, start assembling the cake trees.
- Cut the cake in the middle to make two rectangles.
- Spread a generous amount of the filling on one of the rectangles and place the second rectangle on top of it.
- Using a tree cookie cutter cut out the cake.
- Place the cake trees in the freezer for 30min.
- Melt the white chocolate in a deeper bowl.Transfer to a small ziploc bag. Cut off the tip/corner and drizzle on top of each cake. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes to allow chocolate to set up.
- Decorate each cake with red and green icing sugar.
Notes
Tips for making Christmas Snack Cakes
- Chill before cutting: For cleaner lines, you can chill or freeze your cake before cutting into Christmas trees. Make sure you're using a metal or sharp cookie cutter if using this method.
- Thin the white chocolate: For easier dipping, melt the white chocolate with 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter. This will help the chocolate harden as well as make it easier to decorate with. Similar to our white Chocolate christmas crack recipe.
- Decorate quickly: After dunking the snack cake in chocolate, make sure to decorate quickly before the chocolate dries. This way, the decorations stick on the cakes.
Chandice Probst says
if you love the little Debbie snack cakes, you’re gonna love this homemade version! So much more delicious and not too hard to make…