A show-stopping centrepiece for the festive season
Another weekend, another cake creation in the run-up to Christmas! Last weekend, I made a batch of Mini Gingerbread Honey Cakes and they were such a hit that I couldn’t wait to get back into the kitchen to make something equally festive but a little more dramatic. I know I’m not alone in loving the combination of red and green colours that define this magical season. That’s why this Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake has quickly become one of my favourite Christmas bakes.
The rich red velvet sponge layered with luscious cream cheese frosting in white and green makes it look as festive as it tastes. Just the thought of it was enough to get me up early on Saturday morning to start baking.
When I first shared a photo of my Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake, I received so many “wows”! It truly makes a stunning centrepiece and a real crowd-pleaser, yet surprisingly, it’s quite simple to put together. Stacking and decorating it feels just like trimming a real Christmas tree, especially with my daughter helping me pipe the frosting and add the finishing touches. She was absolutely overjoyed when she saw the finished cake!
Planning the perfect Christmas tree shape
The most important step in making a Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake is planning the structure. Decide how tall you want your tree to be and choose your cake tins accordingly. I used 10″, 8″, 6″ and 4″ cake tins plus an extra 4″ layer from which I cut a 2″ round using a biscuit cutter for the top tier.
To achieve that beautiful tapered tree shape, I recommend using cake tins that are 2″ apart in size. You can create a smaller version by omitting the bottom layer or use odd-number tins (such as 9″, 7″, 5″, 3″) for a slightly different proportion.
Fool-proof red velvet sponge
Since this cake is quite tall, I doubled the ingredients quantities from my standard two-layer 8″ Red Velvet Cake Recipe. Once your batter is ready, grease and line the tins, then divide the mixture evenly between them. Bake at 160°C and start checking at the 30-35 minute mark – smaller cakes will cook faster, so remove those first as soon as a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Continue baking the rest for another few minutes as needed. Keep checking every 3 minutes or so.
This Red Velvet Cake Recipe always gives a soft, velvety crumb and a deep red colour. This base works perfectly for the Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake because it’s sturdy enough to stack yet still wonderfully moist. You will find the detailed recipe in the recipe card below for your convenience.
The best cream cheese frosting
For this special cake, I made slightly firmer frosting by replacing the double cream in my usual recipe with butter – it makes the texture more stable for stacking and decorating. I used this frosting for my Mini Gingerbread Honey Cakes last weekend and instantly fell in love with its smooth, creamy texture.
To make the frosting, beat unsalted butter (at room temperature) with icing sugar on medium-high speed for about five minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the soft cheese and vanilla extract then beat for another couple of minutes until smooth and combined. For a festive touch, set aside a small portion of the frosting and tint it with green food colouring gel.
Assembling your Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake
Before stacking, make sure each cake layer is levelled evenly, this ensures your tree stands tall and straight.
- Place the largest cake layer on your serving board or cake stand.
- Stack the next layer on top, centring it carefully, then use a skewer to trace around it.
- Remove the layer that you just traced around, pipe cream to fill inside the traced line, smooth it neatly and place the cake layer back on top.
- Repeat with the remaining layers, checking that the cake stays level after each tier.
Once stacked, use a star-nozzle to pipe decorative borders around each tier. I used my green frosting to add a swirl on the top layer and pipe stars around the cake, then finished with glazed cherries around the edges for a pop of colour. Finally, dust the cake with icing sugar for a beautiful snow-kissed effect and crown your masterpiece with a glittering star topper.
Serving and sharing
This Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake doesn’t just look impressive, it tastes incredible too. Every bite delivers the perfect balance of moist, velvety sponge and smooth cream cheese frosting. It’s truly the taste of Christmas on a plate.
The full cake can serve around 24-30 people, making it perfect for large family gatherings or festive parties. But if you’d like to gift part of it, here’s a fun idea: slice the cake in half vertically with a long knife to create two half-trees. Gently transfer one half onto a cake board – it looks like a beautiful 3D Christmas tree picture, perfect for gifting to loved ones.
Final thoughts
The Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake is not only a show-stopping festive dessert but also a joyful baking experience to share with family. Whether you make it as a centrepiece for your Christmas party or as a gift for someone special, it’s sure to bring smiles and festive cheer to everyone who sees it.
So, what do you think? Should I bake this one again for my daughter’s class or the Mini Gingerbread Honey Cakes? Tough choice!
Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake
Description
This Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake is a true Christmas showstopper — soft red velvet sponge stacked into a tree shape, layered with smooth cream cheese frosting in white and green, and finished with glazed cherries and a dusting of icing sugar snow. Festive, elegant, and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
For the red velvet sponge
For the frosting
Instructions
-
Make the cake batter
- In a large jug, mix all the wet ingredients until well combined.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add all dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Gradually pour in the wet mixture while the mixer is running.
- Once combined, increase speed to medium-high and mix for 1 minute until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
-
Prepare the cake layers
- Grease and line cake tins in sizes 10", 8", 6", 4" (and an extra 4" for cutting at a 2" top piece).
- Divide the batter evenly and bake at 160°C, checking from 30 minutes onwards.
-
Make the frosting
- Beat butter and icing sugar for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add soft cheese and vanilla, then mix until smooth.
- Tint a small portion green.
-
Stack and level
- Level each cake layer when they are all completely cool.
- Place the largest cake on a board or cake stand, trace around the next smaller layer with a skewer, remove it, pipe frosting inside the traced line, smooth it and place the layer back on top.
- Repeat, ensuring each tier is level before stacking the next.
-
Decorate
- Using a star nozzle, pipe white and green frosting around each layer and add glazed cherries.
- Pipe a swirl of green frosting on top of the top layer.
- Dust with icing sugar and top with a festive star.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 30
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 568.26kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 35.72g55%
- Saturated Fat 17.09g86%
- Trans Fat 0.06g
- Cholesterol 98.72mg33%
- Sodium 322.54mg14%
- Potassium 91.07mg3%
- Total Carbohydrate 54.07g19%
- Dietary Fiber 0.71g3%
- Sugars 32.04g
- Protein 9.14g19%
- Vitamin A 252.94 mcg
- Vitamin C 0 mg
- Calcium 195.7 mg
- Iron 2.22 mg
- Vitamin D 0.45 mcg
- Vitamin E 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K 2.32 mcg
- Thiamin 0.25 mg
- Riboflavin 0.28 mg
- Niacin 1.86 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.04 mg
- Folate 23.57 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.41 mcg
- Phosphorus 164.54 mg
- Magnesium 16.89 mg
- Zinc 1.22 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Chill the frosting slightly before piping for neater swirls.
- Always level your cakes to keep the tree straight.
- The cake can be cut vertically into two halves to create two smaller Christmas tree cakes for gifting.
