Christmas Lights Cake

5 from 4 rating

Christmas Lights Cake

This Christmas lights cake is perfect for the holidays! It's a super easy cake design, all you need is your favorite cake recipe, some green buttercream and almond M&Ms!

Prep Time15

Cook Time33

Additional Time20

Total Time1 8

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 235ml
1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature 380g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8ml
gel food coloring if desired

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4ml
1 tsp almond extract 4ml
1 tsp fine salt 6 grams
7 cups powdered sugar 904g
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 80g
green gel food coloring

Decorations

Small piping bag
1 large bag of almond M&Ms

Recommend Tools

Instructions

Ombre Vanilla Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 8" pans or four 7" pans with parchment rounds and non-stick baking spray.
Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Mix in 1 cup of unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks crumbly.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in 1 1/2 cups sour cream in two installments, on a low speed.
Add in 2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix at a low speed until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then mix on a low speed for a few more seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
If you want to color the layers in an ombre fashion, add a small squirt of green gel food coloring in the bowl and stir just until evenly colored. Scoop out about 2 1/2 cups or 440 grams of batter into one of the pans. Repeat 3 more times, creating increasingly deeper colored cake batter as you add in more gel food coloring.
Bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the pans to cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers before you plan to assemble your cake. If you're making these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the buttercream frosting.
Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes with a paddle attachment, until smooth. It should become slightly lighter in color.
Mix in 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of almond extract, and 1 tsp salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through add in 1/3 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
Continue to mix on low speed for a few minutes, until the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
Cover the frosting with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

Assembling This Christmas Lights Cake:

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cakeboard or flat plate, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board. Start with the darkest cake layer and work your way up to the lightest.
Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake, fully covering the cake layers.
Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Place 1/2 cup of the buttercream into a small bowl use green gel food coloring to color it a deep green. Place in a small piping bag and seal the top with a rubber band or clip. Cut a small hole (1/4 inch or 1/2 cm) in the tip of the bag and set aside.
Color the remaining frosting a light shade of green with a drop of green gel food coloring. Cover the cake in a thick layer of light green frosting, then smooth with a bench scraper and small offset spatula. Chill the cake again in the the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Pipe squiggly lines around the cake, to look like the wiring of a strand of Christmas lights. Pipe all the way around the cake, and then pipe a squiggly circle on top of the cake.
Pipe small circles beneath the line every 2 inches, to connect the almond M&M Christmas lights to piped strand.
Use a small spoon to scoop out a tiny bit of frosting beneath each piped dot. This helps create a little pocket to nestle each M&M in. It also helps the M&Ms stay in place and reduces how far they stick off the side of the cake.
Carefully press each almond M&M into the frosting. If you can, try to alternate colors in the same pattern around the cake. Then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips for Making the Best Christmas Lights Cake

Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better.
Don't level your cake layers until they are completely cooled.
Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.
Be sure to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream! You need the high fat content to create the right consistency in this recipe. Milk cannot be used in place of the cream.

Making This Christmas Lights Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

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