Nutcracker Cake

image of a cute nutcracker cake frosted with homemade buttercream frosting

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5 from 4 ratings

This adorable nutcracker cake bakes up so fluffy and moist and is decorated with delicious homemade buttercream.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Additional Time30

Total Time1 35

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 20

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Chocolate Sheet Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar 550g
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 50g
1 Tbsp baking soda 18g
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
1/2 tsp fine salt 2g
1 1/2 cups hot water 360g
1 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee 6g
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 128g
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 225g
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 170g
3 large eggs, room temperature 168g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1/2 cup peanut butter 125g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
5 cups powdered sugar 625g
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 120g
Gel food coloring - Yellow, red, ivory, black

Decorations and Tools:

9 x 13-inch baking pan
Flower nails as heating cores
Small offset spatula
5 Small piping bags
5 Small, round piping tips like a Wilton 10

Instructions

Chocolate Sheet Cake:

First, make the chocolate sheet cake so it has time to cool. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a 9x13-inch (quarter sheet) pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
Place two flower nails / heating cores in the center of the pan, with the flat side resting flat against the cake pan. Make sure they are spaced a few inches apart and spray them thoroughly with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together. Set aside.
In a separate, large bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups hot water and 1 Tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup buttermilk, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla into the coffee mixture. Whisk together until smooth.
Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
Pour in the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk again until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan. Reposition the flower nails so that they’re evenly spaced across the pan, then bake for 50-55 minutes. Rotate your pan halfway through to help the cake bake evenly.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then carefully flip it out of the pan onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting:

While the cake bakes and cools, make the peanut butter buttercream frosting.
Beat 1 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of peanut butter on a medium speed for 2 minutes with a whisk attachment until smooth and fluffy. It should become lighter in color.
Add in 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix on low until combined.
Slowly mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar and 1/2 cup heavy cream on a low speed.
If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
Continue to mix on the lowest speed for a minute or two to help make the frosting super smooth.
Scoop 3/4 cup of frosting into a small piping bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Then it's time to color our frosting! Scoop 1/2 cup of buttercream into a small bowl and color it ivory with gel food coloring. Place the frosting in a small bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Next, scoop 1/4 cup of buttercream into a small bowl and color it yellow with gel food coloring. Place the frosting in a small bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Scoop 3/4 cup of buttercream into the same bowl and color it red with gel food coloring. Place the frosting in a small bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Then add 1 cup of buttercream into the bowl and color it black with gel food coloring. Place the frosting in a small bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Cover the remaining, uncolored frosting in the bowl flush with plastic wrap (to prevent crusting) or place in a large piping bag and set aside until you're ready to use it.

Decorating This Nutcracker Cake:

Once the sheet cake is fully cooled, carefully remove the heating cores and level the top of the cake with a serrated knife.
Use this template to cut the cake into the shape of a nutcracker. The template is a bit on the small side (limited to the size of a piece of printer paper) so I suggest trimming about an inch around the template. I recommend making chocolate peanut butter cakesicles or cake pops with the leftover cake trimmings. Or if you don't want to trim the cake, you can frost the entire sheet cake and use the template to trace the outline of the nutcracker.
Place the sheet cake on the rectangular cake board or platter you plan to use, then pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make it easier to frost (if you didn't already chill it before starting). I leave the cake uncovered when I chill it!
Once the cake is cold to the touch, cover it in a layer of peanut butter buttercream. Use a small offset spatula and a bench scraper or acetate sheet to get the frosting nice and smooth. I recommend covering the entire sheet cake (sides and top) with buttercream if you make this in advance to keep the cake nice and moist. However, if you make this shortly before you plan to eat it, you can just frost the top of the cake.
Then use a toothpick or scribe to trace out where you want to pipe the nutcracker's details. Use the white, black, yellow, red, and ivory frosting to add on the nutcracker's hat, face, coat, and pants like in the picture above. I started at the top of the nutcracker and added his hat first, then worked my way down to hit boots.
Then enjoy! This cake can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 days, be stored in the fridge for up to a week or be kept in the freezer for up to a month. I recommend storing it in an airtight container to keep it nice and fresh.

Video

Notes

Tips for Making the Best Nutcracker Cake:

Line your sheet pan with parchment paper to easily remove your cake once it's baked.
Use flower nails to help your sheet cake bake more evenly and quickly.
Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Chill the sheet cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it a lot easier to frost.
I used piping bags to decorate this cake, but you can also use Ziplock bags if you don't have piping bags! I recommend using the freezer type because they're a bit sturdier. Cut a 1 cm hole in the corner of each.
Make a vegan or dairy-free nutcracker cake if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy-free milk to replace the buttermilk, sour cream, and heavy cream, and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the eggs, I recommend using an egg replacer like this.

Making This Nutcracker Sheet Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the sheet cake in advance and freezing it. This breaks the process up and makes this recipe more approachable.

You can also make the frosting ahead of time 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.

In an airtight container, this cake can sit out at room temp for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Making this Nutcracker Cake in Different Sizes

You can also use this recipe to bake a 12x17-inch (half-sheet) cake pan, but the bake time will be shorter! Bake for about 25 minutes at 325°F/162°C.

If you want to make a nutcracker layer cake, I recommend baking 3, 8-inch cake layers at 350F / 175C for 32-35 minutes.

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