Christmas Chocolate Tree Cakes
Let it snow!
Posted By Savita
Sharing with you easy Christmas Chocolate Tree Cakes recipe.
Holiday Season is almost here and I am bringing some holidays cheers with Sugar Snow covered Chocolate Tree Cakes. These cakes sing Christmas times to me. I was humming this song all the time while taking these picture - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...
Isn't it these trees remind of Christmas? First The Christmas tree, then snow, then chocolate cake, and then aroma of baking, pure holiday joy!
In-fact, I bought this cup cake molds just for this recipe last year..... but my not-so-sweet-tooth took me 12 months to get to bake these treats. I still had to convince my stubborn mind and ended up using 70% unbleached, raw date sugar instead of all white sugar for this recipe, which makes this cake slightly less sweet, but taste it spot-on. Also, drizzle of chocolate frosting on the top makes up to little-less-sweet taste of cakes perfectly. If I make these cakes again, I will still use date sugar/honey, but you can use all white sugar for a sweeter version of this cake.
If you are not able to find tree-shaped molds, then make a sheet cake using this batter. Divide it into square pieces or cut using a deep, tree-shaped cookie cutter.
These cakes make an excellent Holiday Gift and are also great for a bake sale. For gifting, buy some deep cookie boxes and gift some sweet holiday joy to your family and friends. You can also decorate these cakes with colorful, store-bought frosting.
Happy baking and happy Holidays in advance!
Few more ideas for Holidays Gift From Kitchen:
Ingredients
- Christmas Tree Cakes
- 1.5 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened, such as Hershey's)
- 1.5 Cup Sugar (1 Cup Date Sugar + 1/2 Cup White Sugar, or use all white sugar)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Butter Milk
- 2 Egg(s)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Water
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (1.5 sticks)
- Chocolate Drizzle and Dusting
- 1/4 Cup Pistachio (unsalted, roasted pistachios, small chopped)
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
- 1/2 Cup Sugar (powdered, plus 2 tbsp for dusting, and some rainbow sprinkles)
- 1 tbsp Milk
Directions
- 1. Chocolate Tree Cakes - Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour sheet pan (if making a sheet cake) and set aside or if using silicon molds then use as-is, no coating needed. In a saucepan, bring butter, water, and cocoa powder to a boil and then remove from heat. Whisk to mix cocoa in water-butter mix.
-
2. In a bowl, whisk to combine date sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, and flour. -
3. In a small bowl beat buttermilk, vanilla extract, slightly cooled water-butter mix, and eggs, then add to dry ingredients. Use a spatula to combine everything to a smooth batter using gentle strokes. -
4. Spoon the mixture in 12 tree-shaped molds or spread in sheet pan. -
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until cake is springy to touch and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer cakes to a cooling rack. -
6. Chocolate Drizzle - While cakes are cooling, in a saucepan, melt butter, add milk and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let it cool down. Then whisk in powdered sugar. -
7. If using tree molds, cut the uneven top layer of all cakes to have a stable smooth base. Additional Notes:
Hint - Don't let cut-outs go waste.I made two, after-dinner, cake-in-jar treats with some whipped cream, leftover chocolate drizzle, and some sweet cherries. -
8. To glaze, place cooled cakes on a sheet pan. Dust cakes with powdered sugar, then pipe chocolate drizzle on cakes in any fashion you like. I only added a touch of drizzle in nooks and spots generated by mold, but drizzle is sufficient for a smooth even coating. Top it with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately or let sit in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set the chocolate.
Savita's Recipe Notes:
Christmas Tree Cakes make great Holiday Gift from Kitchen and are also great for bake sale.
© Chef De Home. Post content including video and photos are copyright protected.