CHRISTMAS TREE INSIDE CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, and beat just until incorporated after each addition, about 1 minute total. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla until combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl using a flexible spatula.
• Whisk together flour and baking soda in a small bowl until combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 4 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition.
• Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with baking spray, and line with parchment paper, leaving a 3-inch overhang on long sides. Lightly coat parchment paper with baking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan using parchment paper overhang as handles, and transfer to wire rack; let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Prepare the Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat frosting until fluffy, adding lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.
• Measure 1 cup frosting into a small bowl, and set aside. Add 1 to 2 drops green food coloring gel to remaining frosting in mixing bowl; beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, adding additional gel if needed to reach desired shade of green.
• Assemble the Cake: Place cake on a platter. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into a triangular Christmas tree shape. Cut cake scraps into a tree trunk base and assorted-size presents. Frost top and sides of Christmas tree with green-dyed frosting. Attach cake base; frost base top and sides with green-dyed frosting.
• Sprinkle cake base with gold sugar pearls to completely cover top and sides. Sprinkle Christmas tree lightly with white sparkling sugar. Decorate cake with red decorating gel to resemble a light string. Attach green chewy candy halves to top of peanut candy pieces, pressing lightly to adhere to candy. Attach assembled candy lights to red string to resemble Christmas lights. Randomly press candy stars onto tree to resemble decorations.
• Frost top and sides of cake presents with reserved undyed white frosting. Pipe bows and ribbons onto presents using red and green decorating gel.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in top third and bottom third positions. Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and 3 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray. Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Spoon about 2 1/2 cups batter into each 8-inch pan and about 1 1/3 cups batter into each 6-inch pan.
• Place all cake pans in preheated oven, evenly spaced on racks and without touching. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cake layers comes out clean, 24 to 26 minutes for 6-inch pans and 26 to 28 minutes for 8-inch pans. Let cake layers cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Tightly wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap; freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated and smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, salt, and food coloring; beat until well combined. Add additional blue or yellow food coloring until desired color. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
• Remove cake layers from freezer, and unwrap. Using a serrated knife, gently slice and remove the domed top from each cake layer, leaving 1 (6-inch) cake untrimmed (still domed). Place 1 of the 8-inch cake layers on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, spread top of cake layer with about 1/2 cup frosting, spreading to edges. Top with remaining 8-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer.
• Place 1 of the trimmed 6-inch cake layers in center of cake stack on cake plate; spread top with about 1/3 cup frosting, spreading to edges. Top with remaining trimmed 6-inch cake layer; repeat frosting layer. Top with domed 6-inch cake layer.
• Using a serrated knife, carve cake stack into a cone shape, starting at the top center of the top cake layer and cutting downward with the knife pointed outward at a 30-degree angle, carving around all sides of cake stack and leaving bottom layer mostly uncut. Discard cake scraps, or reserve for another use.
• Using an offset spatula, spread a smooth, thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup) around all sides of cone-shaped cake. Chill cake, uncovered, until frosting is dry to the touch, about 30 minutes. (Let remaining frosting stand at room temperature until ready to use.)
• Spoon remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Starting at base of cake, pipe a ring of quarter-sized dollops of frosting around cake. Repeat piping directly above first ring. Repeat until entire cake is covered. Decorate cake with chocolate pieces and popcorn. Store cake, loosely covered, in a cool, dark place up to 2 days, or in refrigerator up to 1 week.