Christmas Tree Cake

By Wollygator

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 (10-oz.) bag marshmallows
• 1 (16-oz.) can plus 1 cup vanilla frosting, divided
• Green and yellow food coloring
• 1 waffle ice cream cone
• 1 cup pearlized chocolate balls (such as Sixlets)
• 1 large green gum ball

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 359 degrees. Grease aand flour a 4-cup and a 2-cup glass measuring cup.

2. Make cake mix according to package directions, but substitute buttermilk for water. Pour 2 cups batter into smaller cup. Pour remaining batter into larger cup.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes for smaller cup and 50 minutes for larger cup. Cool on a rack 10 minutes. Invert out of cups; let cool..

4. Meanwhile, put sugar in a large bowl. Working over bowl, cut each marshmallow crosswise into 5 slices with scissors. (Wash scissors occasionally, if sticky.) Toss to coat in sugar. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Spoon 1/2 cup frosting into a zip-top freezer bag; seal. Tint remaining frosting with green and yellow food coloring.

6. Stack cakes (see below).

7. Starting at base, spread green frosting over bottom four inches of cake. Working quickly, press marshmallow pieces into frosting, in overlapping rows around cake. Repeat, adding more frosting and marshmallows to cover cake and cone.

Snip a small corner from bag of frosting. Pipe dots of frosting all over cake; press on chocolate balls. Use tip of a small knife to make a hole in gum all. Add a dot of frosting and stick on top.


Assembly of cake:

1. Put larger cake, wider end down, on a cardboard circle or plate. Top with green frosting. Put smaller cake on top, wider end down. Freeze until firm.

2. Top with green frosting; affix waffle cone to form top of tree.