Transform a plain cake into this festive Ugly Christmas Sweater Cake. With an assortment of candy and pantry items, this recipe is super easy and so fun.

Get the party started with this Ugly Sweater Cake. It is so much fun to decorate and looks festive on the dessert table.
Christmas Desserts don’t have to be complicated and this cake is a great example. As a busy mom, I only make simple recipes.
Another easy cake for the holidays is this Christmas Jello Poke Cake.
Table of Contents
Why we love this recipe
- Quick and Easy. The recipe starts with a cake mix.
- Festive for parties. Make this cake for your annual ugly sweater party.
- Loaded with candy topping. The cake is colorful thanks to the candy and tasty too.
Ingredients:

For the Cake:
- Box White Cake Mix
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- Powdered Sugar
- Clear Vanilla Extract
- Red Food Color
- Green Food Color
Decorations:
- Small Peppermint Candies
- M&Ms
- Miniature Candy Canes
- Christmas Sprinkles
- Gum Drop Candies
- Pull N Peel Twizzlers
- Mini Marshmallows
- Mike and Ike Candies
- Miniature Candy Canes
Jump to recipe and find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Additions
- Store bought frosting. If you don’t want to make homemade icing, substitute store bought instead.
- Cake Flavor. You can use any flavor you love. Some ideas to try include yellow cake, red velvet, chocolate cake and more.
Step by step instructions

Step 1. First, bake the cake according to the box instructions. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes and remove from the baking pan. Place cake on a platter.

Step 2. While the cake is cooling, cream butter until it’s light and fluffy with an electric mixer.

Step 3. Slowly mix the powdered sugar into the butter mixture using low speed. Do this gradually and then stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Combine until smooth.

Step 4. Separate the frosting with a spoon. Save about ¼ of the icing from the large bowl in a separate bowl. Dye the remaining frosting green with the food coloring.
Then separate the frosting removed from the bowl into 2 smaller bowls. Dye one bowl red and leave the other one white.

Step 5. Carefully spread the green frosting on the top and the sides of the cake. It should be completely covered.

Step 6. Use a piping bag with a star tip and fill with the white frosting. Then pipe a V-neck shape at the top of the cake and a thick line down the center of the cake.

Step 7. Add a line of red frosting down the center.

Step 8. Finally, use the candies and Christmas sprinkles to decorate each section of the sweater differently. This makes the cake unique.

Pro Tips
- Allow the cake to cool completely. Make sure the cake is cool before spreading the frosting on the cake top.
- Use an offset spatula for the frosting. This will make it easier to smooth the top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerate the leftovers, covered, for up to 4-5 days.
More Cute Christmas Desserts to try:
- Christmas Dirt Cups Recipe
- Christmas Ice Cream Cake
- Festive Christmas Cake Pops
- Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
- Christmas Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Make this fun and unique Ugly Sweater Cake today. Come back and leave a comment and star recipe rating once you make it.
Ugly Sweater Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box White Cake Mix
- Ingredients to make the cake based on the package instructions.
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla Extract
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- Red Gel Food Coloring
- Green Gel Food Coloring
For the Decorations:
- 5 Small Peppermint Candies
- M&Ms
- Miniature Candy Canes
- Christmas Sprinkles
- Gum Drop Candies
- Pull N Peel Twizzlers
- Mini Marshmallows
- Mike and Ike Candies
- Miniature Candy Canes
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Bake the cake based on the package instructions in a 9X13 baking pan.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a cake board or cutting board on top of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto the board.
- Let the cake cool completely before topping with the frosting.
For the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until it’s creamy, light and fluffy with an electric mixer.
- Gradually mix the powdered sugar into the butter mixture ½ cup at a time. Make sure that the powdered sugar is completely mixed in before adding more.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute until the frosting is a good consistency.
- Remove approximately ¼ of the icing from the large bowl. Dye the remaining frosting green with the food coloring.
- Separate the frosting removed from the bowl into 2 smaller bowls. Dye one bowl red and leave the other one white.
- Spread the green frosting onto the top and the sides of the cake until fully covered.
- Place the white frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Then pipe a V-neck shape at the top of the cake and a thick line down the center of the cake.
- Use the red frosting to pipe 2 horizontal lines on both sides of the thick white line in the center of the cake.
- Use the candies and Christmas sprinkles to decorate each section of the sweater differently to make the cake wacky and unique.
- Then the cake is ready to slice, serve and enjoy!