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.

Ugly Sweater Cake on a platter.
Want to save this recipe?

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.

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: 

Ingredients for Ugly Sweater Cake - cake mix, candy, frosting 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

Baked cake on wax paper on the counter.

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.

Mixing bowl with butter being creamed.

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

Powdered Sugar combined with butter in a mixing bowl.

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.

Three separate bowls with frosting in red, white and green.

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. 

Green frosting on top and sides of cake.

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

White icing piped down the middle to form the v-neck shape.

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.  

Ugly Sweater Cake on a platter with candy added.

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

Ugly Sweater Cake on a platter with candy toppings.

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

Ugly Sweater Cake on a platter.

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

How to store the cake?

Refrigerate the leftovers, covered, for up to 4-5 days.

More Cute Christmas Desserts to try:

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

5 from 2 votes
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.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Let Cool 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 20
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Calories 454

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
Want to save this?
Just enter your email and I’ll send it right to you, plus great new recipes weekly!

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!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftovers, covered, for up to 4-5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 454kcal, Carbohydrates 58g, Protein 2g, Fat 25g, Saturated Fat 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 8g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 41mg, Sodium 189mg, Potassium 24mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 47g, Vitamin A 482IU, Vitamin C 0.1mg, Calcium 75mg, Iron 1mg

Pin This Now to Remember It Later

Pin Recipe

Try these other recipes

Share this recipe!

PinYummly

About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Desserts on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you create delicious desserts on a budget and do not require a ton of time. Together, we are going to make something sweet that the entire family will love!

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave A Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating