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+ servings
A cake decorated with candy canes and candy.
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5 from 2 votes

Ugly Sweater Cake

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 Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Let Cool15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ugly Sweater Cake
Servings: 20
Calories: 454kcal

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 1/4 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!

Notes

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

Nutrition

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
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