Last year we made a DIY Christmas light sweater and this year we turned that idea into an ugly Christmas sweater cake — in pink, because we’re having a very pink Christmas! The base is simply a 9×13″ cake decorated to look like a cozy vintage sweater. It’s easy to make and totally customizable: change the colors, add different patterns, or replicate your favorite 1980s holiday knitwear.
Ugly Christmas Sweater Cake
Ingredients
- Box mix or your favorite vanilla cake recipe
- Buttercream in white, light pink, and black
- Piping bags and round piping tips (small and medium)
- Patterned paper towel (for texture)
- Gumballs (for light bulbs)
Instructions
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Bake a 9×13″ cake using a box mix or your preferred vanilla recipe. Allow it to cool completely.
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Use a serrated knife to round the cake’s corners so the shape looks more like a sweater.
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Cut a shallow triangle (about 1/2″ deep) from the top center edge to form a V-neck.
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Frost the entire cake with light pink buttercream. Chill for about 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
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To create sweater texture, press a patterned paper towel gently against the chilled buttercream and rub lightly. This smooths the icing and transfers the pattern over the top and sides.
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With white buttercream in a piping bag and a medium round tip, pipe the collar around the V-neck and a straight seam down the center front to mimic a button-up sweater.
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Pipe light pink buttons along the white seam. Flatten each button gently with a fingertip dipped in water for a neat finish.
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Place black buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe thin, random lines across the cake to resemble light cords.
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Attach gumballs along the cord to serve as the light bulbs.
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Use a bit of black frosting to pipe small squares where the cord meets each gumball to make the bulbs look connected to the string.
You can even present the cake in a shirt box to mimic a real ugly sweater — a fun and playful way to serve it at holiday gatherings.
More Christmas Recipes
- How To Make Santa Hat Cupcakes
- Tie Dye Yule Log Cake
- Technicolor Christmas Tree Cookie Bars
- DIY Pink Gingerbread Car
- Funfetti Sugar Cookie House
- DIY Reindeer + Snowman Ice Cream Cones
Photos by Jeff Mindell | Recipe by Theresa Rountree | Video by Rachel Kivlahan
Using patterned paper towels to add sweater texture is a brilliant, simple trick from Theresa. I love that these DIY cakes start from a basic pan and become something playful with only a few decorating steps. Make one for your next holiday party — it’s an easy showstopper!
P.S. If you enjoy these, try our Christmas present cakes idea for another festive dessert.