Quick: Picture Christmas cake recipes for me.
Are you imagining elaborately decorated, insanely decadent, over-the-top confections?
Honestly, you’re not far off the mark. Think gorgeous holiday party desserts, and you’ve got it!
30 Show-Stopping Cake Recipes for Christmas
Whether we celebrate Christmas as a religious or secular holiday, we all go overboard.
That’s part of why it was so easy to find 30 Christmas cake recipes for this list. I’ve pulled together a wide variety.
So, expect everything from light to decadent, simple to intricately designed. No matter your tastes, there are plenty of Christmas cakes here for you.
1. Holiday Peppermint Cake
It’s hard to find a more festive dessert – both in appearance and taste – than this holiday peppermint cake.
It tastes like sweet candy canes and looks like one giant piece of peppermint. Just look at all the crushed-up candy canes on top of the frosting! Gorgeous!
It’s ridiculously tasty and perfectly appropriate for the season.
2. Upside-Down Winter Citrus Cake
The upside-down winter citrus cake is one of the most stunning cakes I’ve ever seen. But you won’t need any fancy decorating skills to make it.
All the beauty and color come from the fruit.
You’ll need blood oranges, navel oranges, and tangelos for various colors. Plus, you’ll still need all your standard baking ingredients.
The cake is easy to make and has a bright, citrusy flavor everyone will appreciate.
3. Yule Log Cake
Yule log cakes are pretty standard holiday treats, and they’re unbelievably easy to make. If you can make a pumpkin roll, you can make this cake.
The processes are very similar. Of course, once you’ve made the yule log cake, you’ll ice it to make it look like an actual log.
Don’t worry; that’s not hard either. It’s also a lot of fun, so enlist your littles to help!
4. Orange Slice Cake
The orange slice cake is simple and flavorful, requiring no decorating and minimal work.
It’s packed with sweet orange and coconut flavors and features chopped pecans for crunch.
It makes a wonderful Christmas cake, but it also tastes great as a breakfast pastry.
5. Cranberry Christmas Cake
If you’re looking for a Christmas cake that perfectly walks the line between sweet and tart, cranberry Christmas cake is it.
You’ll make it with eight simple ingredients. It’s moist, dense, powdery, and crumbly.
Each sweet-and-tangy bite will practically melt on your tongue.
6. White Christmas Sparkle Cake
The white Christmas cake is a gorgeous, elegant cake that’s ideal for any formal holiday occasion.
The ingredients list is a bit long, and it takes about 2 hours. But honestly, it’s worth it.
It’s three layers of light, fluffy cake, cream cheese frosting, and sugared cranberries. Seriously? What’s not to love?
7. Gingerbread Cake
If you’ve ever had it, you know precisely how good gingerbread is.
Now, imagine that rich, spicy flavor but with cream cheese icing and salted caramel sauce on top!
It tastes just as good as you’d imagine it would.
Plus, the caramel sauce adds a bit of moisture to the sometimes dry gingerbread. It makes the cake softer and lighter.
8. Christmas Cookie Cake
If the goal for your holiday party is a Christmas cake that looks fantastic, I’ve got you! This Christmas cookie cake is just the thing.
Luckily, it also tastes great. It’s like a supremely chocolatey chocolate chip cookie with additional icing for extra sweetness.
And that design!! A bright green Christmas wreath complete with snow, berries, and a bow! Stunning!
9. Chocolate Cake
If pure holiday decadence is more your style, you’ll want to try this Hershey’s chocolate cake.
It might not look super festive, but it’s melt-in-your-mouth soft and 100% chocolatey deliciousness.
It’s simple to make, too, taking only 15 minutes to prepare and another half hour to cook.
After that, you can easily jazz it up with all kinds of fun decorations!
10. Chocolate Mint Cake
Are you an Andes Mints kind of person? A Thin Mint fan? Mint chocolate chip ice cream lover?
If so, you’ll love this cake. Of course, it’s so delicious that you’ll probably love it even if you answered no.
It’s sweet and decadent with a refreshing minty finish. And like most cakes on this list, it’s too gorgeous for words.
11. Bacardi Rum Cake
Rum cake is like a mix between Bundt cake and pound cake. But it’s juicier and sweeter than both, thanks to the butter-rum glaze.
You’ll make that sauce with four simple ingredients: butter, water, sugar, and rum.
This is one cake that doesn’t need any icing, powdered sugar, or anything else. It’s rich and decadent enough as is.
12. Cranberry Coconut Cake
Love coconut cake but don’t find it festive enough for Christmas? Try adding a sugared cranberry filling between each layer.
It gives it a tarter finish and adds a bright splash of holiday red in every bite. It’s pretty, tasty, and not too difficult to make.
As long as your friends don’t have a problem with coconut, they’ll dig it.
13. Carrot Cake
Ah, carrot cake. It may not be one of the most festive Christmas cakes. Still, I don’t know very many people who don’t love its delightful spicy flavor.
And this one also has its moist fluffiness going for it. It’ll also make your whole kitchen smell like cinnamon and brown sugar while baking.
It’s phenomenal.
14. White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
Who can resist a silky, flavorful cheesecake on a crumbly Oreo crust? Not me!
And that’s BEFORE you add all the peppermint, vanilla, whipped cream, and mousse.
I love everything about this festive, indulgent cheesecake. It’s beautiful, it’s delicious, and it features a striking appearance that’s sure to turn heads.
Make it the centerpiece of your holiday dessert table.
15. Chestnut Chocolate Chip Cake
This relatively straightforward cake requires only eight ingredients and just over an hour to make.
Thanks to the sweetened chestnut puree, it has a bold, nutty flavor that’s perfect for Christmas.
The addition of dark chocolate chips makes it richer and sweeter.
They’re also a pleasant surprise for anyone who isn’t suspecting to bite into chocolate in this otherwise unassuming cake.
16. Applesauce Cake
It doesn’t get much more comforting than this nostalgic, spiced applesauce cake.
You may remember your gramma making these for you at Christmas. Now, with this recipe, you can make your own.
It’s a dense, hearty cake you can serve for dessert, breakfast, or a mid-day snack.
17. Eggnog Cheesecake
Eggnog cheesecake is the epitome of easy Christmas cakes.
It starts with a simple graham cracker crust. Then, it combines brown sugar, cream cheese, eggnog, rum extract, and yummy warm spices.
It’s lovely, simple to make, and doesn’t even require any cooking!
It’s rich, creamy, and wonderfully festive — just like the eggnog you’ll use to make it.
18. Candy Cane Layered Cake
Are you looking for a cake that looks like it came straight from Mrs. Claus’ kitchen? This cake is it!
It consists of four layers of vanilla cake with mint buttercream frosting between each one. But the delectableness doesn’t stop there!
You’ll also frost the entire thing in cream cheese frosting and top it with plenty of crushed and whole candy canes.
It’s a charming confection straight out of Candyland.
19. Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake
Chocolate Bundt cakes are already yummy enough. But mixing in Kahlua and dusting it with confectioners’ sugar dials it up another notch.
This sinfully sweet cake is impossible to resist. (Unless you’re a chocolate hater, that is!) Most of us, though, are powerless to say no.
Serve it with some Baileys hot chocolate for an extra bit of indulgence.
20. Orange Crush Pound Cake
This dense, crumbly cake is basically a jazzed-up pound cake. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it’s true.
You’ll infuse regular pound cake with an entire can of Orange Crush soda. That makes it much lighter and juicier than traditional pound cake.
It also gives it a phenomenal orange citrus flavor that’s out of this world.
21. Black Forest Cake
I can’t think of a single cake that’s more elegant, sophisticated, gorgeous, and self-indulgent than black forest cake.
Ask me tomorrow, and I may tell you something different. But for now, black forest cake is THE Christmas cake for me.
I love everything about it – its taste, its appearance, even its aroma. There’s nothing about it that isn’t just shy of perfect.
22. Ugly Sweater Cake
This cake is another one that I adore, but for a different reason. It’s just so much fun to make.
You can go crazy with it. Make it as ridiculous or cute as you like.
Follow the recipe or adjust it to make up your own design. The most important part is to enjoy yourself while making (and eating) it.
23. Atomic Cake
From the outside, the atomic cake just looks like a round cake covered in whipped cream.
That’s because all the exciting stuff is happening beneath the surface.
All that whipped cream hides a lot of yumminess. Including three different cake layers, fresh bananas and strawberries, and three different Jello puddings.
It’s cool, creamy, and fruity. It’s like a banana split without the ice cream.
24. Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Move over, sweet potato casserole! Sweet potatoes have found a new dessert, and it’s on point!
This sweet potato pound cake is buttery, rich, and earthy sweet. The sticky-sweet orange glaze also adds another depth of flavor.
In short, this dessert is comfort food at its finest. You may not have tried it yet, but you’re about to love it.
25. Oreo Cheesecake
Here’s an excellent no-bake cheesecake that you can use to help lighten your Christmas cooking load.
It takes 15 minutes to pull together. You’ll only need Oreos, butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and Cool Whip.
Just make sure you let it chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving it.
26. Cranberry Orange Olive Oil Cake
Have some party guests with a gluten intolerance? Don’t force them to skip dessert. Make them this beautiful, gluten-free cake instead.
It’s wonderfully festive with a bright, zesty, citrus-meets-cranberry flavor. It’s also quick and easy to make.
From start to finish, it takes just 40 minutes. Your friends will love you — the gluten-free and non-gluten-free ones alike.
27. Hot Chocolate Cake
Unless you’ve tried this cake already, you’ll probably never believe that hot chocolate is its key ingredient.
It’s what creates such a moist, light, and fluffy cake. It’s so spectacular – and so chocolatey! – that it’s almost fudgy.
So, if you have chocolate addicts anywhere in your house, beware! They’ll go crazy for this tasty cake.
28. No-Bake Philadelphia Cheesecake
I believe in making things as easy as possible whenever you can. Here’s another recipe to help you do that.
This easy-to-make, no-bake cheesecake is ready in just 10 minutes. (Though it’ll need 4 hours to chill.)
You’ll also only need five ingredients to make it (six if you want a pie-filling topping). Easy peasy, nice, and breezy!
29. Sticky Toffee Pudding Bundt Cake
The name of this cake tells you pretty much everything you need to know. It’s sticky. It’s toffee-flavored. It’s a Bundt cake.
If they had added the words “moist” and “delicious” into the description, it would have been perfect.
30. Snickerdoodle Coffee Cake
Finally, this cake is perfect for those looking for the ideal Christmas breakfast cake.
It’s filling but not heavy and has the perfect combination of vanilla sweetness and cinnamon spice.
It tastes unbelievably good with a cup of hot coffee. It’ll help you get your Christmas morning started off right.
30 Best Christmas Cake Recipes
18
servings30
minutes4
hours675
kcalDon’t know which stunning dessert to make for Christmas? You can never go wrong with this traditional British Christmas cake.
Ingredients
- For the cake
3 cups dried currants
2 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 1/2 cups glacé cherries, halved, rinsed, and thoroughly dried
1 tablespoon candied ginger, chopped
1/2 cups brandy (+ more for “feeding”)
1 1/4 cups salted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoons molasses
3 ounces almonds (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- For the covering
2 -3tablespoons apricot jam
1 tablespoon warm water
1 (8-ounce) package marzipan
- For the royal icing
6 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, sifted with the sugar
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon lemon juice
(optional) sugared cherries or cranberries (for decorating)
Instructions
- For the cake
- Combine the currants, golden raisins, raisins, glacé cherries, and candied ginger in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Pour in the brandy. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the fruit soak in the brandy overnight or up to 3 days. If soaking for multiple days, stir at least once or twice daily.
- When the fruit is ready, drain it. Then, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9-inch round pan with two layers of parchment paper cut to fit perfectly. Cut slim pieces of parchment paper to also line the inside rim.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs, molasses, optional almonds, lemon and orange zest, and mixed spice. Mix well.
- Add the flour and mix until everything is just incorporated. Then, gently stir in the soaked fruit.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Use a butter knife or spatula to level off the top. Give it a slightly concave shape. Otherwise, the cake will have a domed appearance once baked.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Check on it at about the 2-hour mark to ensure it isn’t browning too quickly. If it is, cover it with aluminum foil. The cake is ready when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in its pan for about 30 minutes. Remove it from the pan once it’s relatively cool and transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- When the cake is cool, poke deep holes in it with a long, fine skewer. Feed more brandy into it, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time.
- Cover the cooled cake with two layers of parchment paper. Then, wrap it with aluminum foil and store it somewhere cool until it’s ready to serve. Feed it with more brandy once a week until served.
- Cover and ice the cake 3 days before serving.
- For the cover
- Mix the apricot jam with the warm water. Stir to thin the mixture, then press it through a cheesecloth or fine sieve. Use whatever is left in the cheesecloth (or sieve) to coat the cake’s sides and bottom.
- Dust a clean working surface with confectioners’ sugar. Roll out enough marzipan to cover the bottom of the cake. Brush it with the apricot mix and place the cake, right side up, onto the flat sheet.
- Cut around the base with a sharp knife, then gently transfer it to a serving plate.
- Next, brush the whole cake with the apricot gel.
- Roll out the rest of the marzipan, ensuring it will cover the top and sides. Carefully drape the marzipan over the cake and smooth it out over the surface. Cut the excess from the bottom.
- Recover the cake with parchment paper. Return the cake somewhere cool to let the marzipan set. It will take about 2 days.
- For the icing
- Sift together the sugar and cream of tartar. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until frothy. Then, slowly add the sugar and cream of tartar (about 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time). Mix on low.
- Once all the sugar mixture has been incorporated, gently pour in the lemon juice. Beat on low until stiff peaks form and the icing is thick and shiny.
- Spread the icing over the top and sides of the marzipan-covered Christmas cake.
- Let the cake set until the icing forms a skin. Decorate with sugared cherries or cranberries, if desired. Then, serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Notes
- Substitute sherry for brandy, if you prefer.
- Make the cake up to 2 months ahead of time for the best flavor.
- The prep time does not include soaking the fruit or the “feeding” time.
Where’s the cake recipe for the 1st cake in picture? I want that recipe please!
Hi Kim!
You’ll find that recipe in the card at the bottom of the post.
It’s a traditional Christmas Cake with dried fruits, and it’s so yummy!
Hope you like it 🙂