Christmas Cake Ideas | Festive & Delicious Designs

Christmas cake ideas evoke warmth, nostalgia, and holiday spirit. Classic options are typically moist fruitcakes laced with brandy or rum and covered in marzipan and royal icing, topped with holly leaves or snowflakes.

For a contemporary update, bakers enjoy staging layered cakes in flavors from peppermint chocolate and gingerbread spice to red velvet or eggnog. Yule log cakes (Bûche de Noël) are a classic favorite, molded and frosted to resemble a log, with meringue mushrooms and powdered sugar snow.

Decorative themes typically include Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees, snowmen, or snowy village scenes made from fondant or buttercream. Other cakes are whimsical, in the form of gift boxes, ornament balls, or an upside-down Christmas tree. Be they elegant or whimsical, Christmas cakes make lovely centerpieces on holiday tables aare and a sweet way to convey the spirit of the season to others.

Christmas Cake Ideas

Here’s a list of 25+ Christmas cake ideas that range from traditional to modern, elegant to fun, and everything in between — perfect for the holiday season!

Classic Christmas Cakes

1. Traditional Fruitcake with Brandy
2. Rich Plum Cake
3. Classic Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
4. English Christmas Cake with Marzipan
5. German Stollen Cake
6. Panettone-Inspired Layer Cake
7. Italian Ricotta Christmas Cake
8. Spiced Gingerbread Layer Cake
9. Eggnog Cake with Nutmeg Frosting
10. Christmas Pudding Cake

Chocolate-Lover’s Christmas Cakes

1. Chocolate Peppermint Cake
2. Hot Cocoa Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
3. Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cake
4. Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
5. White Chocolate & Raspberry Christmas Cake
6. Triple Chocolate Drip Cake
7. Chocolate Hazelnut Snowflake Cake
8. Black Forest Christmas Cake
9. Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
10. Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log

Winter Wonderland & Snowy-Themed Cakes

1. Snowflake Buttercream Cake
2. White Christmas Cake (Coconut & Vanilla)
3. Igloo Cake with Marshmallow Topping
4. Snowy Pine Tree Cake
5. Frozen-Inspired Blue and White Cake
6. White Forest Cake (Vanilla + Cherry)
7. Arctic Animal Cake (Polar Bears, Penguins)
8. Shimmering Snow Globe Cake
9. Winter Cabin Cake
10. Snow-Covered Mountain Cake.

Want detailed recipes or decorating guides for any of these? I’d be happy to help you build out a recipe book or holiday baking plan!

Recipes

1. Traditional Fruitcake with Brandy Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 2½ cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, cherries, cranberries)
2. ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
3. ½ cup brandy (plus extra for soaking)
4. 1 cup butter
5. 1 cup brown sugar
6. 4 eggs
7. 2 cups all-purpose flour
8. 1 tsp baking powder
9. 1 tsp cinnamon
10. ½ tsp nutmeg
11. ¼ tsp cloves
12. Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Soak dried fruit in brandy overnight or for a week.
2. Preheat to 300°F (150°C). Line a loaf tin or a round tin with baking parchment.
3. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, spices, and zest.
5. Fold in the soaked fruit and nuts.
6. Bake 2–2½ hours, or until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool, poke holes in the cake, and brush with brandy weekly. Keep tightly wrapped for up to a month.

2. Rich Plum Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tsp baking powder
3. 1 tsp cinnamon
4. ¼ tsp nutmeg
5. ¼ tsp allspice
6. 1 cup brown sugar
7. 1 cup butter
8. 4 eggs
9. 1½ cups chopped prunes
10. 1 cup chopped dates
11. 1 cup chopped mixed nuts
12. ¼ cup orange juice
13. 2 tbsp molasses
14. 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a deep cake tin with grease and line.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Add the molasses, juice, and vanilla and stir to combine.
4. Gently fold in flour, fruit, and nuts.
5. Pour into pan, and bake for 1.5–2 hours.
6. Cool completely. Can be glazed with rum or brandy.

3. Classic Yule Log (Bûche de Noël) Recipe

Ingredients:

• Cake:

1. 4 eggs, separated
2. ½ cup sugar
3. ⅓ cup flour
4. ¼ cup cocoa powder
5. ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

1. 1 cup heavy cream
2. 2 tbsp powdered sugar
3. 1 tsp vanilla

• Frosting:

1. 1 cup butter
2. 2½ cups powdered sugar
3. ½ cup cocoa powder
4. 2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a jelly roll pan with parchment.
2. Beat egg yolks with sugar. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into batter.
4. Bake for 12–15 minutes.
5. Dust a warm roll with powdered sugar and roll in a towel.
6. Whip cream for filling. Roll out the cake, spread the cream, and roll up again.
7. Frost with chocolate buttercream, bark-textured. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with berries.

4. English Christmas Cake with Marzipan Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants)
2. ½ cup chopped glace cherries
3. 1 cup butter
4. 1 cup brown sugar
5. 4 eggs
6. 2 cups flour
7. 1 tsp baking powder
8. ½ tsp cinnamon
9. ½ tsp nutmeg
10. Zest of 1 lemon
11. Brandy for soaking
12. Marzipan and royal icing to cover

Instructions:

1. Let the fruit soak in brandy overnight.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, spices, and zest.
4. Fold in soaked fruits.
5. Bake in a lined deep tin at 275°F (135°C) for 21⁄2–3 hours.
6. Cure, brushing weekly with brandy.
7. Marzipan, then royal icing, serve.

 5. German Stollen Cake Recipe 

 

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tbsp active dry yeast
3. ½ cup milk (warm)
4. ¾ cup sugar
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 2 eggs
7. 1 cup butter
8. 1 cup mixed dried fruit
9. ½ cup chopped almonds
10. 1 tsp lemon zest
11. ½ tsp cardamom
12. Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a tsp of sugar. Let bloom for 10 min.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, zest, and spices. Add eggs and yeast mixture.
3. Add butter, fruit, and nuts, and knead.
4. Let dough rise for 1–2 hours. Shape into an oval loaf.
5. Place into the oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40–45 min.
6. Grease with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

6. Panettone-Inspired Layer Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. Vanilla sponge cake (3 layers)
2. 1 cup whipped mascarpone cream
3. ½ cup chopped candied orange peel
4. ½ cup raisins soaked in rum
5. Orange zest

Instructions:

1. Prepare or buy three layers of vanilla sponge cake.
2. Combine the cream cheese clouds with zest raisins, and candied orange.
3. Spread between cake layers.
4. Frost with whipped cream or buttercream on the outside.
5. You can decorate with sugared fruit or glaze.

7. Italian Ricotta Christmas Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 1½ cups ricotta cheese
2. 3 eggs
3. 1 cup sugar
4. ½ cup butter (melted)
5. 1 tsp vanilla
6. 1½ cups flour
7. 1½ tsp baking powder
8. Zest of 1 lemon
9. Optional: chocolate chips or chopped candied peel

Instructions:

1. Butter and flour in a 9-inch round cake pan. Grease a round pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk ricotta, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
3. Work in butter, then dry ingredients and zest.
4. Fold in extras if using.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until browned.
6. Dust with powdered sugar.

 8. Spiced Gingerbread Layer Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 2½ cups flour
2. 1½ tsp baking soda
3. 1 tbsp ginger
4. 2 tsp cinnamon
5. ½ tsp nutmeg
6. ½ tsp cloves
7. ½ tsp salt
8. 1 cup molasses
9. 1 cup brown sugar
10. ¾ cup oil
11. 2 eggs
12. 1 cup hot water

Instructions:

1. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease cake pans.
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, molasses, and eggs.
4. Mix with dry ingredients and boiling water.
5. Pour into pans and bake for 30–35 minutes.
6. Frost with cream cheese, or spiced buttercream

9. Eggnog Cake with Nutmeg Frosting Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 2½ cups cake flour
2. 1 tbsp baking powder
3. ½ tsp salt
4. ½ tsp nutmeg
5. ¾ cup butter
6. 1½ cups sugar
7. 3 eggs
8. 1 tsp vanilla
9. 1 cup eggnog

Frosting:

1. 1 cup butter
2. 3 cups powdered sugar
3. ¼ cup eggnog
4. ¼ tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease pans.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Alternate mixing in dry ingredients and eggnog.
4. Bake 25–30 minutes.
5. Beat together frosting ingredients, a rost frost-cooled cake.

10. Christmas Pudding Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup flour
2. ½ cup breadcrumbs
3. 1 cup brown sugar
4. 1 cup mixed dried fruits
5. ½ cup suet or butter
6. 2 eggs
7. ½ tsp cinnamon
8. ½ tsp nutmeg
9. ¼ cup milk
10. 2 tbsp molasses or golden syrup

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Transfer to a greased pudding mold.
3. Stew for 2–3 hours (or roast at 325°F for 1.5 hours).
4. Cool slightly. Serve with brandy sauce or custard.