Christmas cakes come in all shapes and sizes, from Yule logs and towering layer cakes to antlered reindeer treats, to create a sweet holiday centerpiece.
I love all Christmas desserts, but each has its own place. A plate of Christmas cookies with lunch keeps the festivities going post gift exchange. After dinner, Christmas cakes make the end of the day feel as special as the start. From elaborate snow globe cakes to holiday cheesecakes and decorative Bundts, these recipes will help you find the perfect cake for your feast.
If you prefer traditional Christmas desserts, try a spiced fruitcake or Yule log with pretty red and green decorations. When you are the host and need easy Christmas desserts for a crowd, try a sheet cake recipe, like a spiced tres leches or tender sticky toffee cake. If you have a favorite cake recipe already in mind, give it some Christmas flair inspired by the festive touches in this collection. Small sprigs of rosemary, sparkling sugars and fluffy white coconut are simple additions that can make over any cake.
For an extra-special dessert, serve these merry cakes with hot cocoa, eggnog or Christmas cocktails. No matter your holiday style, we’ve got the sweets your loved ones will adore.
Yule Log
A Yule log cake, also called a Buche de Noel, is a rolled sponge cake shaped and decorated to resemble a wooden log. This fanciful dessert is a holiday baking tradition that dates back to 19th-century France, and it’s one of those Christmas cake ideas we can’t get enough of.
Grinch Pound Cake
Red Velvet Cake
A stunning red velvet cake topped with snowy white icing is the perfect holiday centerpiece. Make sure you have plenty of red food coloring on hand (we know it sees a lot of use this time of year!). To decorate, make it easy on yourself and top with small bottlebrush trees.
Eggnog Tres Leches Cake
During the holidays, give a classic tres leches cake a seasonal makeover. This recipe uses eggnog in place of heavy cream. It’s one of our favorite eggnog desserts this time of year.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Dundee Cake
Mint Swirl Fudge Cake
Creme de menthe gives this cake its signature color and flavor (use store-bought or make homemade creme de menthe). Guests will be pleasantly surprised to a see a minty ribbon when you slice into this Bundt cake.
Baklava Cheesecake
The phyllo crust of this cheesecake gives the Christmas dessert a wonderful crunch. For a holiday look, garnish with rosemary sprigs and sugared cranberries.
Upside-Down Fruitcake
Looking for Christmas cake ideas you’ve never seen before? This recipe turns a classic fruitcake on its head—literally. This cake is topped with plenty of holiday fruits and a good splash of bourbon (you could also use rum).
Reindeer Cake
Who doesn’t love a cake that goes over the top—especially for the most festive holiday of the year? This reindeer cake uses melted chocolate for antlers and buttercream icing for all the piped details.
Lane Cake
Minted Chocolate Torte
This torte (a cake with many thin layers) is a wonderful addition to any Christmas sweet spread. Topped with a fudgy frosting and crushed mint candies, how could anyone resist?
Vanilla Ring Cake
Spice Cake
Got a craving for classic, vintage desserts this holiday season? Get some Christmas cake ideas, including this spice cake, from Grandma’s recipe box. The cake is flavored with cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and sage leaves for a truly seasonal look.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
The holidays are a great excuse to break out festive cake pans. Use a fun Bundt pan to create this gingerbread cake. The best part of this style of cake is that a dusting of confectioners’ sugar is all you need to decorate it.
Cranberry Layer Cake
This cake combines cranberry and orange, one of the season’s best flavor combos. In each slice you’ll also get the crunch of walnuts.
Snowman Cake
Coffee Cheesecake
For an after-dinner pick-me-up, serve this coffee cheesecake. It’s rich yet not too sweet. And be sure to follow these steps to prevent your cheesecake from cracking.
Limoncello Tiramisu
Eggnog Pound Cake
This cake starts with a package of yellow cake mix and then gets infused with plenty of flavor thanks to eggnog and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Serve slices with a spoonful of the velvety custard sauce.
Black Forest Cake
Gingerbread Roll Cake
Fruit Cake
Brooklyn Blackout Cake
Rich Cranberry Coffee Cake
Hosting a holiday brunch? You can still make a Christmas cake—just make it coffee cake! This recipe uses tart cranberries and rich cream cheese.
Coconut Pound Cake
Pineapple Cake
While you can lean into seasonal flavors for Christmas cake ideas, you can also try something entirely different! This cake looks wonderfully wintry, but inside it’s full of pineapple and macadamia nut flavor.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Contest-Winning Eggnog Cake
This impressive layer cake uses eggnog in the cake and the frosting. Make sure you have a full carton of the best eggnog in your fridge before you start this recipe!
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Who doesn’t love an easy Christmas dessert for a crowd, especially during the busy holiday season? This cake takes just minutes to prep and makes enough to serve a whole crowd—perfect for a packed holiday house.
Cherry Chocolate Marble Cake
Chocolate-covered cherries pop up on treat platters this time of year. Transform these candies into a dessert to share with this marbled chocolate cake.
Italian Cream Cake
This time of year, many of us lean into cultural traditions. After serving up a delicious Feast of the Seven Fishes, serve up an Italian-inspired cake like this one.
Ginger-Glazed Lemon Bundt
Citrus is at its peak in the winter months. Use plenty of lemons to flavor this cake—and then add ginger for extra zing.
Holiday Snow Globe Cake
Really want to show off your cake-decorating skills? This cake is it! Create holiday figures from fondant or cookies and then place a glass dome over the top. This will give it a snow globe effect.
Mint Angel Cake
Olive Oil Cake
During the Christmas season, you’ll find yourself bombarded with sweets. After enjoying plenty of cookies (and a Christmas feast), serve up a treat that’s not overly sugary. This olive oil cake is a great Italian treat that’s flavored with plenty of almonds. It’s great after dinner or served alongside brunch.
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
For those looking for cake ideas that are also small-batch Christmas desserts, try this recipe! It makes just enough cake to serve six. Plus, with plenty of chocolate flavor and hazelnuts, no one will be able to resist.
Red Velvet Pound Cake
Poteca Cake
Poteca is a popular Slavic dessert. This nutty cake takes some time to make, so it’s often saved for special occasions like Christmas.
White Fruitcake
What is a list of Christmas cake ideas without fruitcake? This white fruitcake is one of our top-rated recipes and pleases even those skeptical of this traditional treat.
Peppermint Cheesecake
Crushed Oreos form the foundation for this cheesecake. Paired with a creamy peppermint filling, this cake will have your guests lining up for a second slice!
Gingerbread Cake
Chocolate Cake Roll with Praline Filling
Learning how to make a cake roll is so satisfying—and the results look impressive. This recipe pairs chocolate cake with a creamy frosting speckled with praline.
Coconut Chiffon Cake
Chiffon cakes have a very light texture, meaning almost everyone at the dinner table will be able to make room for a slice. Be sure to toast the coconut for color, crunch and flavor.
Ginger-Walnut Tube Cake
Crystallized ginger adds crunch and zingy flavor to this pound cake. Be sure to save some extra tidbits to sprinkle over the top along with a simple glaze.
White Christmas Cake
Dreaming of a white Christmas? You can get a bite of it with this cake: a fluffy white sponge filled with pecans and coconut. This layered confection is topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
This pound cake is so simple to make. The best part: The browned butter icing tastes just like pecan pralines.
Sacher Torte
Sacher torte is a traditional Austrian dessert. While it’s served all year long, it’s particularly popular at Christmas. This version is simple to make at home; it starts with a chocolate cake mix!
Plum Poppy Seed Cake
Rum Cake
Get into the Christmas spirit(s) with this rum-soaked cake. For the holidays, be sure to break out a bottle of the good stuff.
Christmas Cakes FAQ
What cakes are popular at Christmas?
Festive cakes with decorative touches or garnishes that evoke the season, like snowy coconut, sugared cranberries and chocolate stars, are popular at Christmas. Yule logs, red and green cakes flavored with cranberries or mint, and red velvet are also great choices that fit in with holiday decor. Cakes scented with fall spices or rich with chocolate are cozy when it’s cold out.
What is the most traditional Christmas cake?
Love it or hate it, holiday fruitcakes are one of the most traditional Christmas desserts. Fruitcake is a dense cake loaded with dried fruits, nuts and spices. It’s classically spritzed with or soaked in a spirit, like brandy, to preserve and flavor it. It’s a rare example of a cake that improves over time. Like many classics, there are endless different fruitcake recipes with varying ingredients and spice blends, so if you think you don’t like it, you just may not have had the right one.
How long does a Christmas cake last?
How long a Christmas cake lasts depends entirely on the type of cake and its ingredients. Fruitcake, due largely to the alcohol that preserves it, can last for months. Light sponge cakes, like cake rolls, or butter-based layer cakes with dairy fillings will last in the refrigerator for about one week when well wrapped. Unfrosted cakes, like pound cakes and Bundts, can be stored at room temperature for three to seven days or frozen for six to eight months.
