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  4. 55 Showstopping Christmas Cakes For Your Holiday Table

55 Showstopping Christmas Cakes For Your Holiday Table

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated July 28, 2022
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White Cake with Peppermint Icing
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

This holiday season, let there be cookies and trifles and tarts. But please, oh please let there be cakes.

There's nothing more festive than an awe-inspiring cake, and this collection of Christmas cake recipes includes all of our very best ways to end your holiday meal. These seasonal showstoppers will wow your holiday crowd (that's right, even Grandma with the impossibly high standards and ultra-picky Aunt Sue!). From cheesecake to Bundts and towering layer cakes, these Christmas cakes will sweeten any holiday. We have festive favorites that incorporate the flavors of the season, like Chocolate Peppermint Cake and Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting. We have cheery confections like Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake and indulgent treats like our Sea Salt-Caramel Cake.

No matter which recipe you choose, sugar plum fairies will be dancing while you are devouring one—or more—of these showstopping Christmas cakes. These heavenly holiday desserts will earn you a spot on the nice list.

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Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting

Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting

If you bake anything this holiday season, let it be this. Not only is this 2020's Big White Cake from the December cover, but it's our 25th annual Big White Cake!

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Buche de Noel

Buche De Noel
Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

Recipe: Buche de Noel

Classic yule log cakes are a labor of love, but you should absolutely make one this year.

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Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Cake

The Italian meringue frosting on top of this minty-chocolatey dream is fluffy and festive.

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Spice Cake with Cranberry Filling

Spice Cake with Cranberry Filling
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Spice Cake with Cranberry Filling

Pipe a ring of frosting around the cake layer, just inside the top edge, to keep filling from oozing out.

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Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake

Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake

Don't worry if your cheesecake cracks; the light and fluffy layer of whipped cream will cover it.

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Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

Warm spices and molasses blend beautifully with tangy buttermilk frosting.

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Rum-Glazed Sweet Potato Cakes

Rum-Glazed Sweet Potato Cakes
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Rum-Glazed Sweet Potato Cakes

This mini Bundt cake recipe features pureed sweet potatoes, raisins, rum, and toasted pecans along with cinnamon and nutmeg and is a perfect pick-up treat for a holiday dessert party.

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Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt

Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt

The topping on this bundt—a maple glaze with sugared pecans and pumpkin seeds—will make your guests ooh and ahh.

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Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
Credit: Jim Franco

Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Let this elegant chocolate cheesecake be the centerpiece of your holiday tablescape featuring a gorgeous White Chocolate Snowflake in the center.

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Tennessee Jam Bundt

Tennessee Jam Bundt Cake
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Tennessee Jam Bundt

The best way to enjoy this blackberry and caramel confection is with friends—it makes 12 satisfying servings.

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Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Mama's German Chocolate Cake
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Pure Southern perfection! Layers of moist German chocolate cake and sweet-and-nutty Coconut-Pecan Frosting will make this dessert an instant favorite.

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Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake
Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake garnished with sugared pecans, kumquats, and bay leaves.

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Sugar-and-Spice Cake

Vanilla Buttercream
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Sugar-and-Spice Cake

Make a classic white cake for Christmas this year. This recipe starts with boxed mix, then adds a few key ingredients to make the end result light, fluffy, and totally delicious.

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Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake

Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake

This ultra-rich cake combines your favorite holiday drink with a sweet glaze on top.

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Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

We topped this Big White Cake with our adorable Cake Ball Ornaments.

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Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread-and-Pear Upside-Down Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake

If you're a fan of spice cakes, you have to try this holiday upside down cake.

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Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

That's right—we combined red velvet cheesecake and vanilla cake and THEN topped it with cream cheese frosting.

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Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream

Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream
Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream

This eggnog-flavored cake with boozy filling is a reader favorite, and we have a feeling it will quickly become a tradition in your home.

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Red Velvet Peppermint Cake

Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Red Velvet Peppermint Cake

Classic red velvet cake gets a holiday-ready makeover with the addition of peppermint and cream cheese icing.

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Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

Sea Salt-Caramel Cake
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

The caramel frosting on this tender layer cake is the true star of this beautiful recipe.

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Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake

Cassandra’s “Light” Fruitcake
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake

This fruitcake will change your opinion about the holiday tradition for good.

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Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

Coconut Cake with Rum FIlling and Coconut Ermine Frosting
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

If you've never baked with ermine frosting, you'll fall in love with this vintage treat.

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Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting

Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell

Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting

This layer cake is appropriate for celebrations year round, but this boozy dessert feels especially festive for the holidays.

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Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

Gingerbread Cheesecake
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

This absolutely gorgeous cheesecake can be made up to two days in advance to help you out during the busy holiday season.

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Our Best White Cake

Best White Cake
Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Our Best White Cake

If you've been baking from a box, try out this easy, classic white cake recipe.

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Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

We filled this layer cake with a pink peppermint buttercream for a fun surprise.

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Christmas Confetti Roulade

Christmas Confetti Roulade
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Christmas Confetti Roulade

This colorful cake includes an orange liqueur-spiked filling for an ultimate grand finale to your Christmas.

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Buttermilk-Chocolate Cake

Buttermilk-Chocolate Cake
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas: Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Buttermilk-Chocolate Cake

A decadent chocolate cake topped with silky Swiss meringue buttercream…What could make this dessert better? Gorgeous magnolia and camellia flower cake toppers, that's what!

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Baklava Cheesecake

Baklava Cheesecake
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Baklava Cheesecake

We love a dessert mashup more than anyone, and this silky smooth cheesecake that includes a serving of baklava in each slice is the best combo we can imagine.

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Coffee Baba au Rhum

Coffee Baba au Rhum
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Coffee Baba au Rhum

This old-fashioned Christmas dessert is for all the coffee lovers in your life.

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Chocolate-Gingerbread-Toffee Cake

Chocolate-Gingerbread-Toffee Cake
Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Chocolate-Gingerbread-Toffee Cake

If you're unsure if you should make this cake, read what one staffer said about it: "It tastes like all the wonderful flavors that come tumbling from a stocking: milk chocolate Santas, gingerbread men, and buttery toffee candy."

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Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes

Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell

Recipe: Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes

Looking for something a little more grown up than peppermint or sugar cookies? Try these photo-worthy, boozy lava cakes.

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Snowball Cake

Snowball Cake
Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

Recipe: Snowball Cake

This recipe turns a sheet cake into festive little snowballs with the help of your biscuit cutter.

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Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake

Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake Recipe
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake

We published this recipe all the way back in November 1990, so if it's stuck around this long, you know it's good.

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Spice Cake with Citrus Filling

Spice Cake with Citrus Filling
Credit: Jennifer Davick/Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell & Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Spice Cake with Citrus Filling

With frosting this fluffy and swirled, you don't even need to add toppings to this layer cake.

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Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting

Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting

Three layers of spicy gingerbread are brushed with Espresso Simple Syrup and then covered in fluffy Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting for your ultimate coffee shop order come to life.

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White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake

White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake

Leaf cookie cutouts make a festive poinsettia topping for this snowy white cake.

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Rudolph's Chocolate Truffle Cake

Rudolph's Chocolate Truffle Cake
Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Recipe: Rudolph's Chocolate Truffle Cake

Your family full of chocolate lovers will rave about this cake for weeks.

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Coconut-Almond Cream Cake

Coconut-Almond Cream Cake
Credit: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Recipe: Coconut-Almond Cream Cake

Any coconut fanatics in your family? In this recipe, coconut cake layers are stacked with coconut-almond filling and topped with coconut-cream cheese frosting.

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Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Looking for an afternoon baking project to try with the kids? This copycat recipe tastes even better than the real thing, but don't tell Little Debbie.

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Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Mini Red Velvet Cakes
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Mint leaves and fresh raspberries make for a festive green and red topping on these mini cakes.

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Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake

Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake and Vanilla Custard with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell

Recipe: Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake

Graham crackers, pecans, butter, and brown sugar make the crust for this dessert, and it only gets better from there.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Mint Chocolate Cake
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Instead of mint extract, this homemade cake gets its flavor from fresh mint leaves.

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Icebox Fruitcake

Icebox Fruit Cake
Credit: Micah Leal

Recipe: Icebox Fruitcake

Just like the icebox cakes you love in the summertime, this holiday dessert doesn't require any baking.

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Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream

Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream

This spiced roulade is the ultimate make-ahead dessert for the holiday season.

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Toffee S'mores Cheesecake

Toffee S’mores Cheesecake
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Toffee S'mores Cheesecake

Too chilly to make s'mores outside? Bring all the flavor you love in with this gooey cheesecake recipe.

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Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream

Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream

This beautiful layer cake has rich chocolate layers, fluffy caramel buttercream, and a layer of decadent chocolate ganache.

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Molten Red Velvet Cakes

Molten Red Velvet Cakes, red velvet cake recipe
Credit: HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ

Recipe: Molten Red Velvet Cakes

Personal desserts mean you don't have to worry about sharing.

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Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

This recipe came to us 25 years ago, and there's a reason we're still making it today—it's absolutely delicious and beautiful.

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White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream

White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream and Seven-Minute Frosting

Top this cake with Sugar-Coated Orange Slices and Sparkling Cherries.

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Acadian Syrup Cake with Roasted Pears and Caramel Sauce

Roasted Pears
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Acadian Syrup Cake with Roasted Pears and Caramel Sauce

A Cajun classic, this spice cake (aka Gateau au Sirop) gets much of its sweet flavor from a Southern staple, cane syrup. We love Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup, made in Louisiana. If you can't find pure cane syrup, don't sub a blended syrup; use honey instead. Roast the pears and make the caramel sauce while the cake cools. To dress up the cake for serving, we used a fleur-de-lis stencil to create a powdered sugar design atop this glorious dark and deeply delicious cake.

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Hummingbird Cake

Christmas Dessert Recipes: Hummingbird Cake
Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

This ultimate recipe is the most requested in Southern Living magazine history and frequents covered dish dinners all across the South, always receiving rave reviews.

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Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake
Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Recipe: Red Velvet Cheesecake

If you love both red velvet cake and cheesecake, this perfect sweet-meets-rich-meets-creamy concoction is bound to be your new favorite dessert.

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Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake

Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake

If you've never tried Tres Leches Cake, you're in for a tender, moist treat.

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White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

White Cake with Peppermint Icing
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

Garnish with a fondant bow or Peppermint Meringue Cookies.

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    1 of 55 Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting
    2 of 55 Buche de Noel
    3 of 55 Chocolate Peppermint Cake
    4 of 55 Spice Cake with Cranberry Filling
    5 of 55 Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
    6 of 55 Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting
    7 of 55 Rum-Glazed Sweet Potato Cakes
    8 of 55 Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt
    9 of 55 Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
    10 of 55 Tennessee Jam Bundt
    11 of 55 Mama's German Chocolate Cake
    12 of 55 Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake
    13 of 55 Sugar-and-Spice Cake
    14 of 55 Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake
    15 of 55 Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
    16 of 55 Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake
    17 of 55 Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
    18 of 55 Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream
    19 of 55 Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
    20 of 55 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake
    21 of 55 Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake
    22 of 55 Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting
    23 of 55 Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting
    24 of 55 Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze
    25 of 55 Our Best White Cake
    26 of 55 Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting
    27 of 55 Christmas Confetti Roulade
    28 of 55 Buttermilk-Chocolate Cake
    29 of 55 Baklava Cheesecake
    30 of 55 Coffee Baba au Rhum
    31 of 55 Chocolate-Gingerbread-Toffee Cake
    32 of 55 Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes
    33 of 55 Snowball Cake
    34 of 55 Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake
    35 of 55 Spice Cake with Citrus Filling
    36 of 55 Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
    37 of 55 White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake
    38 of 55 Rudolph's Chocolate Truffle Cake
    39 of 55 Coconut-Almond Cream Cake
    40 of 55 Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
    41 of 55 Mini Red Velvet Cakes
    42 of 55 Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake
    43 of 55 Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
    44 of 55 Icebox Fruitcake
    45 of 55 Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream
    46 of 55 Toffee S'mores Cheesecake
    47 of 55 Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream
    48 of 55 Molten Red Velvet Cakes
    49 of 55 Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
    50 of 55 White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream
    51 of 55 Acadian Syrup Cake with Roasted Pears and Caramel Sauce
    52 of 55 Hummingbird Cake
    53 of 55 Red Velvet Cheesecake
    54 of 55 Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake
    55 of 55 White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

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    55 Showstopping Christmas Cakes For Your Holiday Table
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