60 Showstopping Christmas Cake Recipes

Updated December 07, 2020
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

There's nothing more festive than our showstopping Christmas cake recipes. End your holiday meal with one of our beautifully garnished cakes. Sugar plum fairies will be dancing while you are devouring one—or more—of these showstopping Christmas cakes. In fact, these desserts are perfect for any time of the year. From cheesecake to Bundts and towering layer cakes, these Christmas cakes will sweeten any holiday. These holiday cakes have the perfect recipes for adding layers of delight to any family event.

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White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

Garnish with a fondant bow or Peppermint Meringue Cookies.

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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

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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White Cake with Bourbon 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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White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream

This cake will be the star of your holiday meal. Your guests will be begging for the recipe.

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Acadian Syrup Cake with Roasted Pears and Caramel Sauce

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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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

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

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

Credit: Photo: 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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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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Tennessee Jam Bundt

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

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

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

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

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White Chocolate-Almond Cake

Recipe: White Chocolate-Almond Cake

A decadent trio of dark chocolate cake layers is the delicious surprise inside this festive package. There's no need to worry about picture-perfect swirls of frosting—just spread it on. Then decorate like a pro simply by pressing finely chopped white chocolate and almonds into the top and sides of the cake. Tie on a ribbon, and you have a stunning dessert that tastes every bit as good as it looks.

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Red Velvet Cheesecake

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

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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Sugar-and-Spice Cake

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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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

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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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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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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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

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

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

Credit: Photographer Greg Dupree, Food Styling Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Styling Kay 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

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

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

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

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

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

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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