White Christmas Dessert Ideas

Recipe: Red Velvet-White Chocolate Cheesecake

Whimsy meets elegance in all five layers of this red velvet-white chocolate wonder.

Watch: Assembling Our White Layer Cake

Recipe: Minted White Chocolate Balls

These festive nibbles are the perfect giftable treat.

Recipe: Tiramisù Layer Cake

This cake is hands down the tastiest of the many takes on tiramisù we ran across during judging of our White Cake Contest. Michelle Matile's runner-up recipe offers the delicious flavor of traditional tiramisù but the decorating opportunities of a layer cake.

Recipe: Layered Peppermint Cheesecake

We love Melodie Belcher's cake, Runner-Up of our White Cake Contest, for its childlike whimsy, candy crunch, and—hello!—hidden layers of cheesecake.

Recipe: Snowflake Shortbread

Test Kitchen Tip: When you make Snowflake Shortbread or other sugar cookie cutouts, omit the leavening or choose recipes without it so the cookies keep their shape during baking.

Recipe: Coconut Cream Tarts

Top these creamy, two-bite tarts with sweetened whipped cream and a snowy drift of flaked coconut.

Recipe: Almond Snowballs

A variation of Blackberry Thumbprints, these fragrant, nutty cookies are finished with a coating of powdered sugar.

Step-by-Step-Video: Almond Snowballs

Recipe: Basic White Cupcakes

The almond-scented taste of these cakes is far from basic. Add a tropical taste by spreading the cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream and sprinkling them with sweetened flaked coconut, as pictured.

Recipe: White Chocolate Panna Cotta With Dark Chocolate Sauce

Served in stemmed glasses, these silky smooth Italian custards make an elegant ending to any meal.

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.

Recipe: Spice Cake with Citrus Filling

It’s anyone’s guess as to how Japanese fruitcake became such a huge holiday hit in the fifties, or why it was called that in the first place. We decide to cash in on its retro charm with a fresh, delicious version of the traditional by Test Kitchen pro Pam Lolley.

Recipe: Mrs. Floyd's Divinity

What better way to show your appreciation of friends and family than by giving packages of these delicious holiday confections.

Recipe: Lemon-Coconut Cake

With its creamy white frosting and luscious citrus filling, Lemon-Coconut Cake is three layers of heaven.

Recipe: Pecan Crescents

These nutty cookies are much like traditional wedding cookies. Let your kids help roll the dough into logs and bend them into shape.

Recipe: Sugar-and-Spice Cake

Readers have told us over and over that they like the convenience of cake mixes, but when we doctored a mix for the revered cover cake, we received a barrage of phone calls and emails. How dare we take a shortcut? What was the world coming to when the Southern Living Christmas cake was made from a mix? Lesson learned.