If there is ever a day for a special dessert, it's Christmas. And, I'm sorry, guys, but pies belong to Thanksgiving. (Actually, so does turkey. Bring on the tamales or spaghetti & meatballs, please.)
Here are nine of our favorite cakes, from cheesecakes to layer cakes, that will even impress your mother-in-law.
(Click the titles to go to the recipes.)
If we had company, my mom was making this cake. While I yearned for chocolate cake as a kid, I'm in love with this cake as an adult. The pecans, the coconut, the cream cheese - oh man, it's luscious.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Filling and Salted Caramel Buttercream
My secret to the salted caramel frosting is this: I use fleur de sel...not as a finishing salt, but actually in the frosting. I think that makes it extra delicious.
Are you thinking cheesecake? Christmas makes me think of cheesecake. This cheesecake is intensely chocolate with a subtle coffee flavor and a layer of silky ganache on top. SWOON.
Ok, so maybe you ARE thinking cheesecake but want a more traditional one? Let me introduce you to what I call "perfect cheesecake." A reviewer says, "It was like silk, stunningly creamy and amazing. 10 stars!!"
A light and airy flourless chocolate cake filled with a vanilla cream cheese topped studded with bits of pecan praline. The entire cake is enrobed in the richest chocolate ganache ever and is adorned with piped chocolate decorations. A dessert fit for Paul Hollywood...or your mother-in-law.
THIS is one of the most popular recipes EVER on the blog! Does it surprise you that it's an adaptation of a Pioneer Woman recipe? I made this when I highlighted her (then newest) cookbook, A Year of Holidays. My secret: Kahlua.
Spiced Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Buttercream
A poppy seed cake made with warm spices, honey, and a little whole wheat flour. The frosting is a rich, fluffy, American buttercream flavored with almond & vanilla. Oh. My.
Fudgy, rich, and chocolatey with a hint of coffee flavor, this flourless cake is perfect for anyone wanting a decadent dessert without gluten.
Yellow Cake with Cookie Dough Filling and Fudge Frosting
The holidays are a time to go all-out with desserts, so why not go all-out with cookie dough filling?!? A hit with kids and adults alike. Let's take a moment to meditate on those fudge frosting swirls.
Now to decide which one to make this year...
