I’m Dreaming of A White Christmas Cake with Sweet Peony

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Enjoy this delicious White Christmas Cake that my friend Nicole has shared with us.

With the holidays in full swing, I knew I had to make something seasonal for y’all.  I spent much of my life in the South, and now live in Los Angeles, so I have never woken up to a White Christmas (even when we lived in upstate New York for two years, we spent Christmas down South).  What a sad life, I know.

White Christmas Cake

I mean, seriously, what’s Christmas without snow?  I blame this attitude entirely on Home Alone and pretty much every other Christmas movie ever made.  Can you imagine It’s a Wonderful Life without snow?  That’s what I thought.

 White Christmas Cake

Anyway, I figured that since I won’t be having a White Christmas this year, I needed to make my own winter wonderland.  That’s how I came up with the idea for this cake.

White Christmas Cake

The cake I chose to make is a fluffy vanilla cake.  It’s a delicate white cake with the perfect crumb, and it is oh-so-fluffy.  The frosting is a whipped vanilla frosting that is super light and airy, just like snow.  It is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.  Did you hear me?  The best!

White Christmas Cake

In hopes of making the cake look like a true winter wonderland, I topped the entire cake with white sanding sugar for a glistening snow effect.  Then, I made some shimmery gum paste snowflakes that I placed on floral wire to give the illusion of falling snow.  I have to say, I love the results!  My husband did, too (only he’s complaining about starting to gain those Christmas pounds early).

Whether you’re looking for a beautiful holiday dessert or just dreaming of a White Christmas, try making this cake to share with your family and friends.  And feel free to make it your own!  Add a cute little snowman, a flocked evergreen or some red and green frosting around the base.  After all, it’s your Christmas!

Thank you all for reading!  And thank you again to Chef Dennis for letting me share this cake with you!  Happy Holidays, everyone!

White Christmas Cake

5 from 6 votes
White Christmas Cake
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White Christmas Cake
Prep Time
1 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
2 hr
 
Makes two 8 inch round cakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake:
  • 5 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup whole milk divided, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour sifted then spooned & leveled
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon PLUS 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature and cubed, 1 1/2 sticks
For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
  • 1 1/2 cups PLUS 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened but cool, 3 sticks
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • white sanding sugar for decoration
For the Gum Paste Snowflakes:
  • ready-to-use gum paste
  • snowflake cookie cutters
  • thin silver or white floral wire
  • 2 small brushes
  • clear alcohol or extract
  • silver or pearlescent luster dust
Instructions
For the Vanilla Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two round 8-inch cake pans. Place round pieces of parchment paper in the bottom of each cake pan and grease the parchment paper. Flour the bottom and sides of the cake pans by tapping a spoonful of flour around to coat. Discard any remaining flour.
  2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds.
  4. Add in the butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Mix on low speed just until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes.
  5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
  6. Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans using an offset spatula to level the batter. You can weigh the cake pans on a kitchen scale to ensure even layers.
  7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be very careful not to over bake! Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cakes with a small knife or spatula and invert cakes onto greased wire racks. Gently re-flip the cakes so that the top of the cakes are facing up. Let cakes cool completely.
  8. Wrap the cakes tightly until they are ready to be frosted. The cakes can be stored at room temperature for 2 days and in the refrigerator for 5 days.
For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 8 minutes.
  2. With the mixer on low, add in the remaining ingredients and mix for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and whip until frosting is very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
For the Gum Paste Snowflakes (see my note at the top):
  1. Roll out gum paste to about ⅛” thickness.
  2. Cut out snowflakes of different sizes. Cut floral wire into varying lengths.
  3. Very carefully insert floral wire into the snowflakes, making sure to insert far enough to provide support to the snowflake.
  4. Lightly dip one brush into either clear alcohol or extract (it will evaporate out as it dries). Brush onto the snowflake. With the other brush, brush on the luster dust until completely covered and shimmery. (I did this whole step one snowflake at a time.)
  5. Let snowflakes rest to dry out. Best if done at least the day or night before using.
To Assemble the Cake:
  1. Place the bottom cake layer bottom/flat side down on a cake stand (or any dish that you will be serving it on).
  2. Place about 1 cup of frosting on the top and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
  3. Gently place the 2nd cake layer top/rounded side down on top.
  4. Place a small amount of frosting on top of the cake and create a crumb coat by spreading the frosting thinly over the top and sides with a small offset spatula. Place in the refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Place remaining frosting on top of the cake and spread it evenly over the top and sides. You can make the frosting textured to look like freshly fallen snow, as I did, or make it smooth.
  6. Pour sanding sugar all over the top of the cake. Carefully tilt the cake slightly to pour sanding sugar on the sides. Rotate the cake and repeat until all sides are coated in sanding sugar.
  7. Place the cake back in the refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Carefully insert snowflakes into the cake. Make sure to vary the heights so that it really looks like falling snow.
  9. Enjoy your beautiful White Christmas Cake!
Recipe Notes

*Nicole’s Note: I suggest making the gum paste snowflakes at least one day in advance so that they are completely dry.*

White Christmas Cake

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Comments

  7. Hi Chef Dennis & Sweet Peony! What a beautiful, timely post! The cake is absolutely stunning and it looks just like Christmas! Beautifully done and congratulations!

    Reply

  8. That is such a beautiful cake. I’ve never had a white cake actually turn out white. Like Chef Dennis, I think my luck is about to change. I’ve never had a white Christmas either. Its both the blessing and the curse of living in Southern CA.

    Reply

  9. Great to see Nicole guest posting for you Chef. She does have a wonderful blog and I have already saved several of her delicious recipes. White cake is a tough one when it comes to achieving the right texture, color and taste. This cake is an amazing pristine white and the snowflakes are a lovely touch. One advantage to being in LA , you can have this winter wonderland of a cake while the snow bound people are shoveling snow!
    Chef-I am looking forward to seeing the gingerbread house. I can remember as a kid watching my mom make one, while all the time she had this stern look of “you better not touch”.
    Enjoy this wonderful holiday season!

    Reply

  11. WOW. Stunning cake and photos, Nicole!!! Just beautiful.

    And I can’t wait to see your gingerbread creation, Chef Dennis!!! Have a great weekend~

    Reply

  13. What an awesome idea to decorate with the snowflakes like that. They are so perfectly lovely. I am never EVER that creative or even inclined to decorate my baked goods, but you are tempting me to try. This is truly a white Christmas cake!

    Reply

  17. Hello Chef & Nicole! Such a treat to see your work here Nicole…I’ve viewed some spectacular posts on your blog and Facebook, but this cake is gorgeous, beautifully photographed and decidedly festive. Brava! Chef, please post pics of the Gingerbread House.

    Reply

  22. Nicole-This cake is just stunning, and I love shimmering snow on top of the cake. Here in Illinois this year, we might not have a white Christmas, but at least I can make your cake and have a White Christmas!

    Chef-Can’t wait to see the gingerbread creation!

    Reply

  24. Wow this is one gorgeous cake! I love the snowflake decorations, the frosting truely does look like snow. I bet it tastes absolutely amazing!

    Reply

  27. Hope you are well and enjoying the lead up to the holidays Chef Dennis. I am so in awe of this white cake. It’s just so pretty. Congrats on top 9 you two. Heading over to Nicole’s now to say hello.

    Reply

  38. We had a cake at my father-in-law’s b-day party last weekend with whipped frosting. It was so good and I was wondering how to make whipped frosting. Now I know. Thanks!

    Reply

  43. Hi, I tried making this cake and I have a couple of questions. What consistency should the batter have? At first it was very liquidy, but the cake turned out great! On my last batch, I accidentally added all of the milk with the egg whites, and therefore had to start adding a little bit of the egg mixture while mixing the butter. That batter turned out thicker, much like a cake mix. I haven’t tried it yet to see how it turned out. So what should the consistency be?

    Also, on the frosting, mine turned out looking a little more liquid like and less whipped looking from the picture. Any ideas on what I did wrong?

    Reply

    • hi Rachel

      I am interested to see how the second version of the cake turned out, my only thoughts are that when you changed the order of adding ingredients that it emulsified the batter making it look thicker. I honestly don’t think it would affect taste, just possibly the texture. As for the frosting if the butter was too warm it may have made it look less whipped, while it does need to be softened it still needs to be as cold as possible. The change in temp would effect it. Did you let the butter whip long enough as well as the finished frosting at a high enough speed?

      Dennis

      Reply

  44. Thanks for your reply. Finished the second one, and it did taste the same, it was just slightly denser. On the frosting, I probably had let the butter set out on the counter a little long to the point where it was not cold. Going to try that again and let it whip longer both times. My husband has been sampling the cake and LOVES it! It is a very moist, light cake! I’m actually making this for a baby shower (w/o the snow), so I’m sure they are going to love it. Thanks again!

    Reply

  45. Hi. By any chance, have you weighed your flour? I like to have precise measurements if at all possible. Do you sift a bunch of cake flour first and then spoon that into a measuring cup and level it off to get the right amount? Thanks!

    Reply

    • hi Peggy

      no the flour wasn’t weighed, sorry. It was sifted first, then spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off. This was a guest post on my blog, but I did make it for myself and followed the instructions and it came out really well.

      Dennis

      Reply

  46. I made this yesterday to take to a friends party and it turned out great although I just used a plain buttercream frosting with a few crushed up fruit tingles in it turned out fab, I didn’t sift any flour either and still turned out great nice light and airy was yum! Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply

  48. The cake looks amazing! I would like to ask, where u have written PLUS near d ingredients, does that mean that if needed you add those ingredients or you add them later on ? Thanks ! 🙂

    Reply

    • hi Lara

      the ingredient amount should be as written, i.e 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. That means both of the amounts should be used when called for, nothing should be held back for later or as needed. This was a guest post by a friend of mine and that’s just how she wrote the ingredients out.

      Good luck with the cake, I’ve gotten rave reviews from people that have made it.

      Cheers
      Dennis

      Reply

  50. I made this cake last year when I first came upon it. It is quite possibly the most magical tasting cake I have ever made. It made our mouths sing “Hallelujah”. It has been my go to white cake ever since and when I am asked for the recipe, I really don’t want to share it. LOL…. but I do because how can I hold on to this tongue happy deliciousness.

    Reply

  51. I am so excited to make this for Christmas dinner this year – absolutely beautiful! The snowflakes call for “clear alcohol or extract.” I should probably know what this means, but I’m not really sure what to use. Can you explain this ingredient?

    Reply

  52. THANK YOU! I made the cake for Christmas! it looks MAGICAL! you gave easy to follow instructions and I can not wait till my grandchildren see it!

    Reply

  53. Hi Chef Dennis!
    Thanks to Sweet Peony for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. I will bake this cake tomorrow for a birthday and the birth day girl asked me if I could make a christmas themed cake but when I asked her if she had anything in mind she told me that she prefers almond flavored cakes. So the question is: Can I substitute the vanilla extract for pure almond extract in the batter? I will keep the frosting vanilla flavored. I was wondering if this could be done without compromising the flavor of the cake and the icing.
    Thanks,
    Mariela

    Reply

  54. I just made this white cake and I took it out of the pans to cool, the center has fallen in both layers. What went wrong? Thank you linda

    Reply

    • hi Linda

      it could be for a number of reasons

      1. your oven temp may have been off, which could mean it needed to cook longer
      2. over beating the mix
      3. baking powder was old or used too much
      4. if you let it sit too long before baking

      Hope this helps some

      Dennis

      Reply

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