Two Incredibly Simple Christmas-Themed Cakes
The festive Christmas atmosphere surrounds us every day. There's a $25 Christmas tree placed at the studio's entrance, and stepping inside instantly fills you with the holiday spirit. So, why not make some cakes with Christmas-themed designs? Of course, being a minimalist myself, I would naturally make Christmas cakes in a light and refreshing style. These two cakes are very simple, easy to make, and not overly challenging. Give them a try! Plus, it doesn't matter if the frosting isn't smooth – that's totally fine. If you have trouble smoothing it out, just leave it uneven. The current trend is leaning towards the 'imperfect frosting' look anyway! I haven't specifically listed the exact quantities needed for the ingredients in this process; approximate amounts are mentioned in the steps. You can follow your own preferences, as the quantities provided are only rough estimates!
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare a 6-inch cake in advance, in your preferred flavor, and divide it into three layers. We're using cocoa sponge for this recipe.
Whip 250 grams of cream with 18-20 grams of sugar using a mixer.
Whip the cream for the filling until stiff peaks form.
Spread a layer of cream on the cake layer.
Add your favorite fruits on top.
Cover with another layer of cream and smooth it out.
Use the excess cream to spread along the sides of the cake.
Place another cake layer and repeat the steps to fill it.
Thinly spread a layer of cream over the surface of the sponge to prevent loose crumbs when frosting. Refrigerate.
Whip 200 grams of cream with 14-16 grams of sugar. If there's leftover cream from earlier, you can whip it together.
Whip the cream to about 70-80% (soft peaks) to give it a smooth texture for frosting.
Add more cream to the top and roughly smooth it out.
Frost the sides evenly and finish working on the top.
Place a strawberry in the center for the nose and use melted chocolate to draw the eyes.
Whip any leftover cream and pipe the edge of the hat with a small round nozzle (about 1.5mm in diameter).
Use Wilton Tip #21 to pipe Santa's beard.
Place halved strawberries as the hat decoration to finish the cake.
Follow the earlier steps to frost another cake layer, then use a palette knife to create some texture on the surface.
Use a toothpick to outline a Christmas tree and trace 'Merry Christmas,' then refrigerate.
Soften 50 grams of butter and whip with 7 grams of powdered sugar. Gradually add 70 grams of cream (at room temperature, 25°C) in three additions and whip until light and fluffy.
Divide the mixture into two portions and color them red and green. Use AmeriColor 120 for red and mix AmeriColor 109 with a bit of AmeriColor 120 for green.
Use Wilton Tip #18 to pipe the green Christmas tree. Use a small nozzle (1mm) to pipe the red text. Decorate with gold, silver, and white sugar pearls and snowflake shapes.
Here is the finished look.
Here is the finished look.