The Ultimate Collection of Christmas Cake Recipes for the Holidays
(Text and recipe by Jennifer Pallian. Produced by Sun Ngo. Photography by Carmen Cheung. Food Styling by Eshun Mott. Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.)
It's not a Christmas feast without dessert on the table. And while there are plenty of ways to sweeten the holiday, there's nothing like the smell of freshly baked cake wafting through the kitchen that makes festive moments more special. From warm and comforting gingerbread to creamy bites of eggnog, we've rounded up our top Christmas cake recipes for 2025—all are fun, festive, and easy to make at home for (or with!) your loved ones.
Chocolate Yule Log
This yule log, also known as a bûche de Noël, is as spectacular to eat as it is to look at. Plus, recipe developer Jennifer Pallian shares a smart hack for rolling it up. Get her chocolate Yule log recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Chocoflan
Sometimes called “pastel impossible,” which translates to impossible cake, chocoflan is a dessert for the chocolate lovers, the cooking science nerds and the efficient home cook who wants the wow-factor of a layer cake without the work of actually making one. After pouring an eggy milk custard over a dark chocolate cake batter in a bundt pan, the layers reverse during baking, as if by magic. Get Chantal Braganza's pumpkin spice chocoflan recipe.
Eggnog Snowflake Cake Bites
Cut these delicious cake bites into diamonds and garnish with icing sugar to make a beautiful (and edible) holiday snowflake. Get our eggnog snowflake cake bites recipe.
Gingerbread Layer Cake With Brown-Butter Icing
Molasses and ginger impart this gingerbread layer cake with loads of comforting holiday flavours. Paired with the deep rich flavour of brown-butter, this cake will have you asking for seconds. Get our gingerbread layer cake with brown-butter icing recipe.
Coffee Toffee Date Bundt Cake
This plush date and coffee Bundt cake is anointed with glistening toffee sauce. Puréeing the soaked dates until smooth allows them to meld fully into the batter; for more of a visual presence and additional fruity chew, leave them slightly coarse. Get this coffee toffee date bundt cake recipe.
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Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Bars
This festive cheesecake has all the flavours of the classic holiday candy. If you can get hold of peppermint oil, it will give an even more vibrant mint taste. Get our Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Shortcut Croquembouche
Not technically a cake, but impressive nonetheless, this festive centrepiece uses premade cream puffs so you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen. Get this croquembouche recipe.
Chocolate-Orange Jaffa Cake
Our riff on the U.K.'s Jaffa cake cookies is utterly irresistible. (Orange and chocolate are an underused—but dynamic—duo.) This easy cake is gorgeous on its own, but the glossy chocolate glaze adds the perfect touch of elegance. Get our chocolate-orange jaffa cake recipe.
The Ultimate Holiday Fruitcake
Readers used to write and call every year asking for this recipe. Originally in our December 1997 issue, it is moist, rich and delicious (thanks to a secret ingredient or two). No wonder it’s Canada’s favourite fruitcake! Get our ultimate holiday fruitcake recipe.
Pink Coconut Snowballs
These vibrantly pink mini cakes make a sweet and stunning addition to any holiday dessert table. Get our pink coconut snowballs recipe.
Ice Cream Fruitcake
This no-bake dessert is a cool twist on the traditional Christmas fruitcake, drizzled with sherry-infused berry sauce. It's also one of our most requested holiday recipes. Get our ice cream fuitcake recipe.
Milk Punch Marble Cake
This twist on tres leches cake can be shaken up in no time with store-bought pound cake. Caribbean milk punch is a silky, booze-forward drink studded with grated coconut. This recipe is courtesy of Zeke Goodwin, a Toronto-based food stylist and pastry chef. And if you have the time, bake the marble cake, too! Get our milk punch marble cake recipe.
Coconut Shag Cake
Coated with crisp coconut flakes, each forkful is light, airy and unbelievably delicious — everything you want in a cake. Get our coconut shag cake recipe.
Baked Alaska
As impressive to serve at a party today as it was in the 1950s, this retro dessert is deceptively easy to pull off. Get our baked Alaska recipe.
Rum-Raisin Bundt Cake
Ease the holiday rush with a Rum-Raisin Bundt Cake, perfect for a lazy breakfast, afternoon tea or any family gathering. Let people serve themselves — because that’s how they’ll get the biggest piece. Get our rum-raisin bundt cake recipe.
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Jan Reitchelle Atanacio (she/her) is a Filipino poet, pastry chef, and language tutor based in Toronto, Canada. Her focus is currently pulled between writing for magazines, making bread, and finishing her great-grandfather's memoir. You might find her crying over a book somewhere on the TTC.
