Holiday Gift Cake
Celebrate the season with this irresistible Holiday Gift Cake, a show-stopping dessert that's perfect for sharing or gifting. Featuring warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, this moist and tender cake is elegantly topped with a creamy, whipped cream cheese frosting. Optional add-ins like chopped pecans and dried cranberries add festive bursts of flavor and texture, making this cake as beautiful as it is delicious. Whether served as the centerpiece of your holiday table or wrapped with a ribbon to delight loved ones, this recipe is easy to prepare and delivers all the cozy flavors of the holidays in every bite. Ideal for gifting, entertaining, or indulging, this cake transforms simple ingredients into a true holiday masterpiece!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoons ground ginger
- 0.75 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 0.5 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 0.75 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 0.5 cups pecans, chopped (optional)
- 0.5 cups dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan or 2 8-inch round cake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
If using nuts or cranberries, fold them gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar on low speed until fully incorporated.
Add the heavy cream and beat on high for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
Once the cake is completely cool, frost it generously with the cream cheese frosting and decorate with additional pecans or dried cranberries, if desired.
Slice the cake and serve, or package it beautifully as a holiday gift!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
5904 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 296.3 g | 380% | |
| Saturated Fat | 157.0 g | 785% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 1249 mg | 416% | |
| Sodium | 3798 mg | 165% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 762.9 g | 277% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 14.3 g | 51% | |
| Total Sugars | 560.2 g | ||
| Protein | 72.0 g | 144% | |
| Vitamin D | 5.1 mcg | 25% | |
| Calcium | 762 mg | 59% | |
| Iron | 17.4 mg | 97% | |
| Potassium | 1409 mg | 30% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
