19 Of Our Best Holiday Cake Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What type of cake is traditionally eaten at Christmas time? ›

Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, served at Christmas time in many countries.

Panettone, Italy

Originating from Milan, Italy, this cake has become one of the most popular Christmas cakes around Europe and in many parts of the world. The panettone is a dome-shaped spongecake with a sweet, yeasty taste. Similar to sourdough, this cake needs to be proofed three times before it is baked.

A Christmas cake is a heavy cake containing much dried fruit and usually having a covering of icing. It is made to be eaten at Christmas. It can also be called a fruitcake.

The updated recipe used by McVitie's is said to have been created by Elizabeth Ewing of Inverness, whose husband was a baker at McVitie's. Her husband had eaten a similar cake whilst stationed in Tunisia during World War II. It is now sold seasonally by some supermarkets in the UK.

Here's a detailed explanation to clarify the differences: Ingredients: Both cakes contain dried fruits like raisins, currants, and cherries. However, traditional Christmas cake often includes more varied fruits and nuts, and sometimes incorporates alcohol like brandy or rum.

Fruit cake is a traditional cake made with candied and dried fruit, nuts and spices. The fact that it is generally soaked in spirits like brandy, bourbon or rum contributes to its reputation for having a long shelf life.

About the Recipe: The original recipe was a West Jerusalem Palestinian Christian family favorite that was baked for decades. It inspired me to recreate this cake, highlighting the journey of the 3 Kings and adding flavors of golden oranges, sweet balsamic tang, and smoky almonds to the recipe.

Panettone and pandoro are the most popular Christmas cakes eaten during the Christmas period in Italy.

These Irish delicacies often are filled with spices and fruits. Irish Whiskey can be used to make these fine deserts as well. These cakes take on twist on a basic chocolate cake. They include marzipan frosting and items of holiday decor of course, such as mistletoe!

Bannocks are a home-made, unleavened form of bread or oatcake, which is what made Scotland to be referred to as the country which is called the land of cakes. Scotland is known for serving some of the best culinary experiences.

Where is panettone cake from? ›

Origins. In Italy, historical accounts of panettone invariably state that it originated in Milan. The word panettone derives from panetto, a small loaf of bread. The augmentative suffix -one changes the meaning to "large bread".

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852.

It was around this time that the custom of cooking and eating a special porridge on Christmas Eve started. This porridge is supposed to have consisted of oats, dried fruits, spices, honey, and even meat (not always, though), and would over the centuries be transformed into what we know as the plum cake today.

Like most British food eaten during winter and early spring, the Simnel cake contains lots of dried fruit, but it is much lighter than boozy Christmas cake and contains a layer or marzipan both on top and within, and is decorated with eleven marzipan balls, each symbolising Jesus's disciples (minus the treacherous ...

Christmas cakes contain much the same ingredients as Christmas pudding, but they're a little less dense and of course they're baked in the oven. Traditional Christmas cakes are usually made a couple of months earlier than Christmas puddings as they really improve in flavour and richness with maturation and feeding.