I always felt intimidated by beautiful layer cakes, and thought they were too complicated to make until I gave it a try! This cake is not at all difficult to make, as with clear instructions and a great recipe, you can easily make this impressive cake all by yourself. This cake is not your standard cake, it’s made so moist, tender, and rich with the addition of sour cream and heavy cream whipped into the cake batter. This Christmas layer cake is spongy but also moist at the same time. Everyone is going to love it. Need another dessert idea? Try my easy No Bake Cheesecake too! Looking for a dessert recipe shaped like a Christmas tree? I have you covered with my pull-apart chocolate chip Christmas dessert!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
To make this Christmas Layer Cake, you’ll need the following ingredients: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can easily make it! For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Baking powder, baking soda, and salt: These ingredients are found in almost every cake recipe. They are added to the flour to make up our dry ingredient mixture. Egg whites: the secret behind a fluffy cake. Butter: Use unsalted butter for baking cakes. Salted butter can have varying amounts of salt in it, and I prefer to be able to control the amount in my baked goods. Granulated sugar: This is the sweetener for our cake batter. Sour cream and heavy cream: The two cake batter additions that make this the best funfetti cake you’ve ever had. If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute with Greek yogurt, it works well. Pure vanilla extract: I always buy the best one that I can afford, as it makes a huge difference. Buttercream: This recipe for Vanilla Buttercream is my go to. Holiday sprinkles: I used Wilton’s Christmas jimmies for the cake layers, and decorated the cake from the outside with just holiday sprinkles that I found at Walmart. You can use your favorites, but avoid using nonpareils as they bleed into the batter.
How to Make This Christmas Layer Cake
How to Decorate a Christmas Layer Cake
Recipe Success Tips
Avoid Overmixing: An overmixed cake can become tough after baking. Mix ingredients until just combined. Sift the Flour after Measuring: Measure the cake flour first by spooning it into a measuring cup and then leveling the top of the cup with the flat side of a butter knife. Then sift using a flour sifter or a mesh sieve. The Best Pans: For beautiful layer cakes, straight-sided cake pans will give you the best results. I use these 9-inch nonstick pans and get amazing results every time. For Neat Layering: To get a neat-looking cake, add a tiny bit of frosting to your cake stand or cake turntable, to stop the cake from moving as you frost. Then place the first layer of cake upside down. Add your icing, making it a bit thicker around the outside edge. Then place the second layer upside down, so that the flat part is the top of the cake. Doing it this way means that you won’t need to cut off any cake to get it flat. Love layer cakes? Try making this amazing (and gluten-free!) Carrot Cake, an Easy Banana Cake, Strawberry Layer Cake, this delicious Butterscotch Cake, or my Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting.
Making Ahead and Storing Tips for Layer Cakes
Make ahead: You can bake the cake layers 1-2 days in advance, and store them at room temperature wrapped in parchment paper then in plastic wrap. The buttercream can also be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. The frosted cake can be made 2-3 days in advance and again, stored in the fridge. Leftovers: Leftover cake can be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can also freeze slices of cake in airtight containers for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
How to cut clean, perfect cake slices
You’ve spent time making a beautiful Christmas cake, so you’ll want to be sure it’s beautiful when you slice it too! Try one of these methods to make flawless cake slices I can’t wait to hear about how much everyone loved this beautiful Christmas layer cake! Serve it with a big bowl of Christmas Punch, and Happy Holidays! © Little Sunny Kitchen
