16 New Year's Cake and Sweet Baked Goodness Recipes

Treat your family and friends to a truly festive homemade cake or easy-to-make holiday baked goods.

How to Cook - 16 Recipes for New Year's Cakes and Sweet Baked Goods

The best holiday cake ideas for New Year and Christmas

During the winter holidays sweets flow like a river. Cookie, cupcakes, candies, cakes... you name it, we have all sorts of things in our homes! However, when it comes to the perfect ending to a holiday feast, nothing compares to a beautiful cake. Whether you're preparing a grand masterpiece, festive cupcakeWhether it's a frosted cake or a piled-up cake with whipped cream, it's guaranteed to please guests. In this collection, we've compiled some of our best Christmas cake recipes. There's truly something for every skill level, including this luxurious Advent wreath cake, perfect for those ready to test their skills. Hidden beneath swirls of buttercream, sugar snowflakes, and a scattering of nonpareils, this red velvet cake is brimming with holiday spirit.

Recipe: Christmas Wreath Cake

Jingle Bell Cupcake

This large Christmas cake, decorated with icing, pomegranate seeds, and chopped almonds, is both stunning in appearance and delicious in flavor. To bake, use a large round pan with a hole in the center to ensure even baking on all sides. It's made with a blend of almond and wheat flour, along with plenty of extra-virgin olive oil, whose flavor is enhanced by the exquisite almonds. The oil gives the cake a deliciously moist and soft texture. Drizzle with icing and decorate after it's completely cooled.

Recipe: Jingle Bell Cupcake

New Year's Cake "Melting Snowman"

If the weather turns out to be warm and slushy during the winter holidays, don't be upset. Instead, make a joke about it, which will also lift the spirits of your guests. This gorgeous snowman cake is a little panicked because it's melting! But it's impossible not to smile at his sweet face.

Recipe: New Year's Cake "Melting Snowman"

Bûche de Noël (Yule log)

A Yule log (French: bûche de Noël) is a traditional Christmas cake popular in France and French-speaking countries. It originated as a replacement for the pagan custom of burning a Yule log on Christmas Day. Therefore, every French housewife puts forth every effort and skill to ensure her log is as realistic as possible. The base of the cake is a roll of light and spongy genoise sponge cake, spread with coffee or chocolate buttercream. The cross-section of the roll resembles tree rings, and the buttercream on the surface of the log is decorated to resemble tree bark. The Yule log is traditionally surrounded by various woodland-themed figurines. Following the recipe, you can easily make cute mushrooms, holly sprigs, and pine cones out of marzipan. Your cake will be a true highlight of your holiday table.

Recipe: Bûche de Noël (Yule log)

Gingerbread wafer cake with mint cream

This easy-to-make layered cake is perfect for any winter holiday. It features ten gingerbread-flavored layers, and there's no need to bake them in the oven—all the layers cook quickly in a Belgian waffle iron! Decorate it however you like. For example, sprinkle it with red-and-white striped candies, gumdrops, or any other candies popular during the winter holidays and help create a Christmassy atmosphere.

Recipe: Gingerbread wafer cake with mint cream

Norwegian Bløtkake cake

"Bløtkake is a festive Norwegian cake topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. I first tried it at a Norwegian Constitution Day party, and then at my husband's family's Christmas parties. This version is based on a family recipe I copied from a very old notebook," shares Molly Yeh.

Recipe: Norwegian Bløtkake cake

Stollen (German Christmas cake)

This traditional German dessert with candied fruit and nuts can be served plain or covered with powdered sugar or icing.

Recipe: Stollen (German Christmas cake)

New Year's Garland Cake

The idea of decorating your holiday table with a cake can strike at the most unexpected moment; the last thing you want to worry about is a bulky cake. A lightweight cake made with store-bought layers will come to the rescue by the time you're in the kitchen. All you need to do is add a unique touch with a colorful Christmas tree garland. All you need is a tube of edible black gel for the wires and colorful gummy candies for the light bulbs. This decoration will look stunning against the crisp white frosting! And the kids will love helping you frost the cake.

Recipe: New Year's Garland Cake

Eggnog Cake

This quick cake is made with store-bought sponge and pudding mix. Simply layer all the ingredients in a pan (no kneading required!), top with eggnog, and pop in the oven for the magic to happen, transforming the crumbly mixture into a beautiful dessert with a crumbly crust and soft vanilla filling. Sprinkle with nutmeg for a festive flavor boost, and serve with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Recipe: Eggnog Cake

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New Year's Tree Cake

Surprising your guests with this cake won't be difficult. Despite its apparent complexity, the dessert is simply made of square sponge cake layers covered with green frosting. This "New Year's tree" is truly unique. As befits a symbol of the New Year holidays, it's decorated with a star on top and even an edible garland.

Recipe: New Year's Tree Cake

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Considered a modern classic of British cuisine, this dessert is very popular, including as a restaurant dish. The moist sponge cake is drizzled with a toffee-like caramel sauce and served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Making this dessert at home isn't all that difficult, just follow the recipe below.

Recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Peppermint M&M'S Tree Cake

This classic vanilla cake with airy buttercream frosting adds a cool, minty note, topped with M&M'S Christmas trees. To create these trees, ice cream cones are coated with chocolate icing, then decorated with green and red M&M'S candies and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. The perfect decoration for a Christmas or New Year's dessert.

Recipe: Peppermint M&M'S Tree Cake

Chocolate Santa's Reindeer Cake

Cut this luxurious chocolate cake into eight pieces, arrange them on plates, and let your guests marvel at the Santa's reindeer in each one. To decorate the cake, you'll need M&Ms (brown or red), pretzels, and candy eyes.

Recipe: Chocolate Santa's Reindeer Cake

Corn Pie with Caramel Walnut Topping

Giada De Laurentiis infused this moist cornbread with several traditional holiday flavors, like tart cranberry and refreshing orange. Each slice is served with homemade walnut caramel sauce for added sweetness.

Recipe: Corn Pie with Caramel Walnut Topping

Mint cake with candy cane sprinkles

This snow-white cake, covered with rich peppermint-flavored icing and sprinkled with crushed red and white candy canes, is well worth the time and effort. Bake it for Christmas or New Year's and delight your guests with a vibrant, festive dessert.

Recipe: Mint cake with candy cane sprinkles

The best dried fruit and nut muffin

Dried fruit cake has become a national holiday joke in the United States, as if the same loaf is given away every year for Christmas. Despite the ridicule, this recipe attempts to rehabilitate it, and it must be said, the result is magnificent. The cake is literally filled with a wealth of natural dried fruits, citrus, nuts, and spices, and infused with aromatic brandy, resulting in a soft and moist cake. A true taste of the winter holidays! The ingredients listed make two cakes, so one is perfect for gifting to friends or neighbors.

Recipe: The best dried fruit and nut muffin