3 Must Try White Cake Christmas Recipes

It all starts, of course, with our treasured family recipe boxes and notecards filled with our mothers' and grandmothers' handwriting. We also like to throw in a few of our own family-favorite Christmas recipes we'll be passing down one day, too. Planning festive menus for every Christmas gathering, from a casual cocktail supper to a Christmas Eve feast, is our specialty and you'll never catch us unprepared. All the Christmas trimmings are here, and the charm begins with just a little inspiration.

# White Cake

Ingredients

Cake Layer

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
7 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk

Vanilla Buttercream

2 cups unsalted butter, softened
7 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup heavy cream

Garnishes

Rosemary sprigs
Powdered sugar
Gingerbread Cookies

Method

* Prepare the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds, and spray paper.

* Combine butter and sugar in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop mixer, and scrape down sides. With mixer running on low speed, add egg whites, 1 at a time, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add extracts, beating on low speed just until combined.

* Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, alternating with milk, in 3 parts, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until blended after each addition. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.

* Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from pans, 24 to 26 minutes.

* Cool Cake Layers in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove pans, and cool completely before frosting, 30 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 2 hours or refrigerate 4 to 6 hours before frosting.)

* Prepare the Vanilla Buttercream: Beat butter in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. With mixer running, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer running on medium speed, gradually add cream, beating until fluffy and spreadable, about 30 seconds.

* Place 1 Cake Layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon about half of buttercream into a large 16-inch disposable piping bag. Cut a 1⁄2-inch opening in tip of bag. Pipe buttercream, 1⁄3 inch high, in concentric circles starting from the outside and working your way in. Top with second Cake Layer; repeat process, refilling bag as needed. Top with third Cake Layer; repeat process. Generously cover cake with buttercream using an offset spatula. Drag spatula around sides of cake, starting at the bottom. Smooth top of cake.

* Insert rosemary into top of cake; dust with powdered sugar. Top with cookies.

# White Cake with Bourbon Buttercream

Ingredients

Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 dashes of bitters

Additional Ingredients

Basic White Cake layers

Frosting

2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnishes

Sugar-Coated Orange Slices
Sparkling Cherries

Method

* Prepare Buttercream: Beat butter in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Gradually add milk and next 3 ingredients, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth.

* Place 1 Basic White Cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half of buttercream over cake layer. Top with second layer, and spread remaining buttercream over cake layer. Top with third cake layer.

* Prepare Frosting: Pour water to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into bottom of a double boiler over medium heat; bring to a boil. Stir together egg whites, next 3 ingredients, and 1/2 cup water in top of double boiler; beat at low speed with a handheld electric mixer until blended.

* Place top of double boiler over boiling water, and increase mixer speed to high. Beat 7 minutes or until soft glossy peaks form and frosting is spreading consistency. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Spread immediately over top and sides of cake.

# White Cake with Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
32 ounces powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp. milk
12 hard peppermint candies
Basic White Cake layers

Method

* Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in extracts. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 2 Tbsp. milk. Beat at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Add up to 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, beating until frosting reaches desired consistency.

* Reserve 2 cups frosting in a small bowl. Process peppermint candies in a food processor until finely crushed. Stir 1/4 cup crushed candies into reserved 2 cups frosting.

* Place 1 Basic White Cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup peppermint candy frosting mixture over cake layer. Top with second layer, and spread remaining 1 cup peppermint candy frosting over cake layer. Top with third cake layer, and spread top and sides of cake with remaining plain peppermint frosting. Sprinkle with remaining crushed candies, or top with meringues or fondant bow.

* For the cover look, buy 1 lb. each of red and white rolled fondant from the cake section of a crafts store. Roll a thin red strip, and follow our steps below for the bow. Dust your countertop with cornstarch or powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

* Make the Bow: Create a Cover-Worthy Cake Garnish

* Roll Long Strips: You'll need a rolling pin, pizza wheel, ruler, and red and white fondant. Roll a chunk of red and chunk of white fondant into two long strips (about 1/8 inch thick). Using ruler and pizza wheel, cut white fondant into thin strips.

* Make Striped Ribbon: Moisten finger with water; rub one side of one thin white strip. Place strip, moist side down, on red to form a stripe. Repeat with two to three strips. Roll gently with rolling pin. Repeat as needed to make more ribbons.

* Cut, Shape, Dry: Cut two identical ribbons for tails. Place foil under tails to create folds. Form loops of bow by wrapping ribbon around a cardboard roll, leaving 1/4 inch excess on ends. Pinch ends. Cut a small rectangle for knot. Let dry 24 hours.

* Assemble Bow: Place bow tails on cake, draping down sides. Place bow loops over ribbon on top of cake (loop ends touching). Tip loops at an angle, and press gently into frosting to secure. Cover seam with knot, using frosting as glue, if needed.