Christmas Cakes & Breads
Recipes

A delicious selection of Christmas cakes and Christmas breads. There are many cake recipes to choose from, including a wonderful Dark Christmas Cake Recipe and a Christmas Log Cake. Among the Christmas Breads recipes find Greek, Italian, and Swedish.
 
Almond Butter Christmas Cake Recipe

3 cup Cake Flour; sifted
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Butter; or shortening
1 1/2 cup Sugar
3 Eggs; unbeaten
1/2 cup Almonds; finely chopped
1/2 cup Raisins; finely cut
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly. Add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Add nuts and raisins and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans 375F for 25 minutes, or until done.

Spread frosting (try a lemon butter frosting) between layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate top of cake with wreath of holly, using pieces of maraschino cherries or red cinnamon candies for berries and slices of angelica or citron for leaves and stems. Or decorate with poinsettias made of candied cherries. Slice cherries in rings, cut rings in half, and arrange to form petals of poinsettias.

Black Walnut Christmas Cake Recipe

1/2 cup Butter
4 Eggs; separated
2 cup Flour; sifted
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Black walnuts; fine chopped

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks all at once. Add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside 1 cup of the dry ingredients. Add the remaining flour mixture and the milk in small portions, alternately, mixing well with each addition, starting and ending with an addition of the dry ingredients.

Mix together, the reserved flour and the nuts, and stir into the batter, mixing just until blended. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold them into the batter. Bake in a 9"x5" greased and floured loaf pan, or 3 quart mold at 350F about 50-60 minutes, or until done. Frost with your favorite icing.


Christmas Log Cake Recipe

CAKE:
1 cup Cake flour, sifted
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking powder
4 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tb Lemon juice

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS:
2 Egg whites
1/4 cup Cream of tartar
1/4 cup Sugar
Cocoa, powdered

BUTTER CREAM
1 cup Butter, sweet; softened
3 Egg yoke

ICING
1 tb Espresso, powdered
1 tb Milk
3 cup Sugar, confectioners; sifted
Food coloring, green

Grease a jellyroll-baking sheet. Line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper. Sift dry ingredients together. Beat eggs at high speed about 5 to 10 minutes. Add sugar by tablespoonfuls. Continue beating until the butter is very thick. Then add lemon juice and water. Fold in dry ingredients in four stages, 1/4 cup at a time. Spread evenly on the baking sheet. Bake at 375 F. for 15 minutes or until the sponge springs back when tested.

Sift powdered sugar onto the sponge. Turn cake out onto a clean tea towel. Remove parchment paper. Trim edges of the sponge if they are crispy. Roll up gently, leaving towel inside, while still warm. Let cool. Beat egg whites, and when foamy add the cream of tartar. When soft peaks form, gradually beat in the sugar. Beat until meringue is stiff and glossy. Pipe meringue through a pastry bag, making and equal number of stems and caps to resemble small mushrooms. Bake mushroom pieces at 250 F. about 45 minutes.

When cool, glue them together with butter cream icing and dust lightly with cocoa in a fine strainer. Beat egg yolks and butter together until smooth. Add coffee and milk. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Mix about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of the frosting with green food coloring for the ivy decoration.

TO ASSEMBLE: Unroll cooled sponge, remove towel, spread, and cake with butter cream icing. Roll up. Cut off at a diagonal, a 2" slice. This is the tree stump. Frost the outside, then add the stump and frost. Make ivy patterns. Add the mushrooms. Dust the whole cake very lightly with powdered sugar, to simulate snow. Keep in refrigerator. Cut with serrated knife.


Candy Bar Angel Cake

1 Angel food cake (prepared) -- cut into 1 " cubes
3 oz Fat-free vanilla pudding (instant)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 oz Cool Whip Lite. -- Thawed
3 2/3 oz Butterfingers. candy bar -- Crushed

Place angel food cake cubes in a 9 x 13" baking pan. Mix vanilla pudding according to package directions, adding the vanilla extract. Spoon vanilla pudding mixture over the cake cubes. Then, spread whipped topping over top pudding. Sprinkle with crushed candy bar.


Christmas Tree Cake Recipe

1 pkg Cake Mix (any flavor)
5 cup Confectioners' Sugar
3/4 cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 cup Water
1/3 cup Non-dairy Creamer
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tb Green Food Coloring
Peppermint Candies
Pretzel Rods
Large Gumdrops

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 13x9 pan. Prepare, bake and cool cake following package directions. For decorator frosting: Combine confectioners sugar, shortening, water, non-dairy creamer, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electricup mixer for 3 minutes. Beat at high speed for 5 min. Add more confectioners sugar to thicken or more water to thin as needed. Reserve 1 cup frosting. Tint remaining frosting w/ green food coloring.

Cut cooled cake diagonally and invert one piece so that the cake takes on a tree shape with a wide base. Spread green frosting over cake. Decorate tree with reserved white frosting and peppermint candies. Make trunk from pretzel rods. Roll out large gumdrop and cut with star cookie cutter. Top tree with gumdrop star. Decorate with colored mint candies, as ornament decorations, and use reserved white icing to make a tree garland.


Dark Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

1 lb Blanched almonds
3 lb seedless raisins
2 lb Currants
1 lb Candied cherries, Cut in half
1 lb Dried figs, chopped
1 lb Dates cut up
1 1/2 lb Chopped mixed candied peels
1 lb Candied pineapple, cut up
1 cup All-purpose flour
3 cup Soft butter
3 cup Brown sugar, packed
12 lg Egg yokes
5 1/2 cup Sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Mace
2 tsp Allspice
2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cloves
3 tsp Baking soda
3/4 cup Prune juice
1/4 cup Brandy
12 lg Egg whites

This recipe makes a very large amount (about 28 cups) of fruit cake batter and can be baked in a number of different sizes of pan. If you want to make several small cakes for gifts you can divide the batter among 9 8x4x3-inch loaf pans using a generous 3 cups of batter for each. Or if you wish to use larger loaf pans you can put the batter in 6 9x5x3-inch pans using a generous 4 1/2 cups batter in each. Bundt pans make attractive cakes and this amount of batter is enough for 3 12-cup Bundt pans using a generous 9 cups of batter in each. If you use 10-inch tube pans you can make 2 cakes using 12 cups of batter for each and an 8x4x2 1/2-inch loaf pan with the remaining batter.
Combine nuts and fruit in a very large bowl or roasting pan. Add 1 cup of flour and toss by hand to coat fruit with flour. Cream butter well (you can use your electric mixer for this part of the recipe). Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Sift 5 1/2 cups flour with salt, spices and soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with prune juice and brandy. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add this mixture to the fruit and nuts and blend well. The easiest way to blend this large amount of mixture is with your hands. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture.

Measure into prepared pans and press well into the corners. Heat oven to 275F. Bake cakes in 8x4x3-inch pans for about 3 hours, in 9x5x3-inch pans or Bundt pans for about 3 hours and 15 minutes and in 10-inch tube pans about 3 1/2 hours or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Let stand in pans a few minutes then turn out on racks and cool. Strip off paper and wrap cakes in cheesecloth dampened with brandy and then in foil and store in a cool place. MAKES 15 LBS OF FRUITCAKE.
 

White Christmas Cake Recipe

1/2 cup Water
4 oz White confectionery coating
1 cup Butter or margarine, -softened
2 cup Sugar
4 Eggs, separated
1 tb Vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Flaked coconut
1 cup Chopped pecans


FROSTING
8 oz Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Butter or margarine, -softened
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 lb Confectioners' sugar
1 tb Milk

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in confectionery coating until melted. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks; mix well. Beat in coating and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix well. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Beat egg whites until stiff peak form; fold into the batter. Pour into three greased and floured 8- in. Square baking pans.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Combine frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat well. Frost tops of two layers; stack on serving plat with plain layer on top. Frost top and side of cake.


Christmas Orange Bread Recipe

1/2 cup Prunes (baby food jar)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Orange juice
4 tsp Baking powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Chopped nuts
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Mashed banana
2 1/2 cup Unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup Mixed candied fruit

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, nuts, and candied fruit together. Combine and beat slightly the banana and orange juice; Set aside. Beat eggs into prunes one at a time. Alternately, add prune/egg mixture and banana/orange mixture to dry ingredients mixed with fruits and nuts. Pack into 9X5X3-loaf pan lightly sprayed with Pam and lined with wax paper. Bake at 350F for 1 hr. or until done. Cool 20 min. before removing wax paper and turning out on a rack. Cool before icing.

Icing- Mix powdered sugar into an egg white until smooth thin icing is made. Dot icing with cut up candied glaze cherries as desired. After frosting is firm, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate. Improves with freezing.


Christmas Stollen Recipe

1 cup Milk
1/2 cup + 2tb granulated sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 pkg Active dry yeast
1/4 cup Warm water
5 cup Sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Finely chopped candied -citron
1/2 cup Finely chopped candied -cherries
1 cup Slivered almonds
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 cup seedless raisins
2 Eggs, beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2/3 cup Sifted confectioners sugar
2 tb Hot water

Pour milk into a saucepan. Heat to scalding. Turn off heat; stir in 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the salt. Let mixture cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2-cup warm water; let mixture rest for 5 minutes. Pour lukewarm milk mixture into yeast solution. Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Beat dough with electricup mixer or eggbeater until smooth. Cover bowl with cloth towel; let dough rise in a warm place 1 hour and 30 minutes or until double in bulk.

Punch down dough in bowl; fold in citron, cherries, almonds, lemon rind and raisins. Add eggs, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of the softened butter and the nutmeg. Stir in 3 more cups flour; mix dough until smooth. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, working in enough of remaining flour to make dough smooth and elastic. Divide dough into halves; roll each portion into an oval, about 1/2" thick.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter; brush it over ovals. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon with remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; sprinkle mixture over ovals. Fold ovals in half, lengthwise. Place them on buttered baking sheet. Twist ends of each oval toward each other to form a crescent. Loosely cover ovals with wax paper and a cloth towel. Let Stollen rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until double in bulk. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake Stollen 45 minutes or until golden.

In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with enough of the hot water to make thick icing. Dribble icing over hot Stollen; let Stollen cool before slicing. Makes 1 Stollen.


Easy Christmas Stollen Recipe

1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Mixed candied fruits; chopped
2 tb Brandy
3 cup Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Almonds, ground
2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cardamon, ground
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Farmer cheese (or cottage -cheese)
2 Egg; slightly beaten
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Walnuts; chopped
2 tb Butter; melted
1 1/2 cup Sugar, confectioners
2 tb Milk
Candied cherries
Whole almonds

Combine the raisins, mixed candied fruit and brandy; let stand at room temperature for an hour. Combine the next eight ingredients. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Process the farmer cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, raisin mixture, and walnuts to the dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.

Shape the dough into a ball. Turn the dough out on a floured surface, and knead until smooth (one to two minutes), adding more flour if necessary. Roll dough to form an oval about 12" x 8-1/2". Brush the dough with a tablespoon of the melted butter. Fold the long side of the dough over to within about an inch and a half of the opposite side. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 350 F. for 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaf is lightly browned. Brush with the remaining melted butter.

Transfer the stollen to wire rack to cool. Combine the confectioners' sugar and milk, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled bread. Garnish with candied cherries and almonds.
   

Christmas Kuchen Recipe

1 pkg Active dry yeast
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Warm water (105F-to-115F)
3/4 cup Butter; at room temperature
1 Lemon; Grated peel only
1 Orange; Grated peel only
1/2 tsp Dried mace
1 1/2 tb Ground anise seed or coriander
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs; at room temperature
2 1/2 cup Bread flour (or more)
3/4 cup Warm milk (105F-to-115F)

If you want to give a friend a special holiday gift, put a bright ribbon around this bread. When tightly wrapped, it freezes well for 1 to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 350F. Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Beat 1/2-cup butter in food processor until light. Gradually add remainder of sugar as you beat butter. Add lemon and orange peels, mace, coriander (or anise) and salt. Add yeast mixture. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and then milk. Add enough flour, 1/2-cup at a time, to make soft dough. Knead dough until elasticup and smooth. Place dough in oiled plasticup bag or oiled bowl and turn to coat. Seal or cover with plasticup wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

Turn out dough on floured surface, punch down and cut into 2 pieces. Shape each into rectangular loaf and place on greased baking sheet. Melt remaining 1/4-cup butter and use to lightly brush tops of loaves.

TO PRESENT AS A GIFT: Make paper ribbon strips the width of your gift ribbons and tie the bread loosely with the paper strips; secure with paper clips, leaving enough room for the breads to rise. The paper will leave marks for the position of the gift ribbons. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-to-40 minutes. Bake loaves about 30-to-45 minutes. Remove and place on a rack to cool. Remove the paper strips. Replace strips with bright ribbons. Makes 2 Loaves


Greek Christmas Bread Recipe

1 pkg (or 1 tablespoon) Active Dry -Yeast
1/4 cup Warm Water (110 to 115 -degrees)
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Egg
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Golden Raisins
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine the sugar, cardamom, salt, egg, milk and oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture, flours, raisins and nuts. Mix well. Add enough extra flour to make soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf. Put the dough into a lightly oiled 8-inch-round cake pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in a 350F oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown.


Italian Christmas Bread Recipe

1 cup Warm water (105 to 115 -degrees)
2 pkg Active dry yeast
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or -margarine, softened
3 Eggs, beaten
1 Egg, separated
5 1/2 To 6 - cups sifted -all-purpose flour
1 cup Raisins
1 cup (8 oz) mixed candied peel
1/2 cup (4 oz) red candied cherries, -halved
1 tb Butter or margarine, melted
2 tb Water
2 tb Sugar

Sprinkle yeast over water in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, 1/2 cup butter, 3 eggs, the egg yolk and 3 cups flour; beat with wooden spoon or electricup mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually, add remaining flour; mix in last part with hand until dough leaves side of bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth, 5 minutes. (Dough is soft.) Place in lightly greased large bowl; turn to bring greased side up. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Grease well and line inside of 8" spring form pan with 4" strip of buttered brown paper. Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Knead in raisins and candied fruits until well-distributed, about 5 minutes. Place dough in prepared pan. Brush top with 1 Tbsp melted butter. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until more than double in bulk, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut deep cross on top of bread. Brush with egg white combined with 2 Tbsp water. Bake 30 minutes.

Remove bread form oven. Brush again with egg white mixture and sprinkle with sugar. Continue baking 30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.


Swedish Julbrod (Christmas Bread) Recipe

1 Bread Machine
1 cup Milk
4 tb Butter
1 Egg
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cardamom
3 cup Bread flour
2 1/2 tsp Yeast
2/3 cup Raisins
2/3 cup Citron; sliced
1 tb Almonds; chopped

Use Raisin Bread Cycle. At beep add the raisins, citron, and chopped almonds.