White Christmas Cake with all natural almond decor is just so stunning!
There is nothing better than beautiful, easy cakes for the holidays!
This version uses just two simple recipes for the cake and the icing.
The hardest part is choosing the best sliced almonds to form the pine cones
Expect to spend about an hour selecting and arranging the sliced almonds for the pine cone decorations.
If you prefer, there’s also a double chocolate version of this cake.
WATCH HOW I MADE THIS WHITE CHRISTMAS CAKE
Notes for Success
Pan sizes: I usually bake 7″ cakes with three layers, but for the holidays I prefer two-layer 8″ cakes. The batter here will make either three 7″ layers or two 8″ layers.
Flavor: Almond extract is a lovely addition to a white cake. If you prefer a milder flavor, replace the almond extract in both the batter and the buttercream with vanilla extract.
Optional tang: Adding lactic acid to the buttercream gives it a cream-cheese-like tang. This is optional and can be omitted if you don’t have it.
White Christmas Cake
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- 1 cup Plant Milk
- ½ cup Water
- 1 Tbs White Vinegar
- ⅔ cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Cake Flour
- 1½ teaspoons Baking Soda
For the Icing
- 1 Recipe Your Favorite Buttercream
- 1 teaspoon Almond extract
- 1 teaspoon Vegan Lactic Acid
- 8 ounces Sliced Almonds
- Fresh Rosemary sprigs as needed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line your cake pans (use three 7″ pans or two 8″ pans depending on which size you choose).
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In a large bowl whisk together plant milk, water, white vinegar, salt, vegetable oil, almond extract, and granulated sugar until combined.
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Sift the cake flour with baking soda, then add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients all at once. Whisk until smooth and free of lumps.
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Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 18 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F and continue baking until set — about 8 more minutes for 7″ layers or 12 more minutes for 8″ layers. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
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While the cakes bake, prepare your favorite buttercream. I add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon lactic acid to mine, but omit the lactic acid if you prefer.
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Follow the video for assembly and for shaping the almond pine cones. Arrange sliced almonds carefully, and use fresh rosemary sprigs as natural greenery to complete the festive look.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store the finished cake at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate and keep until serving for up to one week.