Looking for a Christmas cake that’s as beautiful as it is delicious? This Christmas cake with snowballs is the perfect showstopper for your holiday table! It’s a classic red velvet cake with smooth cream cheese frosting, topped with white Raffaello chocolates that look just like snowballs. The contrast between the deep red cake and the snowy white topping makes it a festive favorite, and it tastes just as good as it looks.
Christmas Baking
I absolutely love baking during the holiday season. There’s something so cozy about filling your kitchen with the smell of freshly baked cake while it’s cold outside. And of course, sharing your homemade bakes with friends and family makes it even more special. If you’re looking for more festive baking inspiration, check out my other Christmas recipes like my White Chocolate Biscoff Christmas Bark, my Christmas Lights Cookies and my Reindeer Oreo Cookies. But if you’re looking for something elegant and classic this year, this Red Velvet Christmas Cake with Snowballs is the one to try.
Click here for my Pinterest board with more than 100 vegetarian Christmas recipes.
Red Velvet Cake
Red velvet cake is one of the most popular cakes in the world, and for good reason! Originally from the United States, it became famous for its rich, velvety texture and subtle cocoa flavor. The deep red color traditionally came from natural reactions between vinegar, cocoa powder, and buttermilk, but these days most bakers add a bit of red food coloring for that festive hue. It’s a cake that’s both light and moist, with just the right amount of tang from the cream cheese frosting.
Tips for the Perfect Red Velvet Cake
- If you want your red velvet cake to look and taste perfect, I recommend baking the batter in two separate tins instead of baking one large cake and cutting it in half. This way, your cakes bake more evenly and stay extra soft and fluffy.
- Always make sure to let your cakes cool completely before adding the frosting — otherwise, the cream cheese layer might melt. And for that extra professional finish, spread a thin “crumb coat” of frosting first, chill the cake for 15 minutes, and then add the final smooth layer.
Ingredients Christmas Cake with Snowballs
Red Velvet Cake
You can either make the red velvet cake from scratch or use a baking mix like Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Mix if you want to save some time.
If you’re baking it from scratch, you’ll need:
- 250g flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 240ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 120g butter, softened
- 200g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 90g butter, at room temperature
- 75g powdered sugar
- 150g cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 Raffaello balls for the snowballs
Recipe Christmas Cake with Snowballs
Recipe Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Grease two round cake tins and line them with baking paper.
- In one bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately until well combined. Stir in the vinegar and red food coloring.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese layer
- Put the butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix until creamy. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix again until you’ve got a smooth cream.
- Top one cake with a generous layer of the frosting. Place the second cake on top and cover the top and sides with the remaining cream.
- Decorate with the Rafaello balls
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