Next on the list of classic holiday foods - sugared cranberries!
(I wish I could remember which Pinterest creator to cite for this idea...but in all honestly there were probably several! I’d been meaning to try out sugared cranberries on a wreath cake for probably 2-3 years now, and THIS year I finally made the time for it!)
I was tempted - slightly - to try a cranberry cake...but I opted not to. I'll be honest; I'm just not the biggest fan of 'cranberry' flavor. Packs a little too much punch on the sour/bitter end of the flavor spectrum for my taste. Most of my family has the same opinion, so I came by it honestly. But if you have a cranberry cake recipe you love, this would be the perfect cake design to use it for! 😉
This wreath cake was SO quick and so easy to decorate, and soo so super cute!
Quick note on my sugared cranberries -
I was out for more speed than traditionalism and I didn’t really follow the 'standard recipe' for sugared cranberries; I just rolled them in corn syrup and then in granulated sugar - and for decorating purposes, it did the trick. But if sugared cranberries are your thing and you want to do it the classic way, more power to you!
You could also buy or make a cranberry filling to go with the cake. I was making the cake in the photos/video for a crowd that weren't all cranberry fans, but cranberry filling would pair beautifully with these vanilla cake layers!
Recipe below - happy holiday baking, and Merry Christmas!
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
Don't forget to pin for later!
Christmas Wreath Cake
Equipment
- small piping bag + leaf tip I used the Wilton #366 Leaf tip
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake Layers
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter or 2 sticks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 5 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temperature
- ⅛ cup vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces one package cream cheese, softened (one package, softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
- 2-3 large drops green gel food coloring (save and use later! I used Americolor Leaf green)
- 6-8 sugared cranberries (I coated fresh cranberries in corn syrup and then rolled them in granulated sugar; – here’s a link to a sugared cranberry recipe if you’d prefer the more standard method!)
- 1-2 Tablespoons Sprinkle mix (optional – I used a seasonal mix, but it's almost identical to this one on Amazon)
Instructions
Cake layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8 inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
- Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.
- Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour in eggs and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two parts on low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 35-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans – it helps to run an offset spatula or knife around the perimeter of the pan first. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
- Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming. If you try to trim the layers while they’re still warm, they will crumble apart.
- The hang time while you’re waiting is a great time to make your frosting and prep your decorations!
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
- Remove about 1/3 cup of frosting from your bowl and stir in 2-3 large drops of green gel color – or the amount needed to get the shade of green you’d prefer. Set aside to use for decorating!
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting.
- Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. I went ahead and left the top edge unfinished for this one.
Now you’re ready to decorate!
- Transfer your green frosting to your piping bag fitted with the leaf tip. Place one of the tip ‘points’ against the cake, and pipe leaves in a circular pattern on the front side of the cake. (I pre-stamped a circle outline with a large container lid so that I’d have a ring to follow.)
- Place 6-8 sugared cranberries in a ring around your wreath, spacing them with sprinkles in between.
- Annnd you’re done! Congrats!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this Christmas Wreath Cake?
Let me know how it went - or find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
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(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
