If you’re looking for a simple and eye-catching Christmas dessert, this Santa Claus cake is perfect for you! A soft and fragrant base, enriched with chocolate chips that make it irresistible. Ideal to impress the little ones or for a family snack during the holidays and it’s butter-free!
The special feature of this recipe? It’s the mold that makes the real magic, transforming a simple cake into a Christmas masterpiece with Santa Claus details ready to decorate! If you don’t have one yet, I recommend trying it: it’s the ideal ally to impress without complicating your life! Click here to easily purchase it!
If you’re looking for other holiday-worthy desserts, check here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2/3 cups sunflower oil
- 1 1/3 cups ricotta cheese
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 packet vanillin
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- as needed hazelnut spread
- as needed shredded coconut
- 2 oz egg white
- 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- as needed lemon juice
- as needed red food coloring
Tools
- Baking Pan
- Piping Bag
Steps
Preparation of the easy and fluffy Santa Claus cake:
Start by whisking the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl until you get a light and frothy mixture.
Add the ricotta and continue mixing, then add the sunflower oil in a trickle to incorporate it gently.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and vanillin, then add it little by little to the mixture, alternating with the tablespoon of milk.Work the dough until it is smooth and without lumps. Finally, fold in the (floured) chocolate chips using a spatula.
Pour everything into the greased and floured Santa Claus cake pan, leveling the surface well. Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes, checking the baking with a skewer, it should come out dry.Christmas Decoration
Prepare a safe royal icing using pasteurized egg white, ideal for decorating your Santa Claus cake!
In a clean bowl, pour the pasteurized egg white. Add a few drops of lemon juice, which will help stabilize the icing and keep it bright white.
With an electric mixer at medium speed, start whipping the egg white.
Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, continuing to mix until you get a smooth, dense, and shiny mixture. The consistency should be suitable for decorating without dripping.
• Consistency for outlines and details: if it’s too runny, add a pinch more powdered sugar.
• Fluid consistency for filling large areas: add a drop of water to dilute it slightly.
• Coloring: Divide the icing into different small bowls and add the powdered food coloring, gently mixing to obtain the desired colors (red for the hat, cheeks, and nose).
Using a piping bag, draw with the thicker white icing the beard, mustache, eyebrows, border under the hat, and pom-pom. Fill these spaces with the more fluid white icing and decorate immediately with shredded coconut before the icing dries.Color the mouth, nose, and hat with the red icing. And the cheeks with a slightly lighter shade and let dry completely for a shiny and defined effect.
Now create the eyes with the hazelnut spread and define the edges always using a piping bag.
See how easy it is to make the Santa Claus cake? You’ll make quite an impression!
Tips, Storage
Tips
To prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, lightly flour them before adding to the batter.
If you want to make it even more delicious, replace part of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder.
This Santa Claus cake is the perfect recipe for anyone who wants to bring a bit of Christmas magic to the table with simplicity and taste!
Unused royal icing can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days, but it may lose some of its consistency.
Storage of the Santa Claus Cake
The Santa Claus Cake, decorated with royal icing and hazelnut spread, keeps perfectly for 2-3 days at room temperature. However, it is important to follow some precautions:
Place it in a cool, dry place: avoid hot or humid environments that could compromise the icing consistency and cake freshness.
Keep the cake under a glass dome or in an airtight container to protect it from air and keep it soft.
Keep the cake under a glass dome or in an airtight container to protect it from air and keep it soft.
