5 Ways to Decorate Your Holiday Cakes

While cookies, pies, and breads also have their place in holiday baking, we can’t wait to get started on our holiday cakes. This year, turn your annual holiday cake baking into a group affair with your quaranteam. It’s simple: Bake individual cakes, or cakelets, and give everyone their own with the opportunity to decorate as they see fit. Try our new Vanilla Wreath Cake recipe for the perfect canvas. Once your cake is ready to go, try these 5 ways to make decorating extra fun—and sweet:

1. Glaze it up

Our simple and classic glaze recipe has minimal ingredients, making it the perfect topping for accentuating the flavor of any cake, from vanilla and chocolate to spice and even a rum cake. For a real creative spin, dunk the cooled cakes in the glaze for a unique, drippy look. Want to smother the entire cake in glaze? That works too (and it’s delicious). Keep in mind that any unused glaze is safe at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you choose to dispose of it with a spoon directly to your mouth, we won’t tell.

2. Dying for color


When you want the simple flavor of the glaze with more of a festive touch, you can always dye the glaze. It’s an easy process. Simply divide the glaze into bowls for every color needed. We recommend you start with one or two drops of gel food coloring, and then stir to check the saturation before adding more. You can always add more and when you go slowly, you’re more likely to reach your desired color scheme.

3. Just a dusting, thanks

If one of your participants isn’t much for sweet frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar may be the perfect solution. Not only is it the easiest way to decorate with beautiful results, it allows the decorator to quickly get to the most important part—eating the cake.

4. Pipe frosting in ridges

Have a design in mind for your cakelet? Take your favorite frosting recipe, put it in a pastry bag, and pipe the frosting around the cake in the design you choose. Don’t have a pastry bag? Put your frosting in a heavy-duty plastic sandwich bag, cut a hole in the corner, and you have the same kind of tool.

5. Go crazy 

We saved the best for last. Unleash your inner creativity and grab every kind of sweets decoration in the pantry. Glaze or frost, toss on some sprinkles, add a chocolate chip or two. Make it a decorating free for all. Get wild and enjoy the inevitable sugar rush and crash that follows such a delectable, personalized treat.