Christmas Present Cake

Surprise your loved ones by cutting into a Christmas Present Cake to reveal a red and green swirled ornament hiding inside. This cake will keep people guessing as to what will be inside your next cake!

Are you one of those people who try to sneak peeks inside your presents? Do you shake the boxes; feel the weight of them, trying to guess what's inside?

I love surprises, so I wait until Christmas morning to learn what's hiding inside those pretty wrapped packages. I'm not usually patient, but I don't want to ruin that moment when I pull back the paper to reveal my gift in front of the person who gave it to me. I want them to be there to enjoy it with me – I know how fun it is to watch the look on a gift recipient's face.

It’s equally exciting watching the reaction when I cut into a cake that reveals a surprise hiding inside!

After I made this cake and showed it to some friends, they just thought it was a cute Christmas cake shaped like a Christmas present. But when I cut into it to reveal a beautiful swirled red and green ornament, they were more than a little surprised.

This cake was one of the most challenging I've made to date.

It took three tries to get this one right, but in the end, I was utterly amazed by how cool it looked. Now, I can share my tips for making this cake with you.

Color Cake Batter

• Make one white cake mix according to the package instructions.
• Scoop out ¾ cup of batter and color it using gold or yellow icing coloring.
• Equally divide the remaining batter and color one half red, the other green.

Gold Cake

• Spread the gold cake batter in a well greased 6-inch square baking pan.
• Bake the gold cake for about 10 minutes until it springs back when touched in the center.

Make Red and Green Ornament Cakes

• To make the ornaments, pour some red batter in one half of a 4-inch spring form pan and green in the other half.
• Use a skewer or toothpick to swirl the colors slightly.
• Repeat making three small round cakes.
• Pop them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Bake until they spring back when pressed in the center.
• Don't over bake these.

Trim the cakes.

• Once the cakes are baked and cooled for about 10 minutes you can cut them.
• Cut the gold cake into ¾-inch wide by 2-inch long strips. You just need three pieces.
• Next, cut the domes off each of the red and green cakes, making them 2 inches thick.

NOTE: You'll have a lot of cake scraps to either snack on or make cake pops with.

Ornament Cakes

• Spray three 6-inch square baking pans with baking spray.
• Set one round cake in the bottom of each pan.
• Make another Betty Crocker White Cake Mix.
• Spread just a tiny bit of batter along one edge of a gold cake strip and press that up against the top of one of the round cakes, creating the top of the ornament.
• Repeat, then equally divide the batter among the three pans.
• Bake the cakes until they're golden brown on top and when you press down around the edge with your finger, the cake bounces back. This will take around 30 minutes.

• Once the cakes are cool, pop them in the freezer for a few hours to make carving easier.

Carve the cakes.

• Once the cakes are firm, carve off all the browned cake.
• Start by carving the edges, then the top and bottom. You want to see the ornament on both sides of the cake. Once again, you'll have a lot of cake scraps.

• Stack the cakes together, making sure to line up the ornaments. You don't want one to be upside down!
• Press the cakes together. You can use a thin layer of frosting, just don't cover the ornaments. I didn't and my cakes held together nicely.
• Pop the cake stack back in the freezer for about an hour.

NOTES: The stacked cakes will measure approximately 5 x 5 x 3 inches. It's a small cake, but it will be impressive, and if you make some cake pops to go along with it, you'll have plenty to serve!

Frost the cake.

• Stand the cake upright, and frost. Smooth out the frosting to create the look of a box.

Fondant Ribbons

• Roll some red and green fondant into ropes.
• Brush some vodka or clear vanilla extract on one edge of one of the ropes.
• Stick the two ropes together using the vodka as glue.
• Twist the two ropes together then roll it out into a long strip.
• Cut the strip into two, 1 ½-inch by 15-inch pieces.

Fondant Bow

• Meanwhile, mix a pinch of Tylose powder with some red and green fondant. The Tylose powder will help the fondant dry so it will hold its shape in a bow.
• Use the same technique listed above and cut out two 2-inch by 4-inch strips.
• Fold one strip over, into a loop, attaching the ends together with a bit of vodka.
• Roll up a small amount of paper towels and insert it into the loop.
• Pinch the ends and allow the loop to dry until it holds its shape. Repeat.
• Once dry, remove the paper towels.
• Cut the folded ends and stick the two loops together, forming a bow.
• Cut another small piece of fondant and wrap it around the center of the bow.
• Also cut two 5 inch by 1 inch strips for ribbons.

Add the fondant ribbon and bow.

• Drape one fondant strip over the center of the cake, going from side to side.
• Cut off any excess at the bottom edges of the cake.
• Add another strip going from front to back.
• Brush some vodka in the intersection of those two strips and attach the two short ribbon pieces, allowing them to drape over the front of the cake like flowing ribbon. Attach the bow on top.

Now you have a pretty package with a special surprise waiting inside!

To serve, cut across the cake revealing the Christmas ornament hiding inside.

Related Recipes

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Red and Green Christmas Sprinkle Cake

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Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!

Recipe

Print

Christmas Cake with Surprise Inside

Prep Time

1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

 

A cake decorated to look like a Christmas present is cut to reveal an ornament hiding inside.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, Christmas cake

Servings: 8

Author: Beth Klosterboer

Ingredients

• 2 Betty Crocker SuperMoist™ white cake mix plus eggs, water, and oil called for on cake mix packages
• Gold or yellow food coloring
• Red and green food coloring
• 2-3 tubs Betty Crocker™ Whipped white frosting (or homemade frosting)
• 4 ounces red fondant
• 4 ounces green fondant
• Splash of vodka or clear vanilla extract
• 2 pinches Tylose powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Make one Betty Crocker SuperMoist™ white cake mix according to package instructions.

3. Scoop out ¾ cup of batter and color it using gold or yellow food coloring. Equally divide the remaining batter and color one half red, the other green.
4. Spray one 6-inch square pan and three 4-inch round springform pans with baking spray. Pour gold batter into square pan and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Pour some red batter in one half of a 4-inch springform pan and green in the other half. Use a skewer or toothpick to swirl the colors slightly. Repeat in the other two pans. Go back and add layers of color, swirling, until you use up all the batter.
6. Bake cakes for 26-30 minutes. The tops will look moist but should be baked through.
7. Cool cakes for 10 minutes, then remove from pans.
8. Cut the gold cake into three ¾-inch by 2-inch strips. Cut the domes off each of the red and green cakes, making them 2 inches thick. Reserve the cake scraps for another use.
9. Spray three 6-inch square baking pans with baking spray. Set one round cake in the bottom of each pan.
10. Make another Betty Crocker SuperMoist™ white cake mix.
11. Spread just a tiny bit of batter along one edge of a gold cake strip and press that up against the top of one of the round cakes, creating the top of the ornament. Repeat, then equally divide the batter among the three pans, pouring it around the ornaments.
12. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes until they are golden brown on top and when you press down around the edge with your finger, the cake bounces back.
13. Allow cakes to cool completely, then freeze for one hour. Once the cakes are firm, carve off all the browned cake, making three level cakes.
14. Stack the cakes together, with the ornaments lined up. Carve off more cake if needed to make straight sides. Press the cakes to make sure they stick and freeze for another hour.
15. Stand the cake upright, and frost. Smooth out the frosting to create the look of a box.
16. Roll 2 ounces of red and 2 ounces of green fondant into logs, brush one side lightly with vodka, and stick the two ropes together. Twist, flatten, and roll out. Cut into two 1 ½-inch by 15-inch pieces.
17. Drape one piece from front to back over the center of the cake and the other from side to side. Cut the excess fondant at the bottom edges of the cake.
18. Mix the remaining red fondant and green with a pinch of Tylose powder. Repeat above, cutting two 2-inch by 4-inch strips. Fold one strip over, into a loop, attaching the ends together with a bit of vodka. Roll up a small amount of paper towels and insert it into the loop. Pinch the ends and allow the loop to dry until it holds its shape. Repeat. Once dry, remove the paper towels. Cut the folded ends and stick the two loops together, forming a bow. Cut another small piece of fondant and wrap it around the center of the bow. Also cut two 5-inch long pieces for the ribbon. Attach pieces to cake using more vodka.
19. To serve the cake, cut across the cake to reveal the Christmas ornament hiding inside.

• Author
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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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