Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

It’s always hard for me to switch gears after the Holidays. Just when I really start to get in the groove – they’re over. I hate taking down all of the festive decorations and packing them away. And, boxing up the tree ornaments is even worse. I hate doing that more than I hate ironing. But time marches on, and so must we all. So, I tuck away the memories of each Christmas past in wads of tissue paper, and reassure myself that in about 325 days, I get to do it all over again.

There were many things that I wanted to share with you these past few weeks, but I was too busy “living in the moment” and never quite found the time. Take this Red Velvet Snowflake Cake, for example. I served this lovely cake on Christmas Day and it was a showstopper. It took me more than two days to make, and I barely had time to slide it onto a pretty cake stand before my hungry Holiday revelers were chasing me around the dining room with forks in hand! I propped it on a coffee table in front of the Christmas tree to hurriedly snap a few pictures while Mr. SGCC ran interference for me. Honestly, this was probably the most beautiful cake I’ve ever made. I wish I’d been able to snag a few more glamour shots before it was reduced to crumbs.

I got the inspiration for this cake from the December issue of Southern Living magazine. There it was on the cover, in all its pristine glory – and I was instantly smitten. I knew then that I would have to recreate it for our Christmas celebration. The original was a white cake slathered in vanilla buttercream. The outside of the cake was garnished with a mass of “snowflakes” carved out of white fondant.

Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. As gorgeous as that cake already was, I had to put my own spin on it. In honor of Christmas, I decided to make a moist and fluffy red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I knew that the deep, ruby-colored cake paired with pillowy, white clouds of cream cheese frosting would make a striking contrast when cut. And, did it ever! read more >>

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Filed Under: Cakes and Cupcakes, Holiday Dishes, Holidays, Recipes

Tags: cake, Christmas, cream cheese, fondant, frosting

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