Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! While you could leave out the traditional milk and cookies for Santa, we think old Saint Nick might want something even better (and named for him)! Santa Claus Cake dresses up like its namesake too, with the tender white cake filled up with scarlet, tart, and sweet cranberries. Crunchy walnuts add texture and holiday cheer, as does the tangy, luscious cream cheese frosting. No one would mind if you took a bite from the piece of Santa Claus Cake you left out for Kris Kringle… especially not the man himself. Something this delicious will definitely end up on the nice list!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (16.25-ounce) package white cake mix
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, grated
- 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease two 9-inch round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the paper.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, the water, the eggs, the canola oil, and 1 tablespoon of the orange zest.
Step 4 –Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture together on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Step 5 –Stir the cranberries and 1 cup of the walnuts into the batter.
Step 6 –Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.
Step 7 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 8 –Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool completely, making sure to remove the parchment paper.
Step 9 –Allow the cakes to cool completely.
Step 10 –In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, the butter, and the vanilla until blended.
Step 11 –Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining orange zest until smooth.
Step 12 –Spread the frosting on the cakes, stacking them and frosting the tops and the sides of them.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the cake with the remaining walnuts.
Step 14 –Serve.