Winter Wonderland Cake
Transform your kitchen into a magical winter scene with this stunning Winter Wonderland Cake. With its dreamy ombre frosting fading from deep blue to white and delicate chocolate snowflakes, this showstopping dessert captures all the beauty of a snowy winter’s day.
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The moist vanilla cake layers pair perfectly with the light, whipped buttercream frosting, while the white chocolate decorations add an enchanting finishing touch.
If you’re searching for more cake recipes, you might want to try my Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, which feature the same delicious vanilla base, or the decadent Tres Leches Bundt Cake for another elegant dessert option.
Still in the mood for Christmas baking? Don’t miss my festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes that’ll bring even more holiday cheer to your dessert table!
Table of Contents
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in under 90 minutes, including decoration time
- Only requires basic pantry ingredients you likely already have
- Creates a stunning, professional-looking cake that’s easy to make
- Perfect for winter parties, holiday gatherings, or any special occasion
What’s In This Winter Wonderland Cake Recipe?
Ingredient Notes:
- Granulated sugar provides the perfect sweetness while helping create a tender, moist crumb in your cake layers.
- Vegetable oil keeps the cake incredibly moist and soft, even days after baking.
- Eggs add structure and richness while helping bind all ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract brings a warm, sweet flavor that enhances all the other ingredients.
- Sour cream creates an ultra-tender crumb and adds a subtle tang to balance the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour forms the foundation of your cake – no fancy cake flour needed!
- Baking powder ensures your cake layers rise beautifully and stay light
- Milk adds moisture and helps create a smooth, pourable batter
- Butter forms the base of your frosting, creating a rich and creamy texture
- Confectioner sugar gives the frosting its sweetness and structure
- Heavy cream makes the frosting extra light and fluffy
- Food coloring creates the gorgeous blue ombre effect
- White chocolate allows you to create delicate snowflake decorations
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Additions
- Milk alternatives – Use almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk for a dairy-free cake base
- Sour cream substitute – Plain Greek yogurt works perfectly in place of sour cream.
- Extract variations – Add almond extract or coconut extract for different flavor profiles
- Decoration options – Try silver dragees or edible glitter for extra sparkle.
- Food coloring – Experiment with different colors for various occasions
How to Make this Snowflake Cake (step-by-step directions)
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing two 6″ cake pans with oil.
- Mix your wet ingredients first – combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil until well blended. Add sour cream and milk, stirring until smooth. (Photo 1)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt. (Photo 2)
- Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into your wet ingredients, mixing until you achieve a smooth batter. (Photo 3)
- Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Photo 4)
- While the cakes cool, prepare your frosting by beating butter, confectioners, sugar, cream, and vanilla until light and fluffy. (Photos 5 & 6)
- Create your ombre effect by dividing the frosting and adding different amounts of blue food coloring. (Photos 7 & 8)
- Once cakes are completely cool, level them if needed and stack with a layer of white frosting between. (Photos 9 & 10)
- Apply your ombre frosting in layers – blue on top, light blue in the middle, and white on the bottom. (Photos 11 & 12)
- Create and apply your white chocolate snowflakes following the template provided. (Photos 13, 14 & 15)
Recipe Tips
- Room-temperature ingredients will give you the best results.
- Don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour to keep your cake tender.
- Use a cake scraper held at a consistent angle for the smoothest ombre effect.
- Make extra snowflakes in case some break during placement.
- Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before piping snowflakes.
- Clean your scraper between smoothing sections for the cleanest color transitions.
- Use a turntable, if available, for easier frosting application.
Storing Tips
- Storage: Keep your decorated cake covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The cake will stay fresh and moist thanks to the oil in the recipe.
- Freezing: Wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before decorating.
Serving Suggestions
This Winter Wonderland Cake pairs beautifully with Fresh Strawberry Tea for an elegant afternoon tea service. For a cozy winter gathering, serve alongside Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Bombs or Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream for the adults.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can bake the cake layers up to 2 days in advance and store them well-wrapped at room temperature. The snowflake decorations can also be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in a cool, dry place.
This usually happens if the oven door is opened during baking or if the batter was overmixed. Make sure to mix just until the ingredients are combined, and avoid opening the oven during the first 15 minutes of baking.
Yes, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time accordingly. Larger pans will need less time, while smaller pans will need more. Always use the toothpick test to check for doneness.
The key is to start with three distinct shades of frosting and blend them while they’re still soft. Use a bench scraper held at a consistent angle, and clean it frequently between scraping motions.
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Winter Wonderland Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (59 ⅐ ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (57 ½ g) sour cream
- 1 ¼ cups (156 ¼ g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (157 ¾ ml) milk
Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Light Blue frosting color: 1-2 drops of blue food dye.
- Blue frosting color: 6-7 drops of blue food dye.
Decorations:
- 2-3 oz (56 ⅔ g) White chocolate bark
- Decoration sugar
- White pearl sprinkles
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing two 6″ cake pans with oil.
- Mix your wet ingredients first – combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil until well blended. Add sour cream and milk, stirring until smooth.1 cup granulated sugar,¼ cup vegetable oil,2 large eggs,2 teaspoons vanilla extract,¼ cup sour cream,⅔ cup milk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour,1 ½ teaspoon baking powder,½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into your wet ingredients, mixing until you achieve a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cakes cool, prepare your frosting by beating butter, confectioners sugar, cream, and vanilla until light and fluffy.1 cup salted butter,4 cups confectioners sugar,2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream,2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Create your ombre effect by dividing the frosting and adding different amounts of blue food coloring.Light Blue frosting color: 1-2 drops of blue food dye.,Blue frosting color: 6-7 drops of blue food dye.
- Once cakes are completely cool, level them if needed and stack with a layer of white frosting between.
- Apply your ombre frosting in layers – blue on top, light blue in the middle, and white on the bottom.
- Create and apply your white chocolate snowflakes following the template provided.Decoration sugar,White pearl sprinkles,2-3 oz White chocolate bark
Notes
- Room-temperature ingredients will give you the best results
- Don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour to keep your cake tender
- Use a cake scraper held at a consistent angle for the smoothest ombre effect
- Make extra snowflakes in case some break during placement
- Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before piping snowflakes
- Clean your scraper between smoothing sections for the cleanest color transitions
- Use a turntable, if available, for easier frosting application
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Nutrition Information
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