Yuletide Holiday Baking (Other Than Cookies!)

Last Updated on August 19, 2021 by Katherine

Last week was all about the cookies, but what if you aren’t a fan of cookies? If so, this post is entirely for you, I’m exploring all types of Christmas baking that are not cookies! The title is slightly loose, I do have a drink recipe as well an appetizer and other sorts of “non-cookie” desserts that may or may not need to be baked. In short, it doesn’t always have to be about cookies for the holiday season!

Getting Started

As with all my baking posts, I like to start with some essential items you might want to look into obtaining if you don’t already have them. Basic styles will be relatively inexpensive and if you pay attention to flyers or sales, you can come away with a great deal.

Cake Pans

I’m a massive fan of Wilton or Nordic Ware pans, I have used others, but always seem to come back to these two brands. The quality is there and I trust their products to produce results. You can find their products in most department stores (such as Walmart or Superstore) or you can find them on Amazon.

You can keep it simple, with round or square pans or spring for a pre-shaped one. One thing to keep in mind is that fancier pans are usually a touch more expensive.

Measuring Spoons/Cups

You need accurate measures to ensure your ingredients are at their proper amounts to optimize your baking results.

Mixing Spoons/Hand Mixer/Stand Mixer

If you’re just getting started, I recommend just getting your hands on some decent mixing spoons or a whisk, that will help you mix up the dough nicely enough to get it ready to bake. Also, a spatula can be super helpful to scrape the sides of your bowl to get most of the cake dough into the baking pan for you. If it turns out you love baking, it can be super worthwhile to get a hand mixer or even a stand mixer. They are more expensive, but if you find yourself doing a lot of baking, they can save you tons of time. I currently use a very old Sunbeam that is just amazing, they last forever!

Cakes

Cakes are relatively easy to make and are great ideas for desserts during the holiday season.

Spiced Ginger Bundt Cake

Williams Sonoma came up with this one and it is delicious. I might have mentioned last week in my post about Cookies, that I love ginger based recipes. This one has quickly become my favorite.

Gingerbread Cake

Turnadough Alli is where I got this recipe from. Seriously, gingerbread cake, with cream cheese frosting and caramel drizzle? Yes please!

It’s all in the Icing!

This isn’t so much about a cake recipe, but instead festively decorating your cake. Fondant is a relatively easy way to decorate your cake, but regular icing can also create the results that you want. If you want to learn more about fondant, I recommend starting with the Etsy Journal as they have a great beginners article that will help you get started. That way, you just pick your favorite cake, be it chocolate or vanilla, and put the focus instead upon the icing!

As for inspiration for your cake, I recommend Family Holiday they have an excellent article packed with different decorating ideas for the holiday season.

Other Things to Bake

Apple Cider in the Slow Cooker

Life Made Sweeter was where I found this recipe and it’s fantastic. I love apple cider and to me, it is the holiday drink. The best part about this recipe is you can alter it to your taste.

Christmas Tree Spinach Dip

This appetizer is brought you by So Hungry. I love spinach dip, it is one of my favorite appetizers and I like this one because it’s got a sweet little holiday twist.

Trifles

Trifles are English desserts and they are very yummy. They’re quite versatile too, the main idea is that it’s a layered dessert, so you’ll want to find a nice glass bowl to display the layers in it (Honestly, you can find them at the dollar store, if you want a bit of a bigger one, you may need to go to Walmart or check out Amazon). I recommend a very plain glass bowl as you want the focus to be on your layers! Women’s Day has a great article on different types of Trifles to make. I am personally going to try the Pumpkin Spice one a little bit later this month, possibly for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dessert!

Peppermint Bark

This is easily one of my favorite desserts and it’s super easy to make. You just need chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, some peppermint extract and some crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes if you have some extras lying about). Check out the full recipe at Meatloaf and Melodrama.

Homemade Pretzel Turtles

If you need a dessert and are pressed for time, Cooking Classy has found the answer. You need three ingredients, pretzels, Rolo candies, and pecans. Super easy to make too and easy to eat!

Holiday Baking Isn’t Just About Cookies

Cookies are fantastic, but sometimes you just want something a little different for your holiday desserts. I hope I’ve helped inspire you because baking your own stuff is super fun and you get a few bragging rights as well (a win-win situation in my books!). If you liked this content, please share it on social media and please pin it to Pinterest. Next week is going to be all about crafting your own gifts for the special people in your life. Until then, happy crafting!

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