With Christmas just around the corner, people are already preparing their Noche Buena menu. And as dessert enthusiasts, we’re paying extra attention to a sweet staple: cakes. With so many cake trends emerging during quarantine, there are surely a lot of options to choose from. So we’re here to help narrow down your list with cake suggestions based on the holiday vibes they bring.
Christmas-themed cakes
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Let’s start with something obvious: cakes designed with images that remind us of Christmas. Take these limited edition Japanese deco roll cakes from Hello Hope Cafe, with cereal milk (P450) or java chip (P480) frosting. It comes in two designs: Santa Claus and Christmas tree. The shop also offers customized roll cakes, just in case you have a different picture of the holidays in mind.
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Following the rise of minimalist cakes, another Korean-style treat infiltrated our Instagram feeds. Called bento cakes, these desserts are the same size as lunchboxes—making them smaller than your regular cake, but still larger than cupcakes. Dessert Studio Manila incorporates Christmas designs to this trend through their adorable buttercream cakes available for P800 each.
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If you’re feeling a little *extra* indulgent this season, you can also get this meringue tower cake modeled after a Christmas tree from the Quezon City-based bakery Sugarplum Pastries. And while you’re at it, why not add some gingerbread man cookies from the shop, too?
Kakanin cheesecakes
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The one thing that’s never missing on our Noche Buena table is kakanin. Giving this tradition a new look, baker Gel Salonga whips up bibingka, maja blanca and ube halaya cheesecakes that are perfect for the holidays. These kakanin cheesecake creations have been a huge hit among customers ordering online, so it might be wise to place your orders early.
Fruity cloud cake
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Want to try something different from your usual Christmas fruit cake? Veteran businessman Boboy Consunji has baked something special for you. Packed with blueberries, strawberries and kiwi for its topping, Consunji’s creation is made with melted dark chocolate, whipped egg whites, French liqueur Cointreau, mascarpone cheese and whipped cream. He calls this flourless treat a cloud cake for its topping’s fluffy texture. It’s available in his Manila-based shop Fabulous Baker Boboy.
Rum cake
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When talking about food associated with the yuletide season, one can never leave rum cakes out. A favorite especially among adults, this dessert infused with liquor is said to be inspired by holiday puddings. For this year, Metro Manila-based sourdough and craft coffee shop Needletail’s owner uses a family recipe to present the delectable Suzette Rum Cake. Available for P485, this cake is soaked in orange rum butter glaze and garnished with almonds and candied orange peel.
Leche flan cake
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Another dessert that we always expect on our Christmas table is the crowd favorite, leche flan. This caramel custard is among the indicators of a special occasion in every Filipino household. Check out Premium Cream Cakes’ keso and ube leche flan cakes, which combines the creme caramel pastry with chiffon that melts in your mouth.
[READ: How else can you enjoy leche flan? Let us count the ways]
(Good ol’) Chocolate cake
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Sticking to the classics? A slice of good ol’ chocolate cake might be the perfect Christmas dessert for you, then. We recommend the original decadent chocolate cake in a pan from Big Al’s Cookie Jar itself, which is available in special holiday bundles with either chocolate and vanilla ice cream pints or a loaf of chocolate caramel cake.
Header photos from Dessert Studio Manila and Fabulous Baker Boboy
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Read more:
The Christmas food trend forecast
This quezo de bola flower bread is giving us early holiday vibes
Beyond bibingka and puto bumbong: 12 kakanin of Christmas
Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
