Santa Clause Cake

Tis the season for all kinds of parties and fun holidays foods. I love both; fun parties and fun festive foods. In the spirit of the season, I came across this idea for a Santa Claus cake that I just couldn’t wait to try. Of course I changed it from the original recipe. Would expect anything less?

The original recipe called for walnuts, but I am not a big walnut fan, so I changed it to pistachios instead, which I think are far more festive anyway. 🙂 Also, because I was making the cake for a large group of people, and wanted the highest yield possible, I turned it into a sheet cake rather than a round cake. But obviously, you can make it whatever size you like. The cooking times may need to be adjusted though. I also cheated on the frosting, since I had white frosting that needed to be used, instead of making a cream cheese frosting that the recipe called for. Maybe next time. 🙂

There is absolutely nothing wrong with saving time and using a cake mix. Today, most of the mixes are pretty perfect, and don’t require a lot of time or effort, and the cakes come out delicious.

Santa Clause Cake

1 box of white cake mix

2 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 TBSP orange zest

2 cups dried cranberries, reconstituted in water

1-1 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray your cake pan, whatever pan you are using, with cooking spray.

Make the cake according to the directions on the package and then fold in about 1/2 of the cranberries (discard the water) and the chopped pistachios. Reserve the rest for the topping.

Evenly spread the batter into your pan(s) and bake. If you are using a 9×13 baking pan, it will take about 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting. Then generously sprinkle the remaining pistachios and cranberries on the top of the frosting.

Slice and serve.

Tis the season to be jolly and merry, and to share the holiday cheer with everyone you meet. Have a great holiday season. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.