December has always been my favourite time of year — a season that feels soft, magical, and full of little rituals that warm the soul. There’s something so special about rising early on a crisp winter morning, coffee in hand, and letting the kitchen fill with the comforting scent of freshly baked shortbread or gingerbread cookies. With Christmas carols playing gently in the background, it becomes more than baking… it becomes a moment. A quiet, joy-filled pause that sets the tone for the whole day.

This is the month when baking feels like a love language — a way of creating warmth, sharing comfort, and gifting something made with intention. Nothing compares to offering someone a homemade treat wrapped in ribbon and knowing it carries a piece of your heart with it. That’s the magic of December baking: it brings people together, fills homes with sweetness, and reminds us how meaningful small acts of kindness can be.

Whether you’re baking for loved ones, preparing thoughtful edible gifts, or simply enjoying peaceful moments of creativity in your kitchen, I hope this month’s project inspire you to savour every part of the season. May your home be filled with sweetness, warmth, and the simple magic that only December can bring.

Here’s to a heartfelt, joy-filled, beautifully baked December.  

This Month’s Christmas Flavour Trio

We’re diving into the classic flavours that make the holiday season so special—Eggnog, Peppermint, and Gingerbread.

Eggnog brings rich, creamy warmth with hints of nutmeg, perfect for festive cakes and silky fillings.

Peppermint adds a cool, candy-cane crispness that brightens chocolate bakes and buttercreams.

Gingerbread delivers that nostalgic holiday spice with ginger, cinnamon, and molasses in every cozy bite

This month our featured projects:

In this issue, we’re bringing that spirit to life with a charming Winter-Themed Santa Cake, where you’ll learn the buttercream techniques that bring Santa’s iconic features to life — from his fluffy beard to his rosy cheeks. You’ll also find whimsical Snowdome Cupcakes and the cutest decorated Gingerbread men cookies, perfect for adding festive flair to your holiday bakes or gifting beautifully decorated treats to friends and family.

Watch Tutorial Video Here

December Baking Tip: Infuse Your Sugar with Holiday Flavours

Create your own “Christmas sugar” by placing regular sugar in a jar with orange peel,

cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, or crushed candy canes. Let it sit for a few days,

shaking occasionally.

This infused sugar:

Adds a subtle festive flavour to cookies, cupcakes, and buttercreams

Elevates simple recipes without extra steps

Makes your whole kitchen smell like Christmas

Is perfect sprinkled on top of gingerbread, shortbread—or even morning coffee!

A simple, magical way to add holiday cheer to every bake.

Recipes for this month’s projects:

Our Santa Cake Recipe: https://preppykitchen.com/eggnog-cake

Cookie – gingerbread men: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies

Peppermint cupcakes https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/white-chocolate-peppermint-

Snow Globe cupcakes or Cookies

You choose! Kids love these and are simple enough that even the kids can make them………….

there are a variety of domes that you can use, Amazon carries them as does the Dollar store

( use one half of the clear Christmas ball decorations as a dome if purchasing from the Dollar

store – measure the cookie / cupcake base to be sure your selected dome will fit )

EASY SNOW GLOBE CUPCAKES (USING A PLASTIC ORNAMENT!)

These adorable and easy snow globe cupcakes are delicious and so festive! Topped

with plastic Christmas ornaments they are easy to make.

These snow globe cupcakes are so fun to make and easy, too! Most snow globe

cupcakes involve making a sugar globe or gelatin-based globe. Not these ones. These

are topped with a Christmas ornament, making them easy for anyone to make.

SNOW GLOBE CUPCAKE DECORATIONS

There are so many ways to decorate these, white nonpareils, mini marshmallows,

snowflake sprinkles and or coconut then added an edible icing topper.

Make sure that the decorations you choose are 1 ½" tall or less. Anything taller

will be too tall and your dome won't fit. If you'd prefer to use your own

decorations, you can pipe buttercream trees or snowmen onto the cupcake.

SNOW GLOBE CUPCAKE ORNAMENT TOPPERS

There are several sizes of plastic ornaments. For regular cupcakes, you'll want ones

that are 60mm in size and you can find them on Amazon They open in half so one

ornament will cover 2 cupcakes.

SNOW GLOBE CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

Baked Cupcakes: store-bought or homemade

Buttercream Frosting: use your preferred recipe, I use a basic white buttercream

recipe using 2/3 cup butter, 2/3 cup shortening, 1 tsp of your choice of flavouring and a

1 kg bag of icing sugar. Beat butter (room temp) till creamy, add the shortening and beat

till well mixed. Add icing sugar and enough cream to come together, beat well, adding

more cream if needed to get your desired consistency (medium)..

Sprinkles, Nonpareils, Coconut and Mini Marshmallows: you can use whatever you'd

like, but I think the nonpareils are cute and look like snow.

Icing Toppers: these are pre-made and dried icing decorations that come in a variety of

designs. I used mini trees, reindeer, and presents. These are available for the Dollar

store, Walmart, Bulk Barn or even Amazon and you can find aa variety of designs, I also

bake gingerbread cookies as mini trees or gingerbread men for an additional option.

How to assemble snow globe cupcakes:

Bake up a batch of cupcakes and let them cool completely (use a complimentary

cupcake liner -Christmas or match the colour to your décor items)

Pipe or spread buttercream frosting onto the baked cupcakes. I used a round tip

to pipe the buttercream onto mine, press each cupcake into sprinkles, if desired,

to flatten the icing and give it a "snowy" look.

Arrange decorations onto them, pressing them into the frosting. Add mini

marshmallows and snowflake sprinkles, if desired.

Cover each cupcake with half of a plastic ornament (wash prior) These are

simply adorable!

Gingerbread cookies – these are so cute and require very little skill ……….

Purchase your cookie cutter from Amazon, a cake decorating store, bulk barn or even

the dollar store may carry them. For super easy cookies, don’t flood with royal icing,

simply use a piping bag and royal icing to create the trim fringe, pipe eyes and a mouth,

you can pipe the buttons or use smarties……….. Pipe a simple bow and 2 dots for the

mouth. So easy and super cute!

For more experienced bakers, flood your cookie first and then decorate……Option: use

an edible pen for the eyes, lashes, and the mouth (for those not comfortable using icing.

Tutorial for Santa cake : https://youtu.be/EU24SBz1m5s - skill level - some piping skill

required – you will use a few different piping tips /techniques to create the overall look.

For our piping bags I purchase from Amazon - https://amzn.to/4rQYYrr

Recipe of the month: I use this recipe every Christmas – you cannot go wrong with

a good lemon tart…. So, what makes a good lemon tart you ask?

https://preppykitchen.com/lemon-merengue-tarts/#recipe

A perfect lemon tart strikes a beautiful balance between bright citrus and buttery

sweetness. It starts with a crisp, golden shell—tender yet sturdy enough to hold its silky

filling. The lemon custard should be smooth and vibrant, bursting with fresh-squeezed

lemon juice and a touch of zest for depth. Not too sweet, not too sharp—just that

refreshing, mouthwatering zing that lingers pleasantly. Finished with a glossy top or a

light dusting of sugar, a great lemon tart feels elegant, uplifting, and utterly irresistible

with every bite. Make it as one large tart or as small, individualized tarts! A crowd

pleaser.

December ponderings:

As the year ends, December has brought a swirl of sweetness, creativity, and winter

magic into the Divine Design Cakes kitchen. This month’s Bake & Bloom theme was

inspired by a cozy joy theme that only holiday baking brings.

Thank you for being here, for reading along, and for celebrating each month with me.

Wishing you a peaceful, joy-filled holiday season and a bright, beautiful start to the new

year. May your days be sweet, your gatherings warm, and your hearts full.

Products we recommend for these projects -please note Disclosure: This post contains Amazon

affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Piping bags - a bit more expensive but these are quality bags and won’t burst https://amzn.to/

3KJEzUs

Gingerbread man cookie cutter -https://amzn.to/4iQFb76

Globes -https://amzn.to/44uAf22

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