Baking for Christmas is one of the season’s most beloved traditions – a ritual that fills homes with warmth, nostalgia, and the irresistible aroma of spices and sweets. Its roots stretch back centuries, yet it continues to evolve, bringing people together in kitchens around the world.

Christmas baking began in medieval Europe, when rare and costly spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves were saved for the most important celebrations of the year. Gingerbread soon emerged as a festive favorite, crafted into intricate shapes and even used as edible décor.

Different cultures have added their own flavors to the holiday table. Germany celebrates with stollen, a rich fruit bread studded with nuts and spices. Italy offers panettone, the airy, sweet loaf that has become a global symbol of Christmas cheer. In Sweden, crisp pepparkakor—ginger snap cookies cut into hearts, stars, and other festive shapes—are a seasonal staple.

Today, Christmas baking is as much about connection as it is about flavor. Cookie exchanges bring friends and families together to share homemade treats. Decorating parties turn sugar cookies and gingerbread houses into creative canvases. And treasured family recipes, passed down through generations, keep loved ones close even when they’re no longer at the table.

From classic sugar cookies showered in sprinkles to whimsical gingerbread houses, the season offers endless inspiration. Christmas baking is more than a culinary activity—it’s a celebration of heritage, creativity, and togetherness. Each recipe tells a story, and every shared bite becomes part of the season’s magic, made even sweeter with ingredients gathered from Lake Tahoe Markets.

Mandarin and Ginger Bundt Cake

Perfectly sweet butter cake with a slight zing of fresh ginger

1½ cups butter
1½ cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. mandarin zest
6 eggs
½ cup mandarin juice
2¼ cups plain flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced mandarin orange rind
 
Citrus Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1½ Tbsp. butter, melted
2½ tsp. mandarin orange juice
 
Preheat oven to 320°F. Grease a bundt pan with a pastry brush dipped in soft butter. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with a little plain flour; turn pan to coat evenly. Tap out excess flour.
 
Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and your choice of finely grated citrus rind in a bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg at a time until just combined. Add your choice of citrus juice, combined sifted flour and baking powder, ginger and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined. Spread mixture into pan.
 
Bake cake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 10 minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool.  Meanwhile, to make citrus icing, sift icing sugar into a medium bowl; stir in butter and your choice of citrus juice until smooth.  Drizzle cake with icing and top with your choice of thinly sliced citrus rind; serve.

Jill Rozier

Lake Tahoe Markets

www.LakeTahoeMarkets.com