Christmas Reindeer Cake Tutorial To Help You Sleigh the Holidays

Learn how to make this beautiful Reindeer cake that’s totally perfect for Christmas! 

Have you ever seen a super cute cake on Pinterest and Instagram and wondered how did they make that? Well I’m spilling all my cake decorating secrets so you can make this Reindeer cake at home for Christmas! 

This Reindeer cake is made with dark chocolate cake layers and creamy milk chocolate buttercream. Then it’s decorated with dark chocolate antlers, and handmade fondant pieces. 

The dark chocolate cake layers are made with coffee and buttermilk so they are perfectly tender and stays moist for a longer time. Since this cake recipe isn’t super sweet then it’s a nice foundation for a sweeter milk chocolate buttercream. 

In this cake tutorial, you’ll learn step by step how to make this cake at home. My favorite part is teaching you how to make simple fondant decorations that make this cake come to life! 

It’ll be easy to celebrate Christmas with this adorable Reindeer Cake. This cake will be the wow factor at any Christmas party. It makes an awesome centerpiece at your holiday party or is a wonderful host gift! Who wouldn’t love this cake?!  

Tips for success: 

• Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
• I highly recommend making the cake taller, so when you are creating the face of the Reindeer, it’s in portion to everything else. 
• If you are in a rush for time or you would like to break up the decorating then make the fondant decorations the day before, so the fondant has plenty of time to dry.  
• You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month. 
• You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
• A single batch of this cake recipe makes three, 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three, 8-inch cake layers.
• Be careful not to overmix this cake batter or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. 
• Food coloring gets darker over time, so it’s best to gradually add the food coloring, which is best for lighter colors.  
• Serve cake at room temperature. 

What Tools You’ll Need to Make This Cake: 

• 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
• Offset spatula 
• 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board 
• Serrated knife or cake leveler 
• Turntable 
• Cake scraper or bench scraper
• Piping bag (I use silicone reusable bags)
• #844 Star piping tip 
• Whisk or sifter
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
• Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
• Cake Stand, optional
• Super red gel food coloring
• Brown gel food coloring 
• Leaf green gel food coloring
• Small fondant rolling pin 
• Silicone fondant mat
• Small rolling pin
• Dark chocolate coating wafers 
• Fondant (red, black and white)
• Tylose powder, optional
• X-Acto knife
• 2, 20-gauge covered wires 
• Wire cutters
• Cornstarch and Vegetable Shortening

For tips on how to gain confidence in the kitchen so you can make any cake creation, learn baking techniques and cake decorating skills, I suggest reading more about my Foolproof Cakes for Beginner Bakers eBook. 

Here’s how to make Reindeer cake that will have you singing Christmas carols! 

Let’s Get Decorating! 

How to Make Dark Chocolate Cake Layers

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
2. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. Add the eggs and the vegetable oil on low until well incorporated.
4. Pour in the buttermilk and add brewed coffee. Mix on medium for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
5. Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 

How to Make Creamy Milk Chocolate Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add vanilla and salt. Then gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, followed by the cream. Mix until combined. Mix until incorporated completely. Scrape down sides of the bowl. 
3. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles.

How to Make Dark Chocolate Reindeer Antlers

1. In a medium bowl, microwave the dark coating chocolate in 30-second increments until it’s melted. Place melted chocolate into a piping bag. 
2. On a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, pipe 2-3 pairs of antlers and insert a covered wire into each antler before it dries. If needed, add more chocolate on top to cover the wire. 
3. Set aside to dry for 30 minutes. 

Creating Fondant Decorations

1. On a silicone mat, roll the red fondant to 1/8 inch thick then use a sharp x-acto knife to cut out one long strip. Flip strip over and add a touch of water to the middle of the strip. Fold each end to meet in the center. Then pinch the center together and cut a thin strip to wrap around the center to create a bow. 
2. Roll a piece of red fondant into a 1 ½- inch nose. 
3. Roll out light brown fondant to 1/8 inch thick, cut out two oval ears. Then roll out light pink fondant for the inner ears. Attach with water and pinch the ends to create a crease in the ear. Insert a covered wire into each ear. 
4. Next, roll black fondant into a 1/8 inch thick rope. Cut into two small pieces and form into whimsical eyes. Cut out two small pieces for eyelashes for the ends. Add white fondant highlights on the red nose and black eyes. Use water to attach the white fondant. Set aside to dry 1 hour. 

Putting It All Together

1. Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even. 
2. Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer the chilled dark chocolate cake, cut side up onto the cake board. 
3. Add a 2/3 cup of chocolate buttercream over the cake. Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat process for another layer. Crumb coat and freeze for 30 minutes. 
4. Add a thick layer of buttercream all over the cake. Use an offset spatula to fill in any gaps with more buttercream. Then use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides of the cake. Use the offset spatula to make the top edges sharp and smooth. 
5. Insert toothpick into red nose and insert nose into the side of the cake. Add the fondant eyes as well as antlers and ears. 
6. Pipe the hair with small swirls of chocolate buttercream on top of the reindeer. Place the red bow in front of one antler. 
7. Next, pipe holly leaves all over the bottom of the cake followed by piping red dots randomly in the leaves for a pop of color. Serve cake at room temperature. 

You May Also Enjoy: 

• Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cake (tutorial)
• Rich & Decadent Black Forest Cake (recipe)
• Cake Planning Checklist (freebie)
• How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course) 
• Cake Decorating for Beginners (online course)

Now that you know how to make a pretty Christmas Reindeer cake of your own, your cake and decorating skills will steal the spotlight at any holiday party! I can’t wait to see your Reindeer cake creations! 

Happy Holidays! 

Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out, Cake Decorating Creator Program, my online cake course. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it so you get the results you want most. Like any new skill, it’s important to learn from the ground up to build a foundation, so take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/online-cake-course. I will see you there.

Watch The How-to Video Below: 

 

 

 

Pin it! Save it for later! 

3