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–+ servings
Winter Wonderland White Chocolate Cake
5 from 3 votes

Winter Wonderland White Chocolate Cake

This White Chocolate Cake, also known as the Winter Wonderland Cake, is a show stopping dessert featuring almond cake layers, a creamy coconut filling, and a luscious white chocolate buttercream. Topped with shredded coconut and white chocolate shavings, this eggless, vegan-friendly treat is perfect for Christmas or any winter celebrations.
Author: Saloni Mehta
Yield: 12 servings
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Almond Cake Ingredients

  • 360 ml Milk* see notes for options
  • 2 tsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
  • 240 g Cane Sugar* or castor sugar
  • 80 ml Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 tsp Almond Extract
  • 245 g All Purpose Flour
  • 80 g Almond Flour finely ground
  • 2½ tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Salt

Creamy Coconut Filling Ingredients

  • 270 ml Coconut Milk canned coconut milk at room temperature
  • 150 g Powdered Sugar or icing sugar
  • 8 g Cornstarch
  • 90 g Unsweetened Shredded Coconut or Desiccated Coconut
  • ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 90 g Almonds toasted and chopped in small pieces

White Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients

  • 170 g White Chocolate* see notes for options
  • 60 ml Whipping Cream* see notes for options
  • 226 g Butter* cut in cubes
  • 210 g Powdered Sugar sifted
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or ½ Vanilla Bean
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Decoration Ingredients

  • 186 g Coconut shredded or desiccated
  • White Chocolate Bar grated or shavings

Instructions

Almond Cake Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans and line them with baking paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the room temperature milk and white vinegar (or lemon juice). Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle. This creates your homemade buttermilk.
  • Add cane sugar (or caster sugar), vegetable oil, vanilla extract to the milk mixture. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture, stirring gently to combine. Be careful not to over mix—stir until just incorporated, and the batter is smooth.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Use a spatula to smooth the tops.
  • Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cakes are golden brown on top.
  • Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Creamy Coconut Filling Instructions

  • In a medium sized pot, combine coconut milk, powdered sugar, cornstarch and bring it to a boil on low heat whilst stirring to ensure there are no lumps.
  • Let it boil for 20-30 seconds and then remove from heat.
  • Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then add all the shredded coconut and vanilla extract and stir until it looks creamy and fully combined.
  • Store in a heatproof container and cover the surface with cling wrap. Keep it in the fridge for 3-4 hours for it to thicken and chill. You can prepare this recipe one day ahead.
  • Add a spoonful of coconut milk to adjust the consistency of the filling after it is thick and chilled, if needed.
  • Add chopped almonds to the coconut cream or you can sprinkle while assembling the cake.

White Chocolate Buttercream Instructions

  • Begin by preparing the white chocolate ganache. Chop white chocolate into small pieces and place it in a small saucepan along with whipping cream over medium heat until it just begins to melt but not boiling. Remove from heat.
  • Stir the mixture until smooth and fully combined. Set the ganache aside to cool to room temperature. Don’t place it in the fridge.
  • While the ganache is cooling, place cubed butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until it becomes light and creamy.
  • Gradually add sifted powdered sugar beating well after each addition.
  • Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
  • Once the ganache has cooled to room temperature, pour it into the butter mixture.
  • Add vanilla extract and salt. Continue beating the mixture on low-medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until the buttercream is smooth, light, and fluffy.

Cake Assembly

  • Trim a thin layer off the top of both cakes using a serrated knife to ensure they are flat and even for stacking.
  • Place a small dollop of frosting in the center of your cake stand or serving plate to help the cake stay in place.
  • Set one cake layer onto the prepared cake stand or plate.
  • Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread about 4-5 scoops of the frosting evenly over the top of the first cake layer, smoothing it out for an even surface.
  • Spread more than half of the prepared creamy coconut filling on top of the frosting, smoothing it into an even layer. Sprinkle chopped almonds generously over the coconut filling.
  • Carefully place the second cake layer on top, aligning it as evenly as possible with the first layer.
  • Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake as a crumb coat, then chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • Frost the cake with the remaining frosting, reserving a little for piping if desired. Coat the sides of the cake with shredded coconut.
  • Chill the cake for another 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
  • Once chilled, place the remaining creamy coconut filling in the center and cover it with a thick layer of grated white chocolate.
  • Let the cake come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Notes

  • Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
  • Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
  • Milk: For the cake layers, you can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy based whole milk.
  • Butter: You can use dairy-free butter sticks or any butter of your choice. I prefer to use salted butter in my recipes.
  • Whipping Cream: For the vegan version, use Dairy-free unsweetened whipping cream for vegan and dairy-free or any full-fat whipping cream of choice).
  • Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. If you are vegan then ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or organic cane sugar.
  • White Chocolate: For this recipe, it is recommended to use a cold white chocolate bar for decorating as it is easier to grate. For the vegan version use a dairy-free white chocolate bar, refer to my Baking 101 page for ingredient recommendations.