Save
What would Christmas be without cakes and sweets? Let’s go around the world to discover some typical Christmas desserts, from Jamaica to Japan. Often simple, but frequently rich and comforting, they are sometimes enriched with creams or dried fruit, sometimes boiled, baked or even fried.
Which of these sweets did you already know, and which can’t you wait to try?
Christmas Pudding (UK)
Made with eggs, almonds, candied fruit, bread crumbs, rum and spices, prepared during Advent and brought to the table on Christmas day.
Kransekake (Denmark and Norway)
A wonderful cake tower decorated with frosting that in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is brought to the table to celebrate Christmas.
Panettone (Italy)
A yeast-leavened bread, usually made with raisins, candied fruit peels, almonds, and brandy.
Rosca De Reyes (Spain and Mexico)
This donut is made with a sweet dough and decorated on the surface with candied fruit.
Awamat (Lebanon and Syria)
Little balls of dough fried and then covered with sugar syrup.
Galette des Rois (France)
A flaky cake filled with frangipane, it’s served around January 6th when it’s believed that the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus.
Rum Cake (Jamaica)
This traditional cake is moist, dense, and dark, with mixed fruit soaked in rum.
Japanese Christmas Cake (Japan)
Japanese Christmas is very elegant, but simple. The typical Christmas cake is nothing more than sponge cake covered with whipped cream and decorated with strawberries.
Lebkuchen (Germany)
Spicy biscuits with dried fruits, candied citrus fruits, eggs and honey, covered with chocolate or icing.
Allahabadi Cake (India)
Traditionally made with clarified butter, petha (an Indian soft candy), ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, and fennel seeds.
Pan de Pascua (Chile)
An easy-to-make bread enriched with dried fruits and spices.
Pecan Pie (USA)
Made with shortcrust pastry, corn syrup icing and pecans, this pie is typical of southern US cuisine.
