Make a Happy New Year’s Cake
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Ring in 2023 with a New Year’s Cake! It’s so fun to include children in the celebration, and a new year cake topped with number candles is the perfect happy new year tradition.
You can bake a boxed chocolate cake mix and top it with Chocolate Frosting without Powdered Sugar, bake a traditional gingerbread cake, or whip up a Chocolate Orange Cake for a tasty dessert.
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As you know, we’re big on birthday cakes around here. So it only follows that we would make the New Year a “birthday” cake as well. We’ve been doing this for quite some time. I can’t even remember when it started, but I’ve got pictures of the kids with the New Year’s Cake dating back to 2002 at least!
Baking a New Year’s Cake with your kids is a great tradition to work into your new year.
Why Do This
It’s a fun and easy tradition kids can do. Making a cake for the new year is simple and easy, especially if you cheat with a cake mix.
It’s a great way to count the years. It’s amazing to see how our kids grow and change over the years with our New Year’s Cake. Be sure to take pictures!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make a New Year’s Cake:
a cake mix and the ingredients needed to bake it – You can make a scratch cake recipe is you like, but the holidays are already pretty wild. Feel free to lean on the mix.
a batch of frosting – Whether canned or homemade, frosting makes it fun. Try these favorite frosting recipes.
number candles for the year – The candles make the New Year’s Cake. Grab the number candles to represent the new year.
sprinkles – What kid doesn’t love sprinkles? Let the kids go to town “decorating” the cake. Trust me, the easy route is the way to go!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make a New Year’s Cake:
- Prep the cake according to package instructions. Cool on a rack.
- Frost and add sprinkles.
- Insert the candles. Light them and let the kids blow them out during your new year’s celerbation.
Variation
If you don’t want to use candles for some reason, you can make some really cute cupcake toppers instead.
FAQs
Yes. If things are busy, feel free to bake, cool, and freeze your cake for later. You can add the frosting and other embellishments after you’ve thawed it. If you don’t want to freeze cake for later, you can prep it up to 4 days in advance, and store it well wrapped at room temperature.
While frosting, sprinkles, and candles are super fun, some people like to bake a token into the cake. Whoever gets the piece with a token is said to have good luck in the new year. Traditionally this was a lucky coin, but that can be a choking hazard, especially for young children. Consider baking a chocolate coin or an Oreo cookie in the cake instead. Let everyone know what to look for so they can show that bite before they eat it.
More Family Fun for New Year’s
What works for you?
Leave a comment below and let us know what works for you.
New Year’s Cake
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- cake pan
- wire rack
- offset spatula
Ingredients
- boxed cake mix and extra ingredients to prepare it
- cake frosting or ingredients to make your own
- cake sprinkles or other decorating items
- numbered candles for the coming year
Instructions
- Make boxed cake mix according to directions.
- Frost and decorate with your choice of frosting and sprinkles.
- Place the numbered candles in your cake.
- Enjoy your cake as you ring in the New Year!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 28, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.
This is one of our favorite NYE traditions!
This is such a cute idea!
Love this idea! Going to start this year except my child won't be able to help much since he's only 6 weeks old. But having the pictures start now will be fun to look back at!
I really like this idea. We can't do it, because we bake a Jesus birthday cake for Christmas, a cake for my son's birthday on December 28, and another for my firstborn daughter's birthday on January 1. Even dividing the cake up among eight people…that's a lot of cake. Still, the idea is terrific! Your children are adorable…which you know, I'm sure. 😉
Joining the challenge!
What a great idea! I'm going to start this this year. Happy New Year!
What a neat idea:-)
My husband's family introduced me to the tradition of black-eyed peas and greens (usually collard greens) on New Year's Day. I don't know if it is a Southern Tradition or not, but it signifies health and prosperity for the New Year.
I might like the cake idea better!
What a great idea! We use New Years Eve to eat whatever we want. It is the one night a year that I am a short order cook.
I liked this tradition. Is there a special recipe that you use each year or does it vary?
What an awesome tradition!