I wanted to squeeze in one more holiday cake before Christmas and I just barely made the cut!! I saved the best for last this year and am in love with this chocolate peanut butter Rudolph cake.

It has all my favorite flavors and is decorated to look just like my favorite holiday character.

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour

Now some of you might be asking, why use cake flour in this recipe?

Cake flour has less protein in it (usually 7-8%) than all-purpose flour (about 11%). Why does the protein content matter? Because this protein becomes gluten as you mix it with liquid.

More protein means more gluten, which means denser, chewier baked goods (think of a chewy loaf of sourdough bread).

Cake flour makes baked goods that are fluffier and lighter like angel food cake. They also give baked goods a finer crumb.

The frosting on this Rudolph cake is pretty rich so I wanted fluffier cake layers to help balance it all out.

Substitutions and Swaps in this Rudolph Cake

While I love making this Rudolph cake following the recipe below, I know you might not have all of the ingredients on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the salted butter and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar as it will change the texture of the cake.
• Large eggs – You can also use 1 cup of egg whites or if you have an egg allergy you can use 4 flaxseed eggs.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I prefer using regular baking cocoa, but you can also use Dutch-processed or black cocoa powder in this recipe.
• Hot Coffee – Any strong coffee will work, or you can mix 1 Tbsp of instant espresso or coffee into 1 cup of hot water. If you want to avoid a coffee flavor, you can also just use hot water.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Self-Rising Cake Flour – This recipe works best with self-rising cake flour, but you can make your own if needed! Please see the section below for instructions.
• Heavy Cream – You can also use whipping cream or coconut cream.
• Dark Chocolate – I like using melted dark chocolate to make the frosting and antlers on this cake, but you can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate.

Why Self-Rising Cake Flour is Your Best Friend

As you can probably tell, I am a huge fan of self-rising cake flour. Self-rising cake flour is pre-mixed, so salt and baking powder are already incorporated into the cake flour.

I love this because it helps you skip three steps. Rather than getting out all these ingredients and whisking them together, you just use 3 cups of your self-rising cake flour. Viola!

Surprisingly, my neighborhood grocery store only carries the self-rising type of cake flour. If you forgot to grab some at the store or can’t find any, don’t worry.

For every cup of self-rising flour that this recipe calls for, measure out 1 cup of cake flour, then add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder.

Or if you are more of a metrics person, here’s the same formula in grams:

Swap 100 grams of self-rising flour with 94 grams of cake flour, plus 5 1/2 grams baking powder and 1 gram salt. 

Making This Rudolph Cake in Different Sizes

This recipe can also be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can make four 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F for 32-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F for 35-45 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.

You can also use this recipe to make a Bundt cake! Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use and can take anywhere from 45-75 minutes.

I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness and checking on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes.

The final variation of this recipe is cupcakes!! This recipe makes about 24 regular sized cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Tips for Making the Rudolph Cake

• Sketch out a template for your antlers and ears to make sure they’re the same size and properly mirrored.
• Gently place a wooden skewer on top of the piped chocolate antler and ears to make them easier to add to the cake. Then pipe a little extra chocolate over them to lock them into place!
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better.
• Don’t over-mix your batter, stir until the cake flour is just combined.
• Don’t level your cake layers until they are completely cooled.
• Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency before frosting your cake! It will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
• If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, I recommend reading my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might’ve gone awry.

Making This Rudolph Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
• If you make this cake in advance, wait to add the antlers until you plan to serve the cake. It’ll make it much easier to store in the fridge!

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this Rudolph cake, please tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets!!

Also leave a comment below and a rating to let me know your thoughts.

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