Every year, to mark the first snowfall, we make “snow cake”. It’s a winter tradition in my family, and it’s a good one. It marks and celebrates the first “real” snowfall of the year, by baking a white cake frosted with white icing. Snow cake is often decorated with chocolate chip snowmen, or whatever else your heart desires. Rainbow sprinkles is a popular adaptation…
This year, to bring a dash more seasonality to the tradition, I iced one cupcake with a juniper berry syrup-infused frosting, and one flavoured with white pine sugar. Conifers in snow. This year’s Snow Cake cupcakes are pictured above — juniper berry at left, white pine at right.
You are most welcome to adopt and adapt the Snow Cake tradition for your own family. Anyone who would like to make a snow cake to celebrate the beauty of winter is an honourary member of my family. And if you happen to be living far away from your snowy home city, perhaps you could follow along with their weather from afar, and let your baking bring the snow to you.
Snow Cake works for any sized family, from 1 member+. Here’s a bit more of the backstory, the “rules”, and a recipe both for a full on pan or layer cake, as well as an option for a single celebratory cupcake. The single cupcake recipe, doubled for the two of us, is what is pictured above.
Happy winter!
~Kate