Quick and impressive holiday cakes for Your family gatherings

Every holiday features special dishes and treats that many of us eagerly anticipate all year long. Classics like cheesecake, poppy seed cake, and gingerbread are must-haves. Below are simple recipes for these three festive cakes, perfect for kitchen beginners. While gingerbread can be prepared ahead of time, it's not an old Polish recipe that requires preparation in advance.

Cheesecake is a classic holiday dessert. Yes, you can enjoy it any time of the year, but it somehow tastes extra special on festive days. You can personalize the cheese mixture with raisins, grated lemon zest, or vanilla, based on your flavor preference.

Ingredients:

• 1.1 pounds of curd cheese,
• 7 ounces of powdered sugar,
• 4 eggs,
• 1 tablespoon of wheat flour,
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar,
• zest of 1 lemon.

Instructions:

1. Combine the curd cheese with powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add eggs one by one, be sure to mix after each addition.
3. Next, add the flour, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest. Mix well.
4. Transfer the cheese mixture to a baking paper lined form.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 60 minutes.

For a final touch, you can dust the cooled cheesecake with powdered sugar or drizzle some chocolate icing on top.

The poppy seed roll is a cake we seldom reach for outside of the holiday season, hence it's definitely worth preparing for Christmas to relish its unique taste. Feel free to add your preferred dry fruits and nuts to the poppy seed mix, like walnuts, raisins, or candied orange peel.

Ingredients for the Yeast Dough:

• 1.1 pounds of wheat flour,
• 0.76 cup of milk,
• 5.29 ounces of melted and cooled butter,
• 6 egg yolks,
• 1.41 ounces of fresh yeast,
• 6 tablespoons of sugar,
• ½ teaspoon of salt,
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar

Poppy Seed Filling:

• 1.1 pounds of dry poppy seeds,
• 7 ounces of sugar,
• 3.5 ounces of raisins,
• 1.7 ounces of chopped walnuts,
• 1 tablespoon of honey,
• A pinch of cinnamon,
• 1 tablespoon of soft butter,
• candied orange peel,
• 6 egg whites,

Instructions:

1. Soak the poppy seeds in boiling water, cover with a plate, and set aside for 30 minutes. After this time, uncover and let it cool completely. Drain and grind the seeds.
2. Combine warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar, 4 tablespoons of flour, and yeast. Set this starter aside for 15 minutes, allowing it to at least double in volume.
3. Combine the risen starter with the remaining ingredients for the yeast dough. Knead the dough, gradually adding the melted butter, until it is smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and set aside to rise until it doubles in size.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the poppy seed filling, excluding the egg whites, and combine well.
5. Whip the egg whites into a stiff foam with a pinch of salt and gradually fold into the poppy seed mixture using a spatula or spoon.
6. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part out into a rectangle, spread 1/3 of the poppy seed filling on top, leaving a free edge about 0.7 inches wide.
7. Roll up the dough along the longer side.
8. Place the poppy seed roll onto a sheet of greased parchment paper and roll it up, forming a candy wrapper from the paper. Leave the ends of the paper open.
9. Bake in an oven preheated to 374°F for about 30-40 minutes.

Among the easiest holiday cakes to make is the classic fruitcake. It's simple to prepare and the soft, nut-filled cake with fruit will certainly not last long on your table.

Ingredients:

• 8.82 ounces of soft butter,
• 2 cups of flour,
• 1 cup of sugar,
• 5 eggs,
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla sugar,
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder,
• 10.6 ounces of fruits and candied fruits.

Instructions:

1. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy.
2. Whisk the soft butter with sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, then gradually add the egg yolks, constantly stirring.
3. Add the flour to the mixture and combine.
4. Gradually add the egg white foam into the mixture and stir well with a spatula.
5. Flour coat the fruits and nuts, then add to the mixture.
6. Transfer the dough into a fruitcake mold and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.