Gathering with friends and family and sharing delicious food, really makes it feel like Christmas. One of my favorite ways to entertain, especially at Christmastime, is with a progressive dinner. These special dinners allow you to visit many homes decked out for Christmas. Each home serves only one course, so each host takes a turn serving, then being served.
Today a few of my friends are inviting you to our virtual Progressive Christmas Dinner, where we will be sharing our recipes and Christmas decor with you! You may remember the progressive dinner summer post we did together a few months ago.
If you have just come from Kelley Nan’s delicious main course, welcome! Kelley is the ultimate hostess and has the sweetest southern charm. Her home is gorgeous year -round but I especially love it at decorated for Christmas!
If you are new to my blog, I’m so happy you found me! If you are an a returning friend, it’s so good to have you back!
For our progressive dinner, I am hosting the dessert course in our family room.
Baking is one of my true loves! A few of my friends and I even started a monthly Bake Group {see how you can start one here}. To me, baking is love and one of my favorite ways to show family and friends they are special.
It seems like every family has special recipes they bake around the holidays. A few years ago, my mom started making this yummy cranberry bundt cake. It has a hint of lemon and almond with a fabulous orange glaze drizzled on top. It isn’t hard to make and serves a crowd. I knew it would be perfect cake to dress up for this Christmas progressive dinner.
It looks great on top of a pretty cake plate, styled on a bar car, displayed for guests as they arrive.
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To dress the cake
- Clip 6 white roses to about 2 inch long stems
- Tuck a few sprigs of fresh rosemary around the roses and a few on the edge of the cake plate
- Sprinkle some candied cranberries {see recipe below}, around roses and bottom of the cake
- For some Christmas magic, add a dusting of edible baking glitter on top of the cake and flowers
To make this cake really dazzle, try making these candied cranberries! They are so beautiful and delicious!
This scrumptious cake pairs well with orange – cranberry water. Simply slice some Cutie oranges {they are so sweet and delicious}, and a few cranberries.
Get the Look
Give this recipe a try this Christmas, I know you will love it! My 7 year old said, “this is the best cake I’ve ever had mom!” I’ll take that as a huge seal of approval!
To see more of my Christmas decor click on the photos below…
Christmas Home Tour
Christmas Dining Room
Christmas Home Entryway
Christmas Trees
Next head over to my friend Kris from Driven By Decor for a special after dinner drink. Kris has the best ideas and her home is stunning, especially for Christmas!
Here the full list of participants…
Appetizers – Our Vintage Farmhouse
Soup – Dear Lillie
Main Course – Kelley Nan
Dessert – Me
After Dinner Drink – Driven By Decor
xo,
Randi,
What a fun idea – I love it! And the cake, and especially those cranberries, looks so good. I love baking but have never done them – now I’m going to have to try them!
I also visited your home tours the other day and your whole house looks gorgeous! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Sheila
xo
http://www.maisondecinq.blogspot.com
Thanks Sheila! You have to give them a try, my family loves them! Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you a Merry Christmas too my friend! xo
That cake looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. And the roses, cranberries and rosemary make it! Thanks for sharing.
Nancy thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! This cake is really amazing, you will love it! Merry Christmas my friend! xo
Randi, you are truly amazing and so inspiring!! And your cake is so fabulous…your mom must be so proud. Now can I just come over and share it with you?! Xoxo
Thank you Bree! You really are such a dear friend! I wish you could come over and share it with me! That would be the best present ever!!! xo
Randi OH MY HEAVENS I never knew a cake cook be so beautiful!!! Talk about blowing your guests away with this! Thank you for sharing. I LOVE recipes! If you’re looking for a good one next Thanksgiving I shared my mother in laws pumpkin sheet cake and it is not NEAR as pretty but it is heavenly. A lot of people have made it and it’s always a hit! Anyway thanks for sharing! Your posts blow me away and we will have to chat sometime about your photography background because you have seriously amazing photography skills!
You are too sweet CC! Can I tell you that your comment about my photograph made my whole life!!! I am just struggling along trying to learn. Thank you for such an amazing compliment! Merry Christmas my friend! xo
This has got to be the most gorgeous dessert I’ve ever seen! It’s too pretty to eat! And your Christmas home couldn’t be more magical – Randi it’s amazing!!
Thank you Kris! You are always to kind to me! Wishing you the Merriest Christmas! xo
I honestly can’t stop looking at these photos. You are so talented and this entire post is so gorgeous. I just adore all that you do. Bravo, my friend. WOW!!!
Wow Courtney! You are really so kind to me!!! Thank you so much for your sweet compliment! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! xo
What a gorgeous dessert! I can’t imagine a more beautiful setting for it either!
Thank you Jen! Wishing you the merriest Christmas my dearest friend! xo
Your cake is beautiful & no doubt it will be just as delicious as it looks! Love all the photographs-you have sweet skills-Baking, decorating & photography -all wrapped up in one post! You always amaze me 🙂
Thank you dear friend! Your friendship means the world to me! xo
Thank you for sharing your mom’s special recipe – that looks so yummy with the glaze dripping down. Your home is beautiful, Randi!! Merry Merry
Loi thank you! I wish you could come over and have a piece! Merry Christmas my friend! xo
Randi, your living room is Christmas perfection and the cranberry dessert is literally, the icing on the cake 😉 What a lucky family to have such delicious goodies and home xoxo
Thanks Kel! This cake is one of our family’s favorite! Merry Christmas to you my friend! xo
Randi,
You are so amazingly talented. That cake? SERIOUSLY!
Thank you for all the inspiration and putting together the tour.
Merriest of Christmases to you, friend!
karianne
Marianne you are such a doll! Thank you so much for your kind compliment! It has been so fun to do this together! xo
this has got to be one of the most beautiful Christmas cakes that I have seen!
Your cake is indeed beautiful, as are all of your decorations!!
I was inspired to try the recipe on Christmas Eve, but my results were disappointing. Is it possible that the leavening agent R(baking powder or baking soda) was inadvertently omitted from the recipe? My cake did not rise at all. Perhaps I did something wrong….
Anyway, just thought I’d ask.
Rose you have to use cake flour as the recipe says! It has the leavening already in it! I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you! Please try to make it again with the cake flour, you will love it! Happy New Year!!! xo