December Baking Plan – How to Spread Out Your Holiday Baking Over Time

December is a time when the scent of gingerbread, cinnamon, and freshly baked cakes fills almost every home. But preparing all the holiday treats can be stressful, especially if we leave everything to the last minute. The key to peaceful preparations is a good baking plan—one that spreads the work out over time while ensuring your cakes are fresh and aromatic for Christmas Eve and the days that follow.

At the beginning of December, it’s best to start with bakes that need time to develop their flavor. Aged gingerbread, honey cakes, and traditional gingerbread cookies often require several weeks to mature. This makes them perfect for the first weekend of December. All you need to do is prepare the dough, bake the treats, and store them in airtight containers or tins—they get better with each passing day.

The second week of December is the time for moderately long-lasting bakes: muffins, shortbread cookies, spiced biscotti, or cakes that freeze well. Many of these can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer—then, just before Christmas, you simply defrost them, decorate, or gently refresh them in the oven.

Right before the holidays, around December 20–23, it’s time for the cakes that taste best fresh. Cheesecake, poppy seed cake, roulades, layered tortes, or sponge cakes with cream—these are best prepared at the end. Some, like cheesecake, actually improve after spending a night in the fridge, so it’s worth planning to bake them a day or two in advance.

December 24 should be reserved for small finishing touches and decorating. Icing gingerbread cookies, decorating the cake, or dusting the poppy seed cake with powdered sugar—these are light, pleasant tasks that not only complete the flavor of your bakes but also bring festive cheer.

Creating such a schedule turns December baking from a marathon into a calm, fragrant ritual. With a well-planned timeline, every step leads you toward a holiday season full of flavor—without rush or stress.