Cruise's Christmas cake includes tier for inner circle

Tom Cruise's Christmas cake has become one of Hollywood's most well-known festive traditions, but recent comments from collaborators suggest the widely discussed gift is only part of a much larger ritual reserved for a select few.

Each year, a coconut and white chocolate bundt cake is delivered to a carefully chosen list of actors, directors and industry figures.

Over time, the cake has taken on near-mythical status, with recipients often treating its arrival as a sign of continued goodwill from Cruise. Some have spoken about sharing it with friends, while others admit to waiting days before cutting into it.

However, those closest to the actor have revealed that there is another level of gifting beyond the familiar cake.

Director Joseph Kosinski, who worked with Cruise on Top Gun: Maverick, explained on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that families with children receive something different altogether.

"There's another level of Cruise Cake, which I don't know if it's out there," Kosinski said. "If you have kids, I have three kids, you get the Cruise gingerbread house, which is spectacular, with the kids names and the figures and stuff. So that's next-level Cruise cake."

Unlike the traditional bundt cake, the gingerbread house is fully constructed and personalised, designed as a centrepiece rather than something to be eaten immediately.

According to those who have received it, the gift has become part of their family's annual Christmas routine.

Actor Jake Johnson has also spoken about receiving a gingerbread house after telling Cruise he could not eat the standard cake due to a dairy issue. Since then, the custom delivery has reportedly continued each year.

The gift-giving does not end with the festive season. Kosinski also recalled receiving an elaborate birthday cake from Cruise, describing it as a detailed model of an F-18 fighter jet featuring his own likeness.

"I've gotten cakes from him that almost seem [like he made them himself]," he said. "I don't know how or where he got it made."

The stories have added to the growing lore surrounding Cruise's annual tradition, which has quietly become one of Hollywood's most talked-about gestures.