When Chuck Wicks was a kid, he would look forward to more than just presents from Santa on Christmas. Chuck's mouth waters at the memory of his mother Debbie's special vanilla cake that she makes every year.

"It was a birthday cake for Baby Jesus," Debbie explains to PEOPLE magazine. The cake, Chuck says, was more than just a dessert. "Seeing the cakes every year," he says, "it sunk in that Christmas is about Jesus."

It's a tradition the family continues to this day, although now his mother spikes the cake! "This is definitely a grown-up cake," she says. "There's a lot of amaretto, but people love it."

"When I come home, this is what I look forward to," Chuck says. He also enjoys a slice for breakfast Christmas morning. "There's nothing like starting the day off with a little holiday buzz!" he jokes.