Description
A festive and moist Chocolate Peppermint Cake featuring rich cocoa layers infused with peppermint, layered and frosted with a smooth Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream decorated with crushed candy canes and festive piping.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Peppermint Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3/4 cup hot water or hot coffee
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp peppermint extract optional
Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cup granulated sugar lightly packed
- 2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp peppermint extract or more to taste
- bright white color gel
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- red color gel
Assembly:
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes plus more for outside of cake
- candy cane sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease three 6-inch round baking pans, dust them with cocoa powder, and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir these together to blend evenly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, hot water or coffee (gradually to avoid cooking eggs), eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract if using. Ensure the eggs are at room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Make Cake Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until fully combined; the batter will be thin.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans, using a kitchen scale if available for accuracy. Bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out mostly clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Combine egg whites and sugar in a clean bowl. Place this bowl over a hot water bath and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot to touch (about 160F) and no longer grainy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Whip Meringue: Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks form and the bowl is no longer warm, around 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add Butter and Flavor: Switch to the paddle attachment. Gradually add cubed room temperature butter while mixing until smooth. Mix in vanilla and peppermint extracts, whipping until the buttercream is silky and well combined.
- Color Buttercream: Remove 1 1/2 cups of white buttercream for decorating. To this, add powdered sugar and red gel coloring to achieve a deep red shade. Optionally, brighten the remaining buttercream with bright white gel color.
- Assemble Cake: Place the first cake layer on a stand or plate. Spread about 2/3 cup white buttercream, sprinkle 1/4 cup crushed candy canes over it, then repeat with remaining layers. Apply a thin crumb coat all around and chill the cake for 20 minutes.
- Final Frosting and Decorating: Frost the cake generously with the remaining buttercream, smoothing sides using an icing smoother and a cake comb for texture. Pipe dollops of red buttercream with a 1M tip on top, spacing them out, then pipe smaller dollops of white buttercream with a 4B tip between the red dollops. Decorate the base with crushed candy canes and candy cane sprinkles for a festive finish.
Notes
- Ensure absolutely no egg yolks are in the whites and that all equipment is grease-free for best stiff meringue results.
- The buttercream may look curdled during mixing; continue beating until it becomes smooth.
- Using hot coffee instead of water enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Room temperature eggs and butter improve texture and mixing.
- Use a kitchen scale to evenly distribute batter for consistent cake layers.
- Bright white gel color helps achieve a crisp white frosting to contrast the red.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
