Description
A festive and rich Chocolate Peppermint Cake layered with a creamy peppermint Swiss meringue buttercream, perfect for holiday celebrations. Moist chocolate cake layers are infused with peppermint extract and filled with a smooth, fluffy 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 decoration
- Candy cane sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat the 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 a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, sifted Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine evenly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, hot water or coffee (slowly pour to avoid cooking eggs), eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract if using, until smooth.
- Make Cake Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. The batter will be quite thin, which is normal for this cake.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, using a kitchen scale if desired to ensure equal portions. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool Cake Layers: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Swiss Meringue: Combine egg whites and granulated sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water as a double boiler and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot to the touch (about 160°F) and no longer grainy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Whisk Meringue: Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture cools down (the bowl should be no longer warm), about 5-10 minutes.
- Add Butter to Buttercream: Switch to the paddle attachment and slowly add the cubed unsalted butter while mixing. Continue mixing until the buttercream is smooth and creamy, even if it appears curdled at times, it will come together.
- Flavor and Tint Buttercream: Mix in vanilla and peppermint extracts to taste. Remove about 1 1/2 cups of the buttercream for coloring. To the removed portion, add 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and red color gel until desired red shade is achieved. Use bright white color gel to whiten the remaining buttercream if desired.
- Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cup of buttercream on top, then sprinkle 1/4 cup crushed candy canes evenly. Repeat with the second layer, then add the last cake layer.
- Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream all over the cake and smooth it out. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Final Frosting and Decoration: Frost the outside of the cake generously, smoothing the sides with an icing smoother and optionally using a cake comb for texture. Pipe red dollops of buttercream on top using a 1M tip, and pipe smaller white dollops between using a 4B tip. Decorate the bottom edge with crushed candy canes and candy cane sprinkles.
Notes
- Ensure there is absolutely no trace of egg yolks in the whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease-free for the meringue to stiffen properly.
- The buttercream may look curdled or broken during mixing; keep mixing patiently until it becomes smooth and creamy.
- To whiten the buttercream and remove any yellow tint, use bright white color gel for the best results.
- Using hot coffee instead of water enhances the chocolate flavor in the cake.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
