Chocolate Peppermint Cake | Life, Love and Sugar

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This Peppermint Chocolate Cake is made with three layers of moist chocolate cake which can be crammed and frosted with peppermint buttercream and peppermint items! It’s completed off with an attractive chocolate drip and is ideal for Christmas!

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Peppermint is a traditional vacation taste that’s so recent and engaging and simply looks like Christmas! In a cake similar to this one, there’s heaps to like however listed below are a few of my favourite issues.

• Tremendous straightforward. The cake layers for this dessert are based mostly on my favourite chocolate cake recipe which is simply extremely straightforward to make. It makes use of just about the only mixing technique within the ebook and comes collectively in minutes.
• So moist. The vegetable oil used within the cake batter ensures that the chocolate cake layers are supremely moist. An unbeatable texture.
• A festive taste combo. There’s simply one thing about chocolate and peppermint married collectively. It jogs my memory of the traditional peppermint bark I used to have as a child at Christmas time. I hope it will get you into the vacation spirit as a lot because it will get me.
• Spectacular. Not solely will the flavour of this cake have folks asking you the place you obtain it, it’s additionally fairly sufficient to impress all of your family and friends. The pop of crimson from the peppermint is gorgeous and festive.

What You’ll Want

To be able to make this chocolate peppermint cake recipe, you will want the next substances. You should definitely scroll to the recipe card under for exact measurements.

Chocolate Cake Layers

• All-purpose flour – You should definitely measure it correctly, ideally with a meals scale. An excessive amount of flour is the most typical offender to a dry cake.
• Sugar – Added for sweetness, naturally, however sugar additionally provides to the tender texture of the cake.
• Pure unsweetened cocoa powder – Whereas I like to recommend pure unsweetened cocoa and it’s best on this recipe, you possibly can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Simply bear in mind that the muffins could not rise as a lot.
• Baking soda – To present the cake it’s rise and contribute to the tender texture.
• Salt – For taste! In the event you depart it out, you’ll have a bland cake.
• Eggs – The eggs must be giant in measurement, not medium or further giant.
• Milk – I exploit 2% milk, however entire milk or buttermilk additionally work properly.
• Vegetable oil – The vegetable oil makes the cake layers so good and moist. You gained’t need to swap this out for butter. The end result won’t be the identical.
• Vanilla extract
• Scorching water – Scorching water helps the cocoa powder bloom to convey out the chocolate taste.

Peppermint Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – Begin with room-temperature butter. Whether it is too chilly, you can see your self with a lumpy frosting.
• Powdered sugar – So as to add quantity to your frosting and get it a superb consistency for adorning. Be at liberty to scale back it, if desired. Simply understand that changes change the consistency of the frosting.
• Heavy cream – Helps offer you a creamy buttercream and alter the consistency of the buttercream to make it thinner, if wanted.
• Vanilla extract and peppermint extract – For taste. I extremely advocate the vanilla. It’s delicate sweetness helps to steadiness out the peppermint in order that it’s not too toothpaste-y.
• Salt – You don’t have to make use of salt, nevertheless it does minimize down the sweetness only a bit and amplifies the flavour of the buttercream.
• Peppermint items – For between the cake layers and for adorning. They add a contact of texture and a stunning pop of coloration.

Chocolate Ganache

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Darkish or milk chocolate chips would additionally work, however will change the consistency of the ganache barely.
• Heavy whipping cream – Mixed with the chocolate to create ganache. Adjusting it is going to skinny or thicken the ganache. The excessive fats content material additionally retains it good and creamy. Swapping it for milk or one thing else will skinny it out.

Make Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Right here’s a primary overview of learn how to make this chocolaty, pepperminty masterpiece. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card under for extra detailed directions.

Make the Muffins

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 300°F, line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and grease the perimeters.
• Mix the dry substances. Whisk collectively the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add moist substances. Stir the eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil.

• Add water. Mix the vanilla and sizzling water and stir it into the batter. It is going to be very skinny.
• Bake. Divide batter between cake pans and bake for 30-33 minutes.
• Cool. Permit the muffins to chill of their pans for 10 minutes earlier than turning them out onto wire racks to chill fully.

Make the Buttercream and Assemble the Cake

• Make the buttercream. Beat the butter till clean after which combine in half of the powdered sugar adopted by 3 tablespoons of heavy cream together with the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Combine within the remaining powdered sugar. If the frosting is just too thick, add somewhat further heavy cream.
• Stack, fill, and frost. Minimize the domes from the tops of the muffins and set the primary layer on a serving plate. Unfold 1 cup of frosting over the cake, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of peppermint items over the frosting, and unfold a skinny layer of frosting over the peppermint items in a couple of locations. Stack the second cake layer on prime and repeat. Add the ultimate cake later and frost the skin of the cake.

• Make the chocolate ganache. Warmth the heavy whipping cream simply till it begins to boil and pour it over the chocolate chips. Permit the combination to sit down fo 2-3 minutes after which whisk till clean.
• Embellish. Drizzle the chocolate ganache across the fringe of the cake, enable it to agency up a bit, after which pipe shells across the prime fringe of the cake with the remaining frosting and sprinkle with peppermint items.

Ideas for Success

Excellent the feel, taste, and look of this chocolate peppermint cake by following these easy ideas and tips. You’ll be a layer cake professional very quickly.

• Don’t over-mix. When combining the moist and dry substances for the cake batter, ensure to not over-mix. This may trigger the glutens within the flour to over-develop, leading to a tricky, overly dense cake.
• Cool fully. Permit the muffins to chill fully earlier than trying to assemble. If they’re too heat, the frosting will slide off the cake layers.
• Begin stage. Don’t neglect to take away the domes from the cake layers. In the event you skip this step, your cake gained’t stack correctly.
• Consistency issues. You need to ensure that your frosting isn’t too stiff or too runny. Stiff frosting gained’t unfold correctly and runny frosting will slide off the cake. Do your homework beforehand and be taught how one can alter the quantities of powdered sugar and heavy cream to get the correct frosting consistency.
• Frost like a professional. Don’t go in blind right here, people, take a look at my submit on frosting a clean cake earlier than diving in.
• Excellent the chocolate drip. I extremely advocate you check out my submit on Make a Chocolate Drip Cake if you would like the prettiest peppermint chocolate cake doable. I additionally like to make use of a squeeze bottle to make life simpler.

Correct Storage

You’ll be able to retailer this cake at room temperature for about 24 hours however then it must be refrigerated. I do advocate serving it at room temperature to expertise the most effective texture and taste.

• Fridge. Retailer the cake in an hermetic cake service or wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap (I counsel utilizing toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the decorations). You would additionally slice the cake and prepare the slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. This peppermint-chocolate dream will keep good as much as 5 days.
• Freezer. You’ll be able to undoubtedly freeze the cake layers and buttercream individually for as much as 3 months. I don’t often advocate freezing absolutely frosted muffins, however you’ll be able to and this one would in all probability be advantageous. Simply understand that condensation that types upon thawing could soften the peppermint items in the course of the cake layers. To freeze the complete cake, pop the cake within the freezer for a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping the entire thing in a double layer of plastic wrap. One other choices is to rearrange leftover slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. Retailer the cake within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Permit it to thaw within the fridge earlier than diving in.

Extra Peppermint Desserts

Christmas is coming and it’s the season for peppermint desserts! Listed below are a few of my different favourite recipes that fulfill that peppermint craving.

Print

Recipe

PEEPS® Chocolate Peppermint Cake

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  Writer: Lindsay Conchar
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  Prep Time: 1 hour quarter-hour
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  Prepare dinner Time: half-hour
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  Whole Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
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  Yield: 12-14 slices
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  Class: Dessert
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  Technique: Oven
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

This Peppermint Chocolate Cake is made with three layers of moist chocolate cake which can be crammed and frosted with peppermint buttercream and peppermint items! It’s completed off with an attractive chocolate drip and is ideal for Christmas!

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Components

Chocolate Cake Layers

• 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (measured appropriately)
• 2 cups (414g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (85g) pure unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 giant eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup (240ml) sizzling water

Peppermint Buttercream

• 2 1/2 cups (560g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 10 cups (1150g) powdered sugar
• 3–6 tbsp (45ml-90ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp peppermint extract
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup peppermint items, plus extra for adorning

Chocolate Ganache

• 3 oz (1/2 cup | 85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

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Directions

Make the Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C). Put together three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles within the backside, and grease the perimeters.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to a big bowl and whisk collectively.
3. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry substances and blend till properly mixed.
4. Add vanilla to the recent water, then pour into the batter. Combine till properly mixed. The batter might be very skinny.
5. Divide batter evenly between muffins pans and bake for 30-33 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out with a couple of crumbs.
6. Take away muffins from oven and permit to chill for about 10 minutes, then take away to cooling racks to chill fully.

Make the Buttercream

1. To make the buttercream, beat the butter till clean.
2. Add half of the powdered sugar and blend till properly mixed and clean.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, vanilla and peppermint extracts and salt and blend till properly mixed and clean.
4. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and blend till properly mixed clean. Add extra heavy cream, as wanted to get the proper consistency of frosting.

To Assemble the Cake

1. To place the cake collectively, use a big serrated knife to take away the domes from the highest of the muffins in order that they’re flat. These muffins don’t have a big dome, however I like to ensure they’re fully flat.
2. Place the primary cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake spherical.
3. Unfold about 1 cup of buttercream evenly on prime of the cake. Sprinkle two tablespoons of peppermint items excessive of the buttercream and press down into the frosting a bit. Unfold an excellent skinny layer of buttercream over the peppermint items in a couple of locations to assist the subsequent cake layer have one thing to stay to.
4. Add the second layer of cake, one other cup of buttercream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of peppermint items.
5. High the cake with the remaining layer and frost the skin of the cake. Seek advice from my tutorial for frosting a clean cake, if wanted.
6. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl (see my tips about making chocolate ganache).
7. Warmth the heavy whipping cream simply till it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Permit it to sit down for 2-3 minutes, then stir till clean.
8. Drizzle the chocolate ganache across the fringe of the cake. I like to make use of a squeeze bottle for drizzling across the edges. (See my tips about making a chocolate drip cake.)
9. Permit the ganache to agency up a bit, then pipe shells with the rest of the frosting across the prime fringe of the cake. I used Ateco tip 847. Embellish with extra peppermint items, if desired.
10. Retailer cake in an air-tight container. It must be advantageous at room temperature for as much as 24 hours, then must be refrigerated. Serve at room temperature or solely barely cool, not chilly. The cake is finest if eaten inside 4-5 days.

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Vitamin

• Serving Dimension: 1 Slice
• Energy: 696
• Sugar: 42.5 g
• Sodium: 422.1 mg
• Fats: 52.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 58.2 g
• Protein: 5.5 g
• Ldl cholesterol: 70.5 mg

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