My peppermint bark cake is made with moist darkish chocolate cake layers and a white chocolate peppermint frosting. It’s so festive and extremely decadent! Recipe features a how-to video!
New Favourite Christmas Dessert: Peppermint Bark Cake
At present we’re remodeling basic peppermint bark sweet right into a enjoyable and festive vacation cake. This peppermint bark cake is a stunner and positive to be the star of your Christmas dessert desk. The bottom is identical richly fudgy and chocolatey cake from my triple chocolate cake recipe, which we’ll prime with a peppermint-infused white chocolate frosting (a favourite of mine!). We’ll cloak the entire thing in a darkish chocolate ganache, after which pipe peppermint swirls to complete.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unbelievable mixture of wealthy chocolate cake layers, a white chocolate peppermint buttercream, and fudgy chocolate ganache.
- Surprisingly not too candy! The darkish cocoa within the cake and diminished sugar within the frosting (in comparison with conventional buttercream frosting) means this cake is well-balanced.
- Makes use of the reverse creaming methodology (kind of) so there’s little or no likelihood of over-mixing AND technically you can mix the batter by hand with out even plugging in a mixer!
- Incorporates oil and butter for a moist and flavorful cake crumb. Utilizing all oil would preserve the layers moist, however the taste wouldn’t be fairly as good. All butter would style nice, however could possibly be dry. So a mixture actually is finest!
I’ve a sense this peppermint bark cake will probably be simply as standard because the gingerbread layer cake I shared final 12 months. It’s excellent for everybody who has had their fill of Christmas cookies by the point the massive day rolls round 🤪
I can’t wait so that you can attempt it!
What You Want
Don’t be overwhelmed by the quantity of elements right here; most will already be in your pantry already. I’ll level out just a few of the essential ones earlier than we get began.
- Cocoa powder. I like darkish cocoa for the darkest colour and taste. When you can’t discover this, use Dutch course of.
- Buttermilk. This makes our cake extremely moist and flavorful. I like to recommend utilizing full fats buttermilk for one of the best outcomes, however you can use my straightforward buttermilk substitute in a pinch.
- Sizzling water. When you actually wish to amp up the chocolate taste on this peppermint bark cake, use sizzling espresso as a substitute!
- Peppermint extract. Be sure to use peppermint extract and never mint extract! They’ve completely totally different flavors (mint tends to lean extra in the direction of a toothpaste taste–not what we’re on the lookout for right here).
- White chocolate. Use a top quality white chocolate and warmth it slowly so it doesn’t seize. I’ve a tutorial on the way to soften chocolate within the microwave in case you have had points with this previously.
We must always most likely focus on the pile of butter within the very heart of this photograph too…sure, it’s so much! It is because we’re frosting a 3 layer cake, and I wished to have loads leftover for these fairly swirls on prime. Be at liberty to scale back the frosting if you happen to like, simply know you received’t be capable to beautify the cake as proven in photographs. I’m admittedly over-indulgent with regards to frosting, particularly one I like a lot!
SAM’S TIP: Use room temperature eggs! This ensures a clean and uniform batter. When you overlook to set your eggs out forward of time, comply with my tips about the way to rapidly convey eggs to room temperature.
Keep in mind, that is simply an outline of the elements I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the put up!
Methods to Make Peppermint Bark Cake
Make the Cake Layers
- Whisk collectively the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a big mixing bowl.
- Stir within the melted butter and oil till every thing is evenly coated. The batter will probably be thick at this level–that is completely regular!
- Step by step add the buttermilk, then scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl. Rigorously and slowly pour within the sizzling water or espresso and blend till the batter is uniform. Utilizing sizzling water or espresso helps “bloom” the cocoa powder, finally enhancing its taste.
- Divide the cake batter between your pans (you should utilize both 8 or 9 inch pans) and bake. Pull the muffins out when a toothpick take a look at reveals moist crumbs to keep away from a dry cake.
Make the Frosting
- Let the muffins cool utterly earlier than masking with frosting. Whereas they cool, put together the frosting.
- Soften the white chocolate within the microwave till clean. Keep in mind to do that slowly and stir properly in between, or your chocolate might seize and also you’ll want to begin over. Let the chocolate cool to the contact.
- Beat the butter till creamy and fluffy, then stir within the cooled melted chocolate till included.
- Slowly stir within the powdered sugar with the mixer on low velocity till every thing is clean and mixed. Scrape the bowl, then stir within the extracts and salt till included.
Put together the Ganache
- Warmth the cream till it begins to steam, then pour it over your chopped chocolate (be certain the chocolate is in a heatproof bowl!). Cowl the bowl with foil and let it sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes.
- Take away the foil and whisk till clean. Let this sit for a couple of minutes to chill and thicken up earlier than pouring right into a squeeze bottle.
Enhance the Cake
- Frost the cake layers together with your buttercream, then place the cake within the fridge to sit back.
- Add ganache drips across the cake, then fill within the prime with extra ganache. When you’ve by no means achieved this earlier than, try my tutorial on the way to do a ganache drip. Let this agency up within the fridge for a couple of minutes.
- Pipe ornamental frosting swirls on prime of the ganache and end with crushed peppermint candies if desired.
SAM’S TIP: Whereas I’m utilizing three 9″ pans right here, this peppermint bark cake might be made in 8″ pans or a single 9×13″ cake pan. I present baking occasions for all variations within the recipe notes beneath.
Often Requested Questions
Sure, like most muffins, this peppermint bark cake freezes properly! Simply be certain to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap (and possibly foil too, simply to be secure!) earlier than storing in an hermetic, freezer-safe container or ziploc bag. You may freeze this cake in slices or as a complete.
When you plan to get pleasure from your cake inside two days of baking, you’ll be able to let it sit at room temperature. In any other case, I like to recommend refrigerating. Notice that whereas the fridge does are likely to dry out muffins, since we used oil in ours, it would keep moist for days–even within the fridge!
Completely! I’m undecided of a bake time, however I might suppose they might take round 17 minutes or in order cupcakes. When you do this, I’d like to know the way it goes for you!
This cake is so excellent for the vacations–I hope you get an opportunity to make it this 12 months!
Take pleasure in!
Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my e-newsletter to be notified of all the most recent recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Peppermint Bark Cake
Servings: 12 servings
Energy: 1088kcal
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease and flour three 9” (23cm) spherical cake pans (or spray with baking spray). Line the underside of every pan with a spherical of parchment paper spherical (to insure in opposition to sticking). Put aside.
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In a big mixing bowl, whisk collectively flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
1 ¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) mild brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) darkish cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon desk salt
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Add butter, and oil, stirring till utterly mixed.
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (155 ml) impartial cooking oil
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Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir till batter is uniform
2 giant eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Slowly add buttermilk, stirring to mix. You should definitely scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all elements are properly included.
1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
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Slowly (and punctiliously) add sizzling water, stirring till batter is clean and uniform.
½ cup (118 ml) very popular or boiling water or espresso
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Evenly divide batter between cake pans. Switch to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 20-24 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart of every cake comes out clear or with just a few moist crumbs.
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Enable muffins to chill for Quarter-hour earlier than operating a knife across the edge and punctiliously inverting onto a cooling rack to chill utterly. Whereas muffins are cooling, put together your frosting.
For the frosting
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In a small, microwave-safe bowl, warmth chopped chocolate for 30 seconds. Stir properly, then return to the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring in between, till chocolate is melted and utterly clean. Enable chocolate to chill for Quarter-hour and it’s now not heat to the contact.
12 oz (350 g) white chocolate bars
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In a big mixing bowl, use an electrical mixer to beat butter till it’s creamy and well-whipped.
2 cups (453 g) unsalted butter
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Add (cooled) melted chocolate and stir properly.
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With mixer on low-speed, regularly add powdered sugar till utterly mixed.
4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
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Scrape the perimeters and backside of the blending bowl with a rubber spatula and add peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and salt and stir till mixed and frosting is clean.
2 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the ganache
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Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized heat-proof bowl. Put aside.
4 oz (113 g) semisweet or darkish chocolate
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In a small saucepan, warmth cream over medium-low warmth simply till cream begins to steam. Instantly take away from warmth and pour evenly over chocolate. Cowl bowl with foil and let sit for five minutes.
½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
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After 5 minutes, take away foil cowl and whisk completely till chocolate is clean. Enable to chill for a minimum of 10-Quarter-hour earlier than pouring right into a squeeze bottle for adorning the cake.
Meeting
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As soon as cake has cooled utterly, frost every layer evenly with ready frosting. Evenly frost the surface of the cake and place within the fridge for Quarter-hour. Reserve some frosting for piping on prime of cake.
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After Quarter-hour, take away cake from fridge, maintain the bottle of ganache vertically and drip chocolate across the fringe of the cake, going all the best way across the cake. Take remaining ganache and canopy the highest with a skinny even layer so it’s evenly coated (you might not use the entire ganache). I do have a tutorial on the way to do a ganache drip.
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Set cake again in fridge for 15-20 minutes to permit ganache to develop into agency.
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After ganache has firmed, take away cake. Place reserved frosting in a piping bag with a closed-star tip ( I exploit Ateco 846 or 848). Pipe swirls on prime of agency ganache alongside the highest fringe of the cake. If desired, sprinkle with crushed peppermint.
Crushed sweet canes or peppermint candies
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Serve and luxuriate in!
Notes
Baking in numerous sized pans
Cake could also be baked within the following sized pans for the next time (no matter pan measurement, bake on 350F/175C). Use the toothpick take a look at to evaluate doneness (toothpick inserted within the heart ought to come out clear or with moist crumbs however no moist batter). Notice that darkish pans are likely to take much less time and light-colored pans are likely to take extra time. Glass pans take the longest and can take longer than indicated beneath.
Three 8” pans: Cake will take barely longer to bake than indicated in recipe, start checking at 24 minutes.
Two 9” pans: Bake 27-Half-hour.
Two 8” pans: Bake 35-40 minutes
One 13×9 pan: Bake 32-35 minutes
Storing
Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 2 days or in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. This cake may be frozen. Wrap tightly and it’ll preserve for a number of months within the freezer.
Vitamin
Serving: 1serving | Energy: 1088kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 8g | Fats: 70g | Saturated Fats: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 6g | Monounsaturated Fats: 23g | Trans Fats: 2g | Ldl cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 94g | Vitamin A: 1412IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary data relies on third-party calculations and needs to be thought of an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
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