Peppermint Christmas Cake
“There’s nothing better than cake, but more cake.”
— Harry S. Truman
Peppermint Christmas Cake. December 12, 2023.
My dad and I have always had a shared love of 7-minute frosting on chocolate cake. We especially loved out the outer layer hardened just a bit to give it a nice crackle. The pillowy and marshmallow-like texture and taste of 7-minute frosting is unique and incredibly delicious! To be sure it is a little more involved as well which is probably why we never had it very often growing up. And admittedly, even though I love it I didn’t make it often in my own household. But with Christmas on the way I wanted to pull out this classic frosting and create a festive cake. However, for a holiday touch I added peppermint flavor to the meringue-like frosting for this cake.
My standby chocolate cake recipe is used in this Peppermint Christmas Cake. As noted below I use dark baking cocoa for that rich dark chocolate taste that pairs so well with the peppermint; however, regular baking cocoa is great as well. On another note, the icing makes enough to frost the middle and top of a 9-inch cake. If you want icing for the sides, I recommend doubling the recipe.
Peppermint Christmas Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup dark baking cocoa (regular baking cocoa is fine too)
- 1.5 tsp. salt
- 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
Peppermint Frosting Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla
- 2 egg whites (room temperature)
- 2 tsps. corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar (not powdered)
- 2 drops red or pink food coloring
Instructions
Make cake
- Combine all dry ingredients in mixer.
- In a separate bowl beat together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and combine well.
- Mix in boiling water. Batter will be thin.
- Divide batter equally between 2 9-inch cake pans that have been greased and lined with wax paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake is set.
- Cool cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
- Let cakes finish cooling on rack before frosting.
Make peppermint frosting
- Note on frosting: this frosting is enough for the top and middle of a 9-inch cake. If you want more frosting for the sides then double the recipe.
- Combine sugar, egg whites, corn syrup and water in the top layer of a double boiler.
- Mix ingredients for a minute with a hand mixer.
- Set up the bottom of double boiler on the oven and bring water to boil.
- Set top of double boiler in the bottom portion (the water should not touch the bottom of the pot).
- Using hand mixer blend sugar mixture continuously on high until frosting is spreadable and stiff peaks form.
- Add peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and 2 drops of red food coloring.
- Blend in extracts and coloring and remove from stove.
- Use to frost cake immediately.
- Store cake in fridge.
Have a beautiful day!
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