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Peppermint Christmas Cake

A moist dark chocolate cake topped with the classic 7-minute frosting in peppermint!
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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 a mixer.
  • In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine well.
  • Mix in boiling water. The 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 the pans.
  • Let cakes finish cooling on a 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 a double boiler and on the stovetop, bring the water to a simmer.
  • Set the top of the double boiler in the bottom portion (the water should not touch the bottom of the pot).
  • Using a hand mixer, blend the sugar mixture continuously on high until the frosting is spreadable and stiff peaks form. This will take 7-10 minutes, allowing the eggs in the frosting to "cook". The temperature of the frosting should reach 160 degrees for safe egg consumption.
  • Add the peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and 2 drops of red food coloring.
  • Use to frost the cake immediately.
  • Store the cake in the fridge.