Moist Chocolate Peppermint Cake with Candy Cane Chocolate Drip

If you're looking for the most perfect holiday cake, here it is! My Chocolate Peppermint Cake is absolute heaven! Fudgy chocolate cake layers that are so easy to make in one bowl with minimal effort, combined with the lightest creamiest whipped peppermint cream cheese frosting topped with a dark chocolate ganache drip. AMAZING.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy to make - this cake can be made in one bowl with a whisk. You don't need a mixer, although I often use my electric hand mixer to make it.

• Moist chocolate cake - the cake is SO super moist! It has the softest texture and stays moist for days without drying out.

• Fudgy cake texture - melted butter instead of oil gives this cake a fudgy texture and it stays so moist. It is best served at room temperature, but it is still good cold from the fridge.

• Whipped cream cheese frosting - the frosting is a light and fluffy whipped cream cheese with peppermint extract and it is divine!

• Chocolate peppermint flavour - there is just the right amount of peppermint extract in the cake batter and the frosting.

INGREDIENTS

• All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make a wonderful chocolate cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be quite runny so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.

• Granulated sugar - simple white sugar will keep this cake sweet and moist.

• Brown sugar - a bit of brown sugar will add a hint of molasses flavour for extra richness to enhance the chocolate taste.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavour of the chocolate and lends a more rounded flavour to the peppermint.

• Peppermint extract - you will use peppermint extract in the cake batter and the frosting. It goes a long way so only use ¼ teaspoon for the cake batter.

• Cocoa powder - you can use either Dutch process or natural cocoa for this recipe. It’s the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe.

• Buttermilk - buttermilk adds acidity to react with the baking soda and it also adds a tanginess to balance the sweetness and bitter taste of the cocoa. If you don't have buttermilk, you can still make this cake with my recommended substitutions at the bottom of this post.

• Butter - melted butter lends a fudgy texture to this cake. I often use oil for one bowl cakes to create a fluid batter that will accommodate the moving air bubbles to make a light crumb texture, but the combination of hot coffee and buttermilk will add enough moisture to loosen and soften the texture.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First make the cake batter:

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both sugars and salt and whisk to blend well, pressing out any lumps of brown sugar.

• STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, peppermint extract and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well.

• STEP 3). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry.

• STEP 4). Mix in hot coffee. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter is smooth.

• STEP 5). Bake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before you run a knife around the edges and inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

Next, make the frosting:

• STEP 1). Beat cream cheese with sugar. Combine soft cream cheese with 3 tablespoon of sugar and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy. It should look glossy and there should be no lumps.

• STEP 2). Add cream. Add just ¼ cup of cream and beat on low to gradually incorporate the cream into the cream cheese mixture until it is smooth. Then, gradually add remaining cream and continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 3 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

• STEP 3). Mix in extract. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts and mix them in evenly.

• STEP 4). Frost the cake. Spread about 2 cups of frosting in an even layer between the cooled cake layers and then spread the remaining frosting all over to cover the cake.

• STEP 5). Chill. Place the cake in the fridge for 1 hour.

Make the chocolate drip:

• STEP 1). Chop the chocolate. Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place it into a bowl.

• STEP 2). Add cream. Place cream in a small saucepan with corn syrup and heat it over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Pour it over the chocolate in the bowl, cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

• STEP 3). Mix. Whisk gently from the center making circles outwards until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth and glossy. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes so it is no longer hot, but still fluid.

• STEP 4). Drip the cake. Spoon ganache around the edges of the cake, coaxing it over the sides to drip down. Continue like this in a continuous motion all around the cake. I like to use a squeeze bottle to do this.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE

• Use a dark Dutch Process cocoa powder for a dark-coloured cake. I actually prefer the fruity taste of natural cocoa in cakes, but the dark fudgy cake layers look so decadent with Dutch cocoa.

• Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.

• Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer - it should come out clean.

• Use soft room temperature cream cheese. If the cream cheese is cold, it will not mix easily with the whipping cream and it will be more likely that you will have lumps. On the other hand, you can use whipping cream straight from the fridge because cold cream whips better.

RECIPE FAQ

What type of cocoa is best for chocolate cake?

You can use either natural cocoa or Dutch process cocoa powder for this cake. I made the cake in the photos with Dutch process cocoa powder so the cake layers have a deep dark colour.

What is a substitute for buttermilk?

If buttermilk is not available to you where you live, you can also make this recipe using half yogurt and half low fat milk. I have tested this and it worked well! Another suitable substitution is sour cream instead of yogurt.

Can I make this recipe without coffee?

Yes! You can use hot water if you cannot drink caffeine. Or, you can use decaf coffee. You can also make instant coffee instead of brewing a fresh pot, and for this I suggest using 2 teaspoons of instant coffee for 1 cup of hot water.

What makes this cake so moist?

It's not more fat! Moisture comes from liquid, not fat. So you can add more butter, but it will really just make the cake more dense and more tender by shortening the texture. Fat will not make a cake moist as only liquids can add moisture. This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid.

How do I store Chocolate Peppermint Cake?

You should store this cake in the fridge and it will last for a week. It needs to be stored refrigerated due to the cream cheese frosting.

HOW TO MAKE FROSTING WITHOUT BUTTER

I have really been into making this lighter cream cheese frosting that's made without butter. It is so easy to make, pipes and swooshes beautifully and isn't dense nor heavy. This whipped cream cheese frosting is so light and fluffy and ultra creamy. It's more cream than it is cheese - the cheese is there mainly to stabilize the cream. If you want ot make a DOUBLE Chocolate Peppermint Cake, I recommend you use this recipe for the BEST Chocolate Frosting. 

Happy Baking!

If you love cake, check out these recipes!

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Moist fudgy peppermint chocolate cake with a creamy fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting infused with peppermint and a dark chocolate drip!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  

Cake batter:

• 1 cup 240ml hot strong hot coffee
• 1 ⅔ cups 235g all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup 56g cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
• ½ cup 110g packed light brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup 180ml buttermilk (see write-up in post about substitutions)
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup 113g salted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Frosting:

• 1 package 250g cream cheese
• 1 ⅓ cups 320ml whipping cream
• 6 tablespoon 72g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate drip:

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• ⅓ cup 80ml 35% whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon 5ml corn syrup

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with parchment paper.
• Prepare the coffee. Brew a pot or make instant coffee – measure out 1 cup of boiling water and stir in 1 tablespoon of instant coffee or 2 teaspoons of espresso powder.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both sugars and salt and whisk to blend very well, pressing out any lumps of brown sugar. Combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and peppermint extract in a medium bowl and whisk to blend and break up the eggs. Add it to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer on low speed until mostly blended. It will be quite thick.
• Add hot coffee gradually in three stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once during mixing.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool in the pans for 15 minutes before inverting the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting. Combine soft cream cheese with 3 tablespoon of sugar and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy. It should look glossy and there should be no lumps. Add just ¼ cup of cream and beat on low to gradually incorporate the cream into the cream cheese mixture until it is smooth. Then, gradually add remaining cream and continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 3 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts and mix them in evenly. Spread about 2 cups of frosting in an even layer between the cooled cake layers and then spread the remaining frosting all over to cover the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Make the chocolate drip. Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place it into a bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan with corn syrup and heat it over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Pour it over the chocolate in the bowl, cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk gently from the center making circles outwards until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth and glossy. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes so it is no longer hot, but still fluid.
• Spoon ganache around the edges of the cake, coaxing it over the sides to drip down. Continue like this in a continuous motion all around the cake. I like to use a squeeze bottle to do this. Place the cake in the fridge and decorate with crushed candy cane before serving.

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