Layered Double Chocolate Peppermint Cake Recipes

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 8" round pans with non stick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla, mint extract (if desired) milk and eggs.
• Add the salt, baking soda and baking powder and whisk until combined. Stir in the coffee.
• Add the cocoa powder and flour and stir just until combined. Divide evenly between prepared pans and bake for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and chocolate in 45 second intervals on high, stirring each time, until completely smooth.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (it won't whip if it's warm!).
• After cream is chilled, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl. Let sit for 1 minute, then microwave on high for 20 seconds or until dissolved. Set aside to come to room temperature.
• Beat cream mixture with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Stir in room temperature gelatin mixture and powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Place one cake layer on a cake plate and top with half of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and chocolate shavings. Repeat layers one more time, using remaining whipped cream.
• Chill at least 2 hours so the whipped cream can set properly before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk applesauce and 1 tsp. baking powder in a small bowl. Mix chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour 1 3/4 cups boiling water over and whisk until chocolate is melted. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. baking powder into another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add half of applesauce mixture and beat to blend. Add remaining applesauce mixture, then beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool.
• For the frosting:
• Heat chocolate, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in peppermint extract and 1/4 cup water. Chill, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting thickens, about 25 minutes. If frosting gets too thick, gently reheat over pot of simmering water.
• For the chocolate petals:
• Heat chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dip clean, dry pastry brush into melted chocolate. Brush a stripe of chocolate about 3" long and 1/8" thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill. Repeat process on second parchment-lined baking sheet. Swap trays and go over original brush strokes, repeating and chilling in between coatings and gently reheating chocolate if needed, until stems are 1/4" thick.
• When stems are thick enough, sprinkle one end with crushed candy canes. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
• For assembly:
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake layer, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake layer, domed side down, over frosting.
• Spread top and sides of cake with remaining 2 cups frosting, swirling top decoratively. Press chocolate stems into frosting on sides of cake. Serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frosting can be made 5 days ahead; chill, or freeze up to 1 month. Gently reheat over pot of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts. Chocolate stems can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled.

LAYERED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE

Steps:

• CakePreheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 8" round pans well.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, vanilla, mint extract (if using) milk and eggs.
• Add the salt, baking soda and baking powder and whisk until combined. Stir in the coffee.
• Add the cocoa and flour and stir just until combined. Pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• White Chocolate Whipped CreamIn a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and chocolate in 45 second intervals on high, stirring each time, until completely smooth.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (it won't whip if it's warm! I often leave it in the fridge overnight).
• After cream is chilled, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup cold water in a small bowl. Let sit for 1 minute, then microwave on high for 20 seconds or until dissolved. Set aside to come to room temperature.
• Beat cream mixture with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Stir in room temperature gelatin mixture and powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Place one cake layer on a cake plate and top with half of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and chocolate shavings. Repeat layers one more time, using remaining whipped cream.
• Chill at least 2 hours so the whipped cream can set properly before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray six 9-by-2-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line each cake pan with parchment paper and spray parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa with hot water until smooth. Whisk in sour cream; let cool. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each; scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment. Reinvert cakes and let cool completely, top sides up.
• Meanwhile, fit a pastry bag with a large plain round tip; fill pastry bag with one-third of the buttercream and set aside.
• Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a cake plate or lazy Susan. Transfer one layer to cake plate and pipe buttercream around the perimeter of the cake. Using about 1 cup remaining buttercream, fill between the buttercream perimeter to create an even layer of filling; sprinkle with some of the crushed peppermint candies. Top with another layer of cake, top side down. Repeat process, filling the cake, piping the buttercream perimeter, creating an even layer with remaining frosting, and sprinkling with peppermint candies, until all the cake layers have been stacked. Spread remaining frosting all over tops and sides of cake; sprinkle top with peppermint candies. Garnish sides of cake plate with any remaining candies; serve.