Dark chocolate peppermint icing on a moist peppermint chocolate cake filled with Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with candy cane Swiss meringue buttercream. This fanciful Candy Cane Crunch Cake is the ideal holiday dessert!
Ingredients
For the Cake Pans:
- butter or nonstick cooking spray for greasing
- unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting
Chocolate Cake:
- 2½ cups (315 g) Bob’s Red Mill unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (95 g) unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150 mL) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1½ cups (360 mL) whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup (240 mL) hot strong-brewed coffee
Candy Cane Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 standard peppermint candy canes crushed
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150 mL) large egg whites
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (16 oz; 450 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Glaze:
- 3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (135 mL) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Decorations:
- 2-3 peppermint candy canes crushed
- 4-5 candy canes or peppermint sandwich cookies cut in half (*I used Whole Foods brand!), meringues, or peppermint bark
Instructions
Prepare the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle. Set aside three 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans that have been greased and floured (*if you don’t have three pans, read the note section for recommendations).
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing basin and set aside.
- 2 minutes on medium speed, whisk the oil and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint essence to the mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl and turn off the mixer.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, beginning and finishing with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and turn off the mixer. Slowly pour in the hot coffee while keeping the mixer on low. Mix for no more than 30 seconds on medium-low, or until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is equally distributed.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans (*see note section for instructions!). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Before removing the cakes from their pans, let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes on a wire rack. Before decorating the cake layers, let them cool fully. If you’re making this cake ahead of time, wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap twice before freezing or refrigerating.
Prepare the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Squeeze any extra air out of the candy canes in a big resealable freezer bag. Crush the candy canes with a rolling pin into very small bits (*you don’t want any of the pieces to be too large or they’ll be chewy instead of crunchy). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. To blend them, whisk them together by hand. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and set it over medium heat until it’s just just boiling. To make a double-broiler, place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until it registers 160°F (70°C) on a candy thermometer or is hot to the touch.
- Beat the heated egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until firm peaks form, in a stand mixer. Slowly drizzle in the butter bits on moderate speed (a tablespoon or two at a time). Turn the mixer to medium high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the buttercream is silky smooth. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extract for another 30 seconds. Fold in the crushed candy canes using a spatula.
Cake Assembly:
- With a large serrated knife, level the cooled cake layers and decide which one will be the bottom (tip: pick the sturdiest layer). Place it on a cake plate, a serving dish, or a turning table. With an offset spatula, spread about 34 cup (180 ml) of the buttercream on the cake. Repeat with the following layer of cake, finishing with the third (tip: pick the most level, attractive layer for the top).
- With the remaining buttercream, ice the sides and top of the cake (*if time allows, frost a thin crumb coat, chill for 15 to 20 minutes, then finish with the remaining buttercream). Smooth sides may be achieved with a straight-sided frosting spatula and a bench scraper. Refrigerate the cake for 20 to 25 minutes before coating it, uncovered.
For the Glaze:
- Combine the chopped bittersweet chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Stir continually over medium-low heat until the chocolate has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Combine the peppermint and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl. Allow the glaze to cool for approximately 10 minutes, or until it is thick enough to trickle from a spoon. (*If the glaze is too hot, it will flow too rapidly, causing the frosting to melt.) If the glaze is too chilly, it will thicken and not drop over the edges).
- Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake’s edges, allowing it to flow down the sides. With a tiny offset spatula, spread and smooth the remaining glaze into a thin, uniform layer in the middle of the top of the cake. Allow the glaze to cool completely before adding the toppings.
For the Decoration:
- Decorate the cake with crushed candy canes softly pressed into the buttercream on the bottom of the cake using your hands. Add more candy cane pieces and peppermint sandwich cookie halves to the top of the cake. *Must-Have Storage Note: If possible, do this right before serving, since the exposed sugar cane bits and cookies will absorb moisture and become chewier (and less crunchy).
- Serve the cake at room temperature or slightly cooled. Run a long thin knife under extremely hot water for several seconds to ensure smooth slicing, then dry the knife well before slicing the cake into wedges. For each slice, repeat the process.
Notes
- If you don’t have three cake pans (I only have two), bake two layers at a time and finish with a third. The batter will stay put. Before using the leftover batter, wash and chill the cake pan. The cake may be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap; it can also be frozen.
- I prefer to use these cake strips to construct extremely level, flat cake layers since they avoid most doming.
- To make sure your cake layers are even, weigh your empty stand mixer bowl in grams before you begin baking. On a piece of paper, write down the weight. Subtract the weight of the empty stand mixer bowl from the final, prepared cake batter (in the bowl). This is the overall weight of the batter. Subtract three from this value. The weight of batter you desire in each cake pan before it goes into the oven is this final figure.
Source: A Beautiful Plate
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