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–+ servings
Chocolate peppermint layer cake with a slice being lifted out

Chocolate Peppermint Layer Cake

A rich, moist chocolate sponge in three tall layers, filled and frosted with a fluffy peppermint buttercream and finished with a swirl of red and white icing and crushed candy canes. It's a proper centrepiece bake, ideal for Christmas or any celebration that calls for something a little bit special, and every step is straightforward enough to tackle at home.
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Prep Time:1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Layer Cake, Chocolate Peppermint Cake, Christmas Baking, Christmas Cake
Servings: 12

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

  • 375 g plain flour 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 60 g cocoa powder ⅔ cup cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 400 g caster sugar 2 cups sugar
  • 115 g salted butter at room temperature ½ cup salted butter
  • 120 ml vegetable oil ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 320 ml buttermilk 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
  • 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • 240 ml hot coffee 1 cup hot coffee

Peppermint Frosting

  • 780 g icing sugar 6 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 450 g salted butter at room temperature 2 cups salted butter
  • 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 45 g salted butter melted 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • Red food colouring optional
  • Candy cane pieces for topping optional

Instructions

  • Get your tins ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F (or the equivalent for your oven type, more on that in the recipe card below). Line the bottoms of three 9 inch cake tins with parchment paper and give them a light spray with baking spray.
  • Mix your dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt, then set this aside.
  • Cream the base. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, room temperature butter, and vegetable oil on medium-high speed for about a minute, until smooth.
  • Add the eggs. Mix in the eggs on medium speed for around 30 seconds.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the buttermilk and peppermint extract and mix for another 30 seconds.
  • Bring it together. Add the dry ingredients into the mixer and mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  • Add the coffee. With the mixer still running on a low speed, pour in the hot coffee and mix until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thin, but that's exactly what you want.
  • Divide and bake. Split the batter evenly between your three prepared tins and place them on the centre rack of the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool completely. Leave the cakes in their tins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool fully before you even think about frosting them. This bit takes patience, but it's important.
  • Make the frosting base. In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar, room temperature butter, peppermint extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the icing sugar is fully incorporated.
  • Whip it up. Increase the speed to medium and add the melted butter, then turn the mixer up to high and whip for 6 minutes, until the frosting turns pale, white, and lovely and fluffy.
  • Split and colour. Transfer most of the frosting to a separate bowl, leaving around 2 cups behind in the mixer bowl for the decorative swirls. Add drops of red food colouring to the remaining frosting until you reach the shade you're after.
  • Layer the cake. Once the sponges are completely cool, carefully remove them from their tins. Place the first layer on a plate or cake stand and spread red frosting evenly over the top with an icing spatula.
  • Repeat and stack. Add the second layer and repeat, then top with the third layer. Set aside whatever red frosting is left over for decorating later.
  • Crumb coat. Use the white frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake in a thin crumb coat. Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
  • Final coat. Once set, take the cake out and apply a smooth, thicker layer of white frosting over the top and sides.
  • Pipe your swirls. Spoon the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe swirls across the top, using red, white, or a mix of both.
  • Finish it off. Press crushed candy cane pieces into the sides of the cake and scatter more over the top if you like.