Chocolate Cake With Peppermint Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8-by-8-inch square or 9-inch round light-colored metal baking pan with oil.
• In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the mixture until foamy and slightly lighter in texture and color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir the espresso powder into the hot water, then add the mixture to the bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a rack for about 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, clean the mixing bowl and make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then add 2 teaspoons of the cream, the vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and salt. Turn the speed up to medium-high, and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, adding a bit more cream a teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to make a smooth and light frosting. Taste the frosting, and add a few more drops of peppermint extract if desired. The frosting can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.
• Top the cooled cake with an even layer of frosting, then use the tip of a toothpick to dot the frosting with a few small dots of gel food coloring, if using. Use a spoon or offset spatula to swirl the food coloring into the frosting to create candy cane-like stripes - just a few swipes will do the trick. If you mix it in too much, the frosting will turn pink. Top the cake with sprinkles and shaved chocolate, if desired. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Make cake as directed on box for two 9-inch rounds; cool completely.
• Beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, peppermint extract and food color, a drop at a time, beating until desired color is obtained.
• Split each cake horizontally to make 2 layers. Place 1 layer on serving plate; spread top with thin coat frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost side and top of cake with thin coat frosting; refrigerate 10 minutes to allow frosting to firm up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Arrange whole peppermints then sprinkle crushed peppermint around side and top of cake.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yolk. Add cocoa and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with ice water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just blended and smooth after each addition. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.
• For dark chocolate ganache:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Chill until firm enough to spread, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Before using, let stand at room temperature until soft enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
• For white chocolate cream:
• Place white chocolate in large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in saucepan. Pour hot cream over white chocolate. Let stand 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Whisk in extract. Cover; chill until mixture thickens and is cold, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.
• Add 2 cups chilled cream to white chocolate cream and beat until smooth and peaks form. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk to thicken, if necessary, before using.
• Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer on platter, cut side up. Spread 1/3 of dark chocolate ganache over cake. Spoon 2 cups white chocolate cream in dollops over cake; spread evenly to edges. Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread 1/3 of ganache over, then 2 cups white chocolate cream. Repeat with third cake layer, cut side up, remaining ganache, and remaining cream. Cover with fourth cake layer, cut side down. Chill while preparing frosting.
• For peppermint frosting:
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, egg whites, and corn syrup in large bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer. Whisk by hand to blend well. Set bowl with mixture over saucepan of gently simmering water; whisk constantly with hand whisk until mixture resembles marshmallow creme and ribbons form when whisk is lifted, 8 to 9 minutes. Whisk in peppermint extract. Remove bowl from over water and attach bowl to heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until mixture is barely warm to touch and very thick, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using offset spatula and working quickly, spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle chocolate curls over top and sides. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill.

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.