Peppermint Candy Cane Battenberg Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20cm square tin with a little butter and line the base with baking parchment. To make the white (un-dyed) sponge, put 175g of the butter, 175g of the sugar, 175g of the flour, 3 eggs, the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a big mixing bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until smooth and not streaky.
• Spoon into the tin and spread right into the corners. Bake for 25-30 mins - when you poke a skewer into the middle it should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Wash the tin so it's ready to use again.
• Now make the red sponge. Grease and line the tin as in step 1. Mix the same ingredients in a big bowl, but use the peppermint extract instead of the vanilla. When the mixture is smooth and not streaky, squeeze in a little red food colouring and whisk in, adding more until you get a strong red colour.
• Repeat step 2. Once cooked, cool the red sponge in the tin for 10 mins before placing on a wire rack to finish cooling.
• To make the buttercream, beat all the ingredients and a pinch of salt with an electric whisk until completely smooth.
• Knead 1 tsp of the peppermint extract into each of the fondant icings, keeping them separate.
• Using a long knife (adults might want to help) or a ruler, cut off the crusts of each sponge (sides only, not the top and bottom). Now cut each sponge into 4 long fingers.
• Use a sieve to dust a clean work surface with a little icing sugar. Roll out one block of your peppermint icing to a big rectangle - it needs to be 22cm wide and 45cm long. Turn the icing so one of the short sides is nearest to you.
• Brush the top of a white and red sponge finger with a thin layer of buttercream. Using the buttercream as a glue, stick the white sponge finger along the edge of the icing nearest to you. Now trim the icing along the near edge of the sponge so it's neat. Brush some buttercream on top of the white sponge and on the side furthest away from you. Stick the red sponge finger next to this far side of the white finger, so there is no gap between the two. Brush the top of the red sponge with more buttercream.
• Sit a second red sponge finger on top of the white sponge you've already stuck to the icing. Now stick another white sponge on top of your first red one - again spreading buttercream in between the second layer of sponges to stick. Brush buttercream over any cake you can still see. Now roll over your cake, as if you're wrapping a present in paper, to surround it in the icing. When the sponge is covered, you should have an edge where the two icing ends meet - trim off any extra icing.
• Use a knife to trim the ends to make it neat. Put one candy cane in a plastic sandwich bag and use a rolling pin to break it into little bits on a chopping board. Sprinkle over your cake to decorate.
• To make your second cake, repeat the recipe from step 8. Will keep in an airtight container for two days.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the milk and the vanilla and peppermint extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, then increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 5 more minutes.
• In a separate large bowl (using clean beaters), beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 6 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the position of the pans about halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto racks to cool completely. Peel off the parchment. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead; wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• Make the frosting: Fill a medium saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and the salt in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 165 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy and cool, about 4 more minutes. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until combined, 1 more minute.
• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter and spread 1 cup frosting on top; sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with the final cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle more crushed candy canes on top.

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, water, syrup and cream of tartar in a sauce pan and heat till the sugar has dissolved.
• Divide mixture into 2 saucepans, bring to a boil (do not stir the mixtures in both pots) until the candy thermometer reads 280 degrees F.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint into each pot and add the red food coloring into one pot, leaving the other pot plain.
• Oil an enamel or marble surface or slab.
• Place mixture from one pot and stretch it like taffy, pulling and forming the mixture into a rope.
• Set aside and continue with other pot doing the same thing.
• Take both red and white ropes and twist them around each other again and again.
• Cut into desired sizes and form into candy cane shapes.
• Oil the surface lightly again and place candy canes and allow them to harden.
• Have fun making these!