Peppermint Fudge Cake Recipes

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:

• Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface. Sprinkle on the crushed candies. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Lift the foil out of the pan and peel off the fudge. Cut into small squares.

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl to blend. Place cocoa in medium bowl; whisk in 1 2/3 cups boiling water. Cool cocoa mixture to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, then vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto racks. Cool completely.
• Make peppermint mousse:
• Combine white chocolate, 3/4 cup whipping cream and sour cream in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat just until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; cool to barely lukewarm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes. Mix in candies. Beat remaining 1 cup cream in medium bowl to soft peaks. Fold cream into barely lukewarm white chocolate mixture in 4 additions. Chill mousse until beginning to set, about 2 hours. Place 1 cake layer on 8-inch cardboard round. Spread half of mousse over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, remaining mousse and third cake layer. Chill assembled cake until mousse is cold and set, about 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare ganache:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add bittersweet chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Cool ganache until thick but still pourable, about 45 minutes.
• Place cake on rack set over baking sheet. Pour ganache over cake, spreading with metal spatula to cover sides evenly. Chill cake until ganache sets, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil. Grease the foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, sour cream and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil; cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage), about 5 minutes., Remove from the heat; stir in white chocolate and marshmallow creme until melted. Fold in peppermint candy and extract. Pour into prepared pan. Chill until firm. , Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in the refrigerator.

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:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spray a 10 inch bundt pan with cooking oil and set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in large bowl; whisk together well.
• Whisk together applesauce, oil, vanilla, and peppermint extract by hand in medium bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry with a few swift strokes just until blended.
• Pour into bundt pan.
• Bake 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
• Cool on rack.

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of an 8x4-in. loaf pan with foil. Grease foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. , In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared pan. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. , For peppermint layer, beat cream cheese in a small bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, milk and extract until smooth. Stir in peppermint candy. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. , Using foil, lift fudge from pan. Gently peel off foil. Cut into squares.