Dark Chocolate Peppermint Layer Cake with White Chocolate Peppermint Frosting

chocolate peppermint cake on white plat with slice on white plate in front of cake

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Layer Cake with White Chocolate Peppermint Frosting

This Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake with White Chocolate Frosting is extra chocolate-y, sweet, and perfectly pepperminty...think peppermint bark, but baked into a delicious cake! Every bite is moist, soft, and full of Christmas cheer! SO. GOOD.

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 55

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: slices

Calories: 1217kcal

Ingredients

Cake

1⅓ cups dark or bittersweet chocolate
3 cups all purpose flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint oil

Frosting

3 cups white chocolate
2¼ cups salted butter room temperature
4½ cups powdered sugar sifted
⅜ teaspoon peppermint extract
1½ Tablespoons heavy cream
¼-½ teaspoon red food coloring

Instructions

Cake

Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Set aside
Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract and peppermint oil.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Whisk until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Fold in chocolate.
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until cakes test done.

Frosting

Melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Set aside.
Beat butter and powdered sugar at high speed of an electric mixer until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Beat in white chocolate and peppermint extract.
Add heavy cream.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Spoon ¼ of frosting in a small bowl.
Add red food coloring.
Mix well.
Spoon into piping bag.

Assembly

Place one layer of cooled cake on cake plate (or board).
Spoon ⅓ of remaining frosting in piping bag.
Starting out outer edge of cake, pipe a ring of white frosting all the way around.
Pipe a ring of red frosting on the inside of the white frosting.
Repeat concentric circles until center is filled.
Place second cake layer on top.
Repeat frosting pattern.
Top with 3rd layer.
Frost entire outside cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat).
Set aside (or in refrigerator) to set.
Frost entire cake.

Notes

Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃.
To substitute unsalted butter in the frosting, add 1 teaspoon salt.
Do not over-mix this cake!
When melting the chocolate for the cake and frosting, do not leave it long! If it gets too cold, just remelt the chocolate before adding it to the cake or frosting.
Piping the red rings in the middle of the cake are optional, but highly recommended!
If you don't want a lot of peppermint flavor, you can omit the peppermint oil from the cake.
This cake is a little crumbly. Don't skip the crumb coat!
You may need to level your cake layers.
You can decorate this cake however you want.
If you don't have piping bags, you can cut the corner of a zip top bag and use it as a piping bag.

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