Peppermint Chocolate Cake Recipe

This decadent Peppermint Chocolate Cake combines all-time favorite Best Chocolate Cake Ever, peppermint buttercream and peppermint bark for a festive cake that’s perfect for the holidays!

Oh friends, this Peppermint Chocolate Cake recipe has just got to show up on your Christmas list of must-make cake recipes. It’s not only delicious, but is also beautifully festive for the holiday season. And if you enjoy my Best Chocolate Cake, you will love this cake! It has the extra deliciousness of peppermint buttercream topped with homemade peppermint bark – and a little extra holiday flair!

Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Hello, deliciousness.

Two scrumptious, decadent treats come together in this beauty of a dessert. Both treats are fabulous on their own, but as a dessert with a little extra something special for the holidays, this is a winner.

I’ll spare you all of the amazing comparisons and just tell you, it tastes like the best peppermint bark you’ve ever tasted. In cake form.

Not to mention, there’s an out of this world decadent Peppermint Buttercream Frosting atop this beauty.

And since that holiday treat is Sam’s most favorite candy in the whole wide world, and this chocolate cake is his favorite cake, then obviously this is a dessert that he loves. Everyone I’ve ever served this cake to agrees!

How to Make Peppermint Chocolate Cake

This beautiful cake is really easy to make. You’ll make my Best Chocolate Cake and add a Peppermint Buttercream to top it. Then top with bark if you desire.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it.

Ingredients for Best Chocolate Cake

• all-purpose flour
• sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• espresso powder – easy to find at the grocery store or even online if your grocer doesn’t stock, but I use it frequently and started making my own homemade espresso powder. It is so easy to make and have on hand!
• milk – you can also use buttermilk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk
• oil – you can use vegetable, canola or melted coconut oil
• eggs – when baking, I like to use room temperature eggs
• vanilla extract
• boiling water

Step-by-Step Instructions for Chocolate Cake

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

Whisk dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

Mix in wet ingredients. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.

Bake. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.

Frost. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely. Frost with Peppermint Buttercream frosting. Ingredients and instructions to follow.

Note – If you want to make three layer cake instead of two – simply split the cake batter between 3 cake pans instead of 2 pans. If making 3 layers, check cake for doneness after about 25 minutes.

Ingredients for Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

• butter – softened
• confectioner’s sugar – sifted
• peppermint extract
• pinch salt
• milk, heavy cream or half-and-half
• peppermint bark – chopped, for garnish (optional)

If you don’t have peppermint bark on hand to garnish top of cake, you can either omit it or crush a few candy canes to sprinkle on top.

Step by Step Instructions for Frosting

Cream the butter. Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

Add sugar and beat. Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.

Mix in extract and salt. Include the peppermint extract and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.

Add milk for desired consistency. Add milk, heavy cream or half-and-half until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Frost and garnish cake. After the cake layers have cooled as directed, frost the cake. Sprinkle chopped peppermint bark on top of cake as garnishment, if using.

I sure hope you love this Peppermint Chocolate Cake as much as we do. It is the perfect dessert for Christmas and New Year.

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Peppermint Chocolate Cake Recipe

Robyn Stone

4.91 from 10 votes

Peppermint Chocolate Cake Recipe – This decadent Peppermint Chocolate Cake combines all-time favorite Best Chocolate Cake Ever, peppermint buttercream and peppermint bark for a festive cake that’s perfect for the holidays!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 24

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 chocolate cake recipe

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup (226 g) butter, , softened
• ▢ 3 – 4 cups (340-454 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (4 g) peppermint extract
• ▢ pinch (0.4 g) kosher salt
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons (28-43 g) milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
• ▢ 1/2 cup (114 g) chopped peppermint bark, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

• Prepare chocolate cake as instructed. Allow to cool completely. As cake is cooling, prepare peppermint buttercream frosting.
• Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
• Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
• Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
• Add peppermint extract and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
• Add milk, heavy cream or half-and-half until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.
• Frost cake and sprinkle chopped peppermint bark on top of cake as garnishment (optional).

Notes

For 3 layers – I simply split the cake batter between 3 cake pans instead of 2. For 3 layers, check cake for doneness after about 25 minutes.

Nutrition for 1 serving of cake with frosting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 467IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally published 2013.