Description
A rich and festive Peppermint Fudge Cake featuring moist chocolate layers infused with coffee and buttermilk, layered and frosted with creamy peppermint buttercream, finished with crushed candy canes and a smooth chocolate ganache drizzle. Perfect for holiday celebrations and chocolate lovers seeking a refreshing minty twist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (plus more for dusting the pans)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 8 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 4–6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Crushed candy canes
- Red food coloring
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles and spray these with nonstick spray. Dust pans lightly with cocoa powder and tap out excess. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and melted. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric mixer, beat the melted and cooled butter with granulated sugar on medium-low speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, scraping bowl sides as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Add melted chocolate and mix until incorporated.
- On low speed, add half the dry flour mixture alternated with buttermilk and coffee, then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined; the batter will be thick.
- Evenly divide batter among prepared pans. Smooth surfaces with an offset spatula. Bake 30–40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Avoid overbaking to prevent crumbling.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Beat softened butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add half of confectioners’ sugar and beat on low until moistened, then medium-high until incorporated (3–5 minutes). Repeat with remaining sugar.
- Mix in peppermint extract. On low speed, slowly add 3 tablespoons heavy cream, then increase speed to medium-high and beat about 3–5 minutes, scraping bowl after 2 minutes. Add more cream, ½ tablespoon at a time, until soft but spreadable consistency.
- Place 1 cup frosting in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for decoration.
- Place one cake layer on a serving platter and spread a generous amount of frosting to edges. Repeat with second layer. Top with third layer and frost top and sides completely.
- Press crushed candy canes around lower sides of cake, covering less than halfway up. Freeze cake for 20 minutes.
- In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Pour ganache over chilled cake center. Use offset spatula to spread to edges and slightly over sides for drips. Freeze cake for 10 minutes.
- Divide reserved frosting in half. Color one half red with food coloring. Place each half into separate piping bags. Insert both into a larger piping bag fitted with a star tip, side by side. Pipe swirls on top of cake.
- Keep the cake refrigerated until serving. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to slicing and serving for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results.
- Use high-quality chocolate for better flavor.
- Adjust the peppermint extract to taste if desired.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg