Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Preparation time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Yield: One 3-layer, 8-inch cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 3/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups, minus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder 
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract

For the Frosting:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 6 cups powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 3 Tbsp.  heavy whipping cream
• 3 tsp. peppermint extract
• Pinch of salt
• Red food coloring

*This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

For the Chocolate Drip:

• 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 to 1 cup  heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. For the Cake:
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, parchment paper, and one more spray of nonstick spray.
3. In a bowl of electric mixer, combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, water, oil, vanilla and peppermint and lightly beat with a fork.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix for about 30 seconds. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 10 to 20 seconds. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (about 15 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan or 11 ounces in each 6-inch pan).
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (you may need more time depending on your oven), until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool on wire racks for 10-15 minutes and then gently invert onto greased racks until cooled completely.
7. When cakes are completely cooled, I like to wrap each cake layer individually with plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer until I’m ready to frost. The cake will be easier to work with if it’s cooled a bit. 

For the Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, about two minutes.
2. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until combined.
3. Add the whipping cream, salt and peppermint extract and beat on medium-high for about 3-5 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.
4. Reserve about 1 cup of frosting for the white stripes in the cake layers. Add red food coloring to the rest of the frosting and mix for another minute.
5. If your frosting has air pockets, take a spatula or wooden spoon and mix by hand until the frosting is smooth.

For the Ganache:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream.
2. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and stir until the chocolate is melted.

Assembly:

1. After leveling each cake layer, set the first cake layer, right-side up, on a cake plate or board. Using piping bags, pipe alternating circles of white and red buttercream, as seen in the video above. 
2. Repeat step one for the second cake layer.
3. Place the third cake layer, bottom-side up, on top of the second layer of frosting. Give the cake an even crumb coat, filling in an areas that seem uneven with frosting. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes.
4. When the crumb coat is set, finish frosting the cake with the red peppermint frosting. Let it chill again before spread the ganache on top. Garnish with candy canes or peppermint bark.

*Recipe from cakebycourtney.com

*Pictures from Eliza Christensen