Finest Chocolate Peppermint Cake (straightforward sheet cake!)

This straightforward chocolate peppermint cake recipe is made with a moist chocolate cake, peppermint taste, and topped with a peppermint cream cheese frosting! It’s baked as an straightforward sheet cake, so it’s a breeze to embellish for the vacations. Merely high with a couple of crushed sweet canes for a fuss-free vacation dessert!

In terms of the vacations, I like baking with peppermint! And I like a scrumptious straightforward dessert as effectively. Like this no bake white chocolate peppermint cheesecake or my peppermint bark cookies. And now enter this scrumptious chocolate peppermint cake. 

As a lot as I like a layer cake, like this decadent caramel cake, I like, love, love a sheet cake. There’s no fussy layers to degree, crumb coats to fret about and frosting to perfection. 

Simply unfold on high this sinful peppermint cream cheese frosting (a enjoyable twist on my traditional cream cheese frosting). Then sprinkle on high of the cake some crushed sweet canes. And voila! A stupendous, scrumptious cake to serve for the vacations.

Why This Recipe Works

• Simple chocolate sheet cake recipe
• Frosted with a peppermint cream cheese frosting that’s fast to combine up
• No fancy layer cake, crumb coat, or adorning required.
• Could make the day earlier than for a stress-free vacation cake
• Fantastic to freeze leftovers!

Components Wanted

• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder – You should use pure cocoa powder or Dutch course of cocoa powder. I want Dutch course of cocoa powder for a richer chocolate style.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Eggs – Be sure to use room temperature eggs. Right here is my full information on the best way to carry eggs to room temperature.
• Buttermilk – For those who don’t have buttermilk, strive making your individual home made buttermilk. Don’t use common milk because it won’t react the identical with the baking soda.
• Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil similar to vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
• Vanilla extract
• Peppermint extract 
• Boiling water – You may also use sizzling espresso. Omit the added espresso powder.
• Espresso powder – You may also use on the spot espresso. Espresso powder helps to reinforce the chocolate taste, so don’t skip it!
• Cream cheese – Be certain that the cream cheese is at room temperature. Learn my full tutorial on the best way to soften cream cheese. I like to recommend utilizing block-style cream cheese and full fats.
• Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar – For those who’ve run out make your individual home made powdered sugar.
• Sweet canes

How To Make Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Make the chocolate cake:

Preheat and put together the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180^oC). Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray. You may also line the pan with parchment paper Put aside.

Mix dry components. In a mixing bowl, whisk collectively flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Mix moist components. In a separate bowl whisk collectively oil, vanilla, peppermint extract, eggs, and buttermilk.

Add dry components. Utilizing a rubber spatula, stir the dry components into the moist combination simply till integrated.

Add espresso/sizzling water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Rigorously stir within the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter might be skinny.

Bake. Pour batter into the ready pan. . Bake 30-35 minutes till the toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear. Take away cake from the oven and permit it to chill utterly earlier than frosting on a wire rack.

Make the peppermint cream cheese frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter till easy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat within the cream cheese till easy and mixed, on medium-high pace till effectively mixed and easy, about 2-3 minutes. 

Progressively beat within the confectioners’ sugar till completely integrated, improve the pace after which beat till easy. 

Combine within the peppermint extract. Add in a pinch of salt. Beat to mix.

Frost cake. When cake is cooled, frost  with offset spatula. Sprinkle on crushed peppermint candies.

Recipe Suggestions

• You need your eggs to be room temperature earlier than you start. For those who add chilly eggs to the creamed butter combination it’ll trigger your butter to grab up and create a damaged or curdled-looking batter. I place my eggs in a bowl of heat water for 10 minutes earlier than I take advantage of them.
• Be sure to are measuring your flour appropriately so that you don’t find yourself with an excessive amount of in your cup which may yield a dry cake. Measuring with a scale is greatest but when measuring utilizing cups, then make sure you spoon the flour into your cup after which degree it off. Don’t scoop straight from the bag or pack it down into the cup, which may yield 25% extra flour than meant.
• Line or grease the pan effectively. This can assist with the cake releasing so you’ll be able to reduce into particular person slices simply. I wish to line with parchment paper for simple cleanup.

Recipe Variations

• Use a distinct frosting – You possibly can at all times use a chocolate frosting, swiss meringue buttercream, or common vanilla frosting. Then merely add the peppermint extract to the recipe.
• Bake in a distinct pan – You possibly can bake this right into a two layer cake or a bundt pan as an alternative. Baking instances will fluctuate. Cake layers will take about 25-Half-hour. A chocolate bundt cake recipe will take about 50-60 minutes.
• Adorn with peppermint bark – As an alternative of crushed peppermint sweet, whip up a home made batch of peppermint bark. Then break into items and sprinkle on high of the cake. 

Storage Directions

You can also make this peppermint chocolate cake the day earlier than. Let the cake cool utterly then cowl effectively in plastic wrap and hold within the fridge. I wish to set the cake out about Half-hour to 1 hour earlier than, so the frosting can soften.

I like to recommend storing the frosted cake, coated in an hermetic container, within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

For longer storage, I like to recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to chop the cake into slices. Then wrap every slice in plastic wrap and retailer in a plastic bag. You possibly can thaw in a single day, or extra shortly at room temperature earlier than serving.

Recipe FAQs

Extra Recipes To Strive

For those who’re craving extra cake recipes make sure you strive my berry Chantilly cake that’s higher than Complete Meals! Made with a mascarpone frosting, contemporary berries, and jam.

And for a traditional cake that everybody will love, you must strive my funfetti cake recipe! You possibly can at all times combine up the sprinkles for any vacation. Strive crimson and inexperienced sprinkles for Christmas!

Peppermint cream cheese frosting

Make the chocolate cake:

• Preheat and put together the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Put aside.

• Mix dry components. In a mixing bowl, whisk collectively flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (63 g) cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt

• Mix moist components. In a second mixing bowl whisk collectively oil, vanilla, peppermint extract, eggs, and buttermilk. 2 giant eggs 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

• Add dry components. Utilizing a rubber spatula, stir the dry components into the moist combination simply till integrated.

• Add espresso/sizzling water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Rigorously stir within the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter might be skinny. 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water 1 teaspoon espresso powder

• Bake. Pour batter into the ready pan. . Bake 30-35 minutes till the toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear. Take away cake from the oven and permit it to chill utterly earlier than frosting.

Make the peppermint cream cheese frosting:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter till easy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat within the cream cheese till easy and mixed, on medium-high pace till effectively mixed and easy, about 2-3 minutes. 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 g) cream cheese, ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter,

• Progressively beat within the confectioners’ sugar till completely integrated, improve the pace after which beat till easy. 4 cups (452 g) powdered sugar

• Combine within the peppermint extract. Add in a pinch of salt. Beat to mix. 1 teaspoon peppermint extract ⅛ teaspoon salt

• Frost cake. When cake is cooled, frost with offset spatula. Sprinkle on crushed peppermint candies.

• Make forward: You can also make this peppermint chocolate cake the day earlier than. Let the cake cool utterly then cowl effectively in plastic wrap and retailer within the fridge. When able to serve, I wish to let soften at room temperature for Half-hour to an hour to let the frosting soften.
• Storage: I like to recommend storing the cake, coated in an hermetic container, within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
• Freezing: For longer storage, I like to recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to chop the cake into slices. Then wrap every slice in plastic wrap and retailer in a plastic bag. You possibly can thaw in a single day, or extra shortly at room temperature earlier than serving.
• Espresso powder – You may also use on the spot espresso. Espresso powder helps to reinforce the chocolate taste, so don’t skip it!
• Cream cheese –  I like to recommend utilizing block-style cream cheese and full fats.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use pure unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch course of cocoa powder.
• Buttermilk – For those who don’t have buttermilk, strive making your individual home made buttermilk. Don’t use common milk because it won’t react the identical with the baking soda.
• Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil similar to vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.

Energy: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 6g | Fats: 26g | Saturated Fats: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 10g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 563IU | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg