This Chocolate Peppermint Cake is a festive Christmas cake that is super easy to prepare in less than 10 minutes. It has a moist chocolate crumb topped with a smooth peppermint vanilla frosting and crunchy candy cane pieces.
When it’s the holiday season, I like to make very Christmassy recipes, like my Vegan Christmas Cake, Peppermint Snowball Cookies, or Peppermint Hot Chocolate. So to continue this (necessary) trend, I decided to transform my various cake recipes into a Chocolate Peppermint Cake.
This cake recipe is absolutely amazing. It has a soft and delicate chocolate crumb with a subtle peppermint flavor and is topped with a rich peppermint-loaded frosting.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You don’t need too many ingredients for this cake.
- Self-Rising Flour – For homemade self-rising flour, combine 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. Use gluten-free options if needed.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar or any sweetener works well. For a less sweet cake, reduce to ¾ cup.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Dutch-processed cocoa will enhance the richness, but any cocoa works.
- Light Olive Oil – Substitute with avocado oil or vegetable oil for a mild flavor.
- Peppermint Extract – Adjust the quantity according to your preference for mint intensity.
- Vanilla Extract – Balances the peppermint flavor and enhances the sweetness.
- Vegan Butter – Softened for a smooth, creamy texture. You can also use margarine.
- Powdered Sugar – Use sifted powdered sugar for a lump-free frosting.
- Almond Milk – Almond milk adds moisture to the frosting. Swap with soy or oat milk if preferred.
- Candy Canes – Organic or vegan candy canes work best. Adjust the amount of crushed candy canes based on sweetness and crunch preference.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Here are photos of the key steps to make this Christmas cake.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir the batter until it’s just combined.
Pour the cake batter into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
Let the cake cool down for a a few minutes while starting the frosting.
Beat the vegan butter in a stand mixer before incorporating the sugar and then the crushed candy canes.
Place dollops of peppermint frosting on the cooled down cake.
Spread the frosting all over the cake before slicing it.
Carine’s Baking Tips
Here are a few more tips to make a perfect cake every single time.
- Prevent Over-Baking: Check the cake after 25 minutes to avoid drying out the crumb.
- Foil Hack: If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil halfway through baking.
- Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the cake a day in advance, and store it unfrosted at room temperature. Frost just before serving for the best results.
Storage Suggestions
- Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost before serving.
More Easy Cake Recipes
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Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Self-Rising Flour - note 1
- 1 cup Sugar - note 2
- 1 cup Water
- ⅓ cup Light Olive Oil - note 3
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
Peppermint frosting
- ½ cup Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted)
- 1 ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Almond Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 2-3 Candy Cane - note 4
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk, self-rising flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt.
- Whisk in water, light olive oil, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool down on a cooling rack at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until cold to the touch before adding any frosting.
Peppermint Frosting
- Place 2-3 candy canes in a Ziploc bag, close the bag tightly, and whack it with a wooden rolling pin on a sturdy surface like a thick wooden board, not your benchtop. Stop when the candy cane forms pieces and powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter until pale and creamy for about 1 minute. Use the paddle attachment or an electric beater.
- Beat in the powdered sugar, adding almond milk gradually until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the peppermint extract and crushed candy canes.
- Spread on top of the cooled chocolate cake and add extra pieces of candy cane to decorate.
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