Chocolate Candy Cane Cake Recipe--Perfect for the Holidays!

Cooks seem to do their best work during the holidays, making mouthwatering dinners and baking delectable treats--many of them tried and true family traditions. That is certainly true at my house, and the Christmas season just wouldn't seem complete without my Chocolate Candy Cane Cake. I wait all year to make this treat because even though you can use any hard peppermint candy, I think that candy canes are the only thing to use. And because of that, I must wait patiently until candy canes are available in stores. And that comes only once each year. But because I'm required to wait, the resulting cake seems extra special.

Even though this cake is made from scratch, it's not difficult and goes together well. And the result? Well! The cake itself is moist and very chocolaty, but with a subtle peppermint undertone. And the frosting? Oh my word but it's tasty! In fact, the frosting could be made for any cake you want; just leave out the peppermint candy (or not!).

Here goes:

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake. Yum!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake

⅔ cup butter, room temperature

1⅔ cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 cups flour

⅔ cup cocoa powder

1¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1⅓ cups milk

½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes (or other hard peppermint candy)

Chocolate Peppermint Frosting (recipe below)

 

Grease and flour two cake pans; set aside for now.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs until well mixed and smooth; then beat on high speed for 3 minutes more.

Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk, blending well after each addition. Blend in the crushed candy canes.

Spread batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slipping cakes from pan and allow them to cool completely before frosting them with chocolate Peppermint Frosting.

Chocolate Peppermint Frosting

½ cup butter

½ cup cocoa powder

3⅔ cups powdered sugar

7 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 T. crushed candy canes

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter; stirring constantly. Add the cocoa powder and cook for about 1 minute until smooth; remove from heat. Beat in the powdered sugar and milk and continue beating (I do this by hand with a large wooden spoon or rotary egg beater) until mixture is smooth and of spreading consistency; add the vanilla and crushed candy canes and beat again until smooth. Spread between the layers and all around the top and sides of Chocolate Candy Cane Cake.

 I hope you give it a try. Your friends and family will be well pleased!

I pray that during this holiday season, you and your loved ones will experience deep and abiding joy and peace. Resist the urge to do too much, and turn away from the crass commercialism and resulting stress that come from overspending. It may not always be easy to go against the tide, but trust your heart and concentrate instead on the holiness of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Spend time with those you love. Remind others of all the ways they are special. Meditate on what you have to be thankful for. Be extravagant with your hugs and kind words. Those are gifts that will be cherished!

Have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Georgia