Deeply fudge chocolate bundt cake with a refreshing peppermint ganache glaze and whimsical details. Fresh mint leaves turn the simple piping into a festive wreath. Who says cute can’t be easy?!
Every search for Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake is sprinkled with crushed candy canes. Now I love mint and candy canes just as much as the next person, but I wanted to create a cake using those festive flavors with a new, fresh design.
Bundt cakes are naturally beautifully and typically don’t need much more than a glaze or dusting of powdered sugar. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever really gone beyond that in terms of decorating a Bundt cake. But it’s Christmas, and I was itching to do something a little extra…
As much as I love playing with buttercream and spending countless hours piping roses and such, nobody has time for that this time of year. After my Winter-Mint Layer Cake with its adorable rosemary “forest” became so wildly popular over the last couple holiday seasons, I was inspired to do something equally fun yet simple.
This year, I’ve replaced the rosemary with fresh mint leaves as my edible garnish. The mint leaves give clues to flavors inside and are a super easy way to decorate this cake. The red and white rosettes remind me of swirly peppermint candies and could not be easier to pipe. A sprinkling of sugar pearls adds the perfect amount of detail and helps complete this festive wreath design.
I can’t wait to see you all create versions of this design on your own! Not into Bundt cakes? You could totally add the piping and leaves around the top of a regular layer cake too.
Be sure to tag your images #stylesweetdaily if you post on Instagram! I love seeing all of your cakes.
For the Chocolate Bundt Cake
very soft butter for the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups strong coffee (or water)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
3/4 cups unsalted butter
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the inside of a bundt pan with super soft butter. In a small bowl, mix together a couple teaspoons of each all-purpose flour and cocoa powder. Dust the inside of the pan with the cocoa/flour mixer and tap our the excess. Set aside the pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the brown and white sugars and set aside.
In a medium-large saucepan, melt together the coffee, cocoa powder, butter, and dark chocolate. Whisk until melted and combined. Remove from the heat.
Whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, eggs, and egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. In two batched, carefully stir in the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes (it should still be warm). Place a cutting board or cooling rack on top of the pan. Using oven mitts, carefully flip the cake pan and cutting board upside-down to untold the cake. Continue to cool completely before adding the glaze.
For the Peppermint Ganache Glaze
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste
Place the chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the chocolate begins to melt and cream begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Once the cake has cooled and glaze has thickened, pour over the glaze over the top of the cake.
For the Peppermint Buttercream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste
1 tablespoon milk
Beat butter at medium-low speed of electric mixer until smooth and creamy (1 to 3 minutes.)
Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract with mixer at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Mix until blended.
Beat at medium-high speed 1 to 3 minutes, until buttercream is light and airy and nearly white. If needed, add the milk until desired consistency.
Divide the buttercream in half. Tint one half with red gel food coloring.
To Decorate
Fill a piping bag fitted with a French star tip with the peppermint buttercream. Fill the bag with the white and red buttercreams by scraping the two different colors up the sides of the pastry bag (see post here for more info - but it doesn’t need to be perfect).
After the glaze has slightly set, pipe tight spirals of buttercream on the top of the cake by holding the piping bag perpendicular to the cake and applying even pressure. Finish the peppermint “wreath” with sugar peals and fresh mint leaves.