Peppermint Mocha Cake Recipe
Inspired by the classic holiday coffee treat! Layers of peppermint mocha flavored cake and coffee buttercream, dripped with candy cane speckled chocolate ganache.
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
Peppermint Mocha Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
- 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated white sugar
- 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 whole eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
- 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee
Coffee Buttercream
- 2 tsp instant coffee or instant espresso powder
- 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- 1/2 Cup (93g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
Additional Garnish
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
Make the Peppermint Mocha Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting the bottoms with a parchment cake circle.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk by hand to combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, peppermint, and buttermilk and whisk together until combined. Add the hot coffee in a slow stream, then whisk until combined and smooth. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Coffee Buttercream
- Combine the instant espresso/coffee with the whole milk and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
- Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Then add the vanilla, the coffee/espresso milk mixture, and salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated, about one minute.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
- Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above.
Assembly
- After the peppermint mocha cakes have cooled completely, level and torte the layers to your desired height. Then, fill and frost the cake with coffee buttercream. To create the look pictured, place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before dripping with chocolate ganache. Here are tips on how to create the perfect drip. Place the dripped cake back into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to let the drip set before pressing on the crushed candy cane pieces by hand.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk Recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The peppermint mocha cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The coffee buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- The chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.