This Layered Peppermint Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a delectable dessert that is a festive treat perfect for the holiday season. With layers of moist peppermint-flavored cake and a creamy cream cheese frosting, this cake is sure to be a hit with everyone. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also easy to make and sure to impress your friends and family.
Layered Peppermint Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
For The Cake:
- Butter – softened
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Milk
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Aqua Food Coloring Gel
- Red Food Coloring Gel
For The Frosting:
- Cream Cheese – softened
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
To Decorate:
- White Chocolate Almond Bark
- Snowflake Mold
- Aqua Food Coloring Gel
- Oreo Cookies
- Mini Candy Canes
- Crushed Candy Canes
You will also need:
- (3) 6-Inch Cake Pans
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular food coloring?
No. Regular food coloring is water based and can cause the almond bark (chocolate) to seize. You must use an oil based food coloring.
Does almond bark contain almonds or other nuts?
No. Almond bark doesn’t contain any nuts. It is just a name it was given but you can double check the ingredients on the backside of the product.
How to Make A Layered Peppermint Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, and Milk, and blend until creamy.
In a separate bowl, add the Flour, Baking Powder, and salt, and stir well to mix. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until blended. Scrape down the bowl, and mix on high until smooth and creamy.
Divide the Cake Batter evenly into three bowls, and add several drops of the Aqua Food Coloring Gel to one bowl, and several drops of Red Food Coloring Gel to the another bow, and leave the third bowl plain – for the middle/White layer.
Grease and flour three 6-inch Cake Pans, and pour the Cake Batter into the pans.
Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cakes are baking:
Melt the White Chocolate in the Microwave, and stir until smooth. It takes about 6 squares of the White Chocolate Almond Bark for 2 cups of melted White Chocolate.
When the Chocolate is melted, drops about 2 or 3 drops of Aqua Food Coloring Gel into the melted Chocolate, and stir well to blend.
Place the Aqua colored Chocolate in the Snowflake Mold, about 1/8 of an inch deep (You’re not filing the Molds, just a thin layer on the bottom).
Let the Chocolate set in the molds for about 15 minutes to harden – I used two molds, and made three sets, using 6 of the Aqua Snowflakes around the outside of the Cake.
Make the Frosting:
Place the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and mix with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
Add the Vanilla, and Heavy Cream, and mix on low until blended.
Add the Powdered Sugar about a cup at a time, blending between additions, and scraping down the mixing bowl as needed, until all the Powdered Sugar has been added, and the Frosting is thick and creamy. (The Frosting should be able to be held upside down on a spoon, and not fall). If the Frosting needs to be a little thicker, add another cup of Powdered Sugar
When Cake is completely cool, remove the cakes from the pans, and place a teaspoon size dollop of the Frosting on the Cake Plate, or Cake Stand you are going to serve this Cake on.
Place the Aqua layer on the dollop of Frosting (this will help to keep the cake from sliding, or moving).
Frost generously on top of the Aqua layer (see photo) and gently place the White/Middle layer on top of the Frosting. Frost the sides, and top of both Layers, until you have a good smooth coat of the Frosting on the Cake.
Place the Red layer on top of the White frosted layer, and Frost the Red layer, top and sides, and place the Aqua Snowflakes around the outside bottom of the Cake.
Place the Cake in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to allow the Frosting to set.
Cover the Frosting, and leave on the counter – DO NOT REFRIGERATE THE FROSTING – it will be too hard to pipe – leave it at room temperature until time to finish the cake.
After the two hours, place the remaining Frosting in a pastry bag with a Medium size Star Tip, and remove the Cake from the refrigerator.
Pipe the Frosting around the edges of the top of the Cake, in big dollops, swirling them up to a point.
Place an Oreo Cookie in between the dollops, standing them up all around the top of the Cake – see photo.
Place Candy Canes on each dollop of Frosting. Crush the remaining Candy Canes, and sprinkle the crushed Candy Canes on top of the Cake to finish the top.
Place the Cake back in the refrigerator until time to serve.
When ready to serve, cut in two inch pieces, place more crushed Candy Canes, on dessert plates if desired.
Serve and Enjoy!
NOTE: It’s a good idea to make this Cake the day before you need to serve it. That way it is chilled, and set, and completely decorated, and waiting for you when you need it!
Layered Peppermint Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1 cup of Butter – softened
- 1 1/2 cups of Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
- 1 cup of Milk
- 2 1/4 cups of Flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
- Aqua Food Coloring Gel
- Red Food Coloring Gel
For The Frosting:
- 1 package of Cream Cheese – 8 ounces – softened
- 1 Stick of Butter 1/2 cup – softened
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
- 1/4 cup of Heavy Cream
- 1 32 ounce package of Powdered Sugar
To Decorate:
- 2 cups of melted White Chocolate Almond Bark
- 1 Snowflake Mold
- Aqua Food Coloring Gel
- 1 Package of Oreo Cookies
- 1 Package of Candy Canes – Mini
- Crushed Candy Canes
Equipment
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, and Milk, and blend until creamy.
- In a separate bowl, add the Flour, Baking Powder, and salt, and stir well to mix. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until blended. Scrape down the bowl, and mix on high until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the Cake Batter evenly into three bowls, and add several drops of the Aqua Food Coloring Gel to one bowl, and several drops of Red Food Coloring Gel to the another bow, and leave the third bowl plain – for the middle/White layer.
- Grease and flour three 6-inch Cake Pans, and pour the Cake Batter into the pans.
- Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
While The Cakes Are Baking:
- Melt the White Chocolate in the Microwave, and stir until smooth. It takes about 6 squares of the White Chocolate Almond Bark for 2 cups of melted White Chocolate.
- When the Chocolate is melted, drops about 2 or 3 drops of Aqua Food Coloring Gel into the melted Chocolate, and stir well to blend.
- Place the Aqua colored Chocolate in the Snowflake Mold, about 1/8 of an inch deep (You're not filing the Molds, just a thin layer on the bottom).
- Let the Chocolate set in the molds for about 15 minutes to harden – I used two molds, and made three sets, using 6 of the Aqua Snowflakes around the outside of the Cake.
How to Make The Frosting:
- Place the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and mix with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
- Add the Vanilla, and Heavy Cream, and mix on low until blended.
- Add the Powdered Sugar about a cup at a time, blending between additions, and scraping down the mixing bowl as needed, until all the Powdered Sugar has been added, and the Frosting is thick and creamy. (The Frosting should be able to be held upside down on a spoon, and not fall). If the Frosting needs to be a little thicker, add another cup of Powdered Sugar
- When Cake is completely cool, remove the cakes from the pans, and place a teaspoon size dollop of the Frosting on the Cake Plate, or Cake Stand you are going to serve this Cake on.
How to Decorate the cake:
- Place the Aqua layer on the dollop of Frosting (this will help to keep the cake from sliding, or moving).
- Frost generously on top of the Aqua layer (see photo) and gently place the White/Middle layer on top of the Frosting. Frost the sides, and top of both Layers, until you have a good smooth coat of the Frosting on the Cake.
- Place the Red layer on top of the White frosted layer, and Frost the Red layer, top and sides, and place the Aqua Snowflakes around the outside bottom of the Cake.
- Place the Cake in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to allow the Frosting to set.
- Cover the Frosting, and leave on the counter – DO NOT REFRIGERATE THE FROSTING – it will be too hard to pipe – leave it at room temperature until time to finish the cake.
- After the two hours, place the remaining Frosting in a pastry bag with a Medium size Star Tip, and remove the Cake from the refrigerator.
- Pipe the Frosting around the edges of the top of the Cake, in big dollops, swirling them up to a point.
- Place an Oreo Cookie in between the dollops, standing them up all around the top of the Cake – see photo.
- Place Candy Canes on each dollop of Frosting. Crush the remaining Candy Canes, and sprinkle the crushed Candy Canes on top of the Cake to finish the top.
- Place the Cake back in the refrigerator until time to serve.
- When ready to serve, cut in two inch pieces, place more crushed Candy Canes, on dessert plates if desired.
- Serve and Enjoy!