Candy Cane Cake Recipes

CANDY CANE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit. Lightly grease and flour both cake pans and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Beat in the peppermint extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, ending with the flour mixture, until well combined and batter is smooth.
• Spread 1-3/4 cups of batter evenly into one of the prepared cake pans. Add the red food coloring to the remaining batter in the mixer and beat on low speed until batter is bright red, adding more red food coloring, if needed. Spread red batter evenly into the other prepared cake pan.
• Bake cakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and turning the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cakes are cooled, cut them in half horizontally with a long sharp knife or cake leveler.
• To make the frosting, beat the butter and marshmallow crème in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the peppermint extract. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well combined. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat frosting until fluffy. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin to spread.
• Place one half of the white cake on the bottom of a cake stand or cake plate. Spread the top with a thin layer of frosting. Top the frosting with one half of the red cake and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Continue same process with the remaining halves of white cake and red cake. Cover the top and sides of all the layers with the remaining frosting.
• To decorate, press peppermint sticks into the sides of the cake and top with crushed peppermint. Slice and serve!

PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE WITH CANDY CANE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the milk and the vanilla and peppermint extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, then increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 5 more minutes.
• In a separate large bowl (using clean beaters), beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 6 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the position of the pans about halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto racks to cool completely. Peel off the parchment. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead; wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• Make the frosting: Fill a medium saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and the salt in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 165 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy and cool, about 4 more minutes. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until combined, 1 more minute.
• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter and spread 1 cup frosting on top; sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with the final cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle more crushed candy canes on top.

CANDY CANE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube (bundt cake) pan.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. Pour about 3/4 cup batter into small bowl; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix all icing ingredients. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle top with crushed candy.

CANDY CANE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. In small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over pink batter.
• Bake and cool cake as directed on box.
• In small bowl, mix white icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cake. Sprinkle crushed candy on top. Store loosely covered.

HOLIDAY CANDY CANE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease and lightly flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, milk, cream cheese, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
• Bake 38 to 44 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn upside down onto cooling rack and remove pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• To assemble, cut cake in half crosswise. Place half of cake on serving plate to form hook of candy cane. Cut remaining half into 5 equal pieces (about 2 inches wide). Stir half of the peppermint extract into each container of frosting. Attach cut pieces to hook of candy cane with frosting, alternating pieces to form the straight part of the cane. Frost cake.
• To decorate, arrange strips of fruit snack rolls on cake to look like stripes on a candy cane. Store cake loosely covered.