Dark Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream

Can’t choose between dark and white chocolate? This festive dark chocolate cake with white chocolate peppermint buttercream lets you enjoy both in one irresistible dessert. Rich, moist dark chocolate cake is paired with a silky white chocolate peppermint buttercream, creating the perfect balance of deep cocoa flavor and cool peppermint sweetness. Finished with a chocolate drizzle and festive holiday candies, this show stopping cake creating by our American Cake Decorating staff is an elegant centerpiece for Christmas gatherings, winter celebrations, and every chocolate lover’s dessert table.

Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 ³⁄₄ cups flour
• ³⁄₄ cup dutch processed cocoa
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs plus one yolk
• 1 cup milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup of boiling water with one teaspoon of espresso powder stirred in

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in boiling coffee water by hand (batter should be thin).
6. Divide the mixture into the prepared pans.
7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round 9-inch pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Do not use 8-inch pans or the batter will overflow.)
8. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans and placing on wire racks.

White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream

Instructions

• 6 sticks of unsalted butter
• 3lb confectioners sugar
• 300 grams of white chocolate (melted and cooled)
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• (Optional: finely chopped peppermint patties)

Instructions

1. Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium-low speed until pale.
2. Slowly add confectioners sugar one cup at a time until combined and then turn up the speed to medium.
3. Add in melted chocolate and milk and peppermint extract and beat for 5 minutes until silky smooth.

Assembling the Dark Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Torte each cake into two even layers. Place a layer of cake on a cardboard round and spread over an even layer of buttercream. Spinkle over some finely chopped peppermint patties and continue until all layers have been added. Crumb coat the cake with buttercream before adding a final layer. For added glam pour over a chocolate drizzle and decorate with holiday candies, and your Dark Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream is complete!

For more recipes with American Cake Decorating, click here!

ACD Staff

The staff of American Cake Decorating magazine is passionate about celebrating the artistry, innovation, and community of cake decorating. The ACD team is dedicated to educating and connecting decorators of all skill levels. With decades of combined experience in publishing, baking, cake design, and sugar artistry, the staff works closely with talented artists and educators from around the world to bring readers the best in cake decorating inspiration.