Description
A festive Candy Cane Cake featuring layers of red and white vanilla cake paired with a creamy peppermint frosting. This visually striking cake is perfect for holiday celebrations, combining classic flavors with a fun striped design inspired by traditional candy canes.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- Cooking spray, for greasing pans
- 5 cups (600 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 7 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole milk, room temperature
- Red food coloring, as needed
Peppermint Frosting
- 4 cups (8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 1/2 cups (750 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Peppermint candies, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease four 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the granulated sugar and softened butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat until combined. Then, beat in the whole milk. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Color the Batter: Transfer half of the batter (about 4 cups) into a separate large bowl. Add one drop of red food coloring to this portion and stir; add more drops until the desired red hue is achieved, leaving the remaining batter white.
- Divide Batter into Pans: Evenly divide the white batter between two prepared pans and the red batter between the remaining two pans.
- Bake the Cakes: Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes before inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make Peppermint Frosting: In a large bowl with a stand mixer and whisk attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, peppermint extract, and a pinch of kosher salt, beating for 5 to 6 minutes until creamy and increased in volume.
- Color a Portion of Frosting: Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the frosting to a medium bowl and add red food coloring drop by drop, stirring until the desired red shade is reached.
- Slice Cake Layers: Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each cake layer in half horizontally to create a total of 4 white layers and 4 red layers.
- Assemble the Cake: Place a white cake layer on a serving platter and spread about 3/4 cup of the white frosting evenly on top. Place a red layer over it and spread another 3/4 cup of white frosting. Repeat alternating layers until all are stacked.
- Crumb Coat: Spread 1 1/2 cups of white frosting over the top and sides of the assembled layers to create a crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes until the crumb coat is set.
- Decorate the Cake: Transfer the remaining white frosting and the red-colored frosting into two separate piping or plastic bags. Snip off a corner of each bag and pipe alternating red and white stripes around the cake’s exterior. Smooth the stripes with a tall bench scraper for a clean finish.
- Final Touch: Top the finished cake with peppermint candies for a decorative and festive look.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients, especially eggs and milk, are at room temperature to achieve the best texture in your cake.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to keep the cake light and tender.
- The crumb coat helps trap crumbs and makes the final frosting layer smooth and clean.
- You can substitute peppermint candies with crushed candy canes for an additional festive touch.
- Store the cake refrigerated if not serving immediately and bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: candy cane cake, peppermint frosting, holiday cake, red and white cake, layered cake, festive dessert
