Christmas Chocolate Peppermint Cake

As the crushed candy canes land on the frosting, their pink-and-white pieces make the whole cake look festive before you’ve even cut into it. I make Christmas Chocolate Peppermint Cake…

By Willow • November 9, 2026 • Reading time: 9 min

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As the crushed candy canes land on the frosting, their pink-and-white pieces make the whole cake look festive before you’ve even cut into it. I make Christmas Chocolate Peppermint Cake with two tender chocolate layers and a fluffy peppermint buttercream that’s minty without drowning out the cocoa. It’s a good one to bring out when you want a proper layer cake but don’t want a complicated decorating project.

The cake’s chocolate flavor comes from natural cocoa, with hot brewed coffee mixed into the batter. The coffee gives the cocoa more depth, while the peppermint extract brings a cool, clear note to the frosting. A final sprinkle of crushed candy canes adds a little crunch against the soft cake and creamy frosting.

Why This Chocolate Cake Batter Is Supposed to Look So Thin

Once the hot coffee goes into the bowl, this batter becomes much looser than a typical butter cake batter. That can look like a measuring mistake if you expect something thick enough to scoop. Don’t add extra flour. The liquid is part of the cake’s balance, and thickening the batter changes the crumb you’re aiming for.

Natural cocoa also matters here. It brings a rounded chocolate taste, and its acidity works with the baking soda in the dry mix. The hot coffee helps the cocoa taste more pronounced without making the finished cake taste like a cup of coffee. Together, those ingredients give you a tender, deeply chocolatey layer cake rather than a dry, dense one. Pour the batter carefully into the prepared pans and trust the consistency; the layers will set as they bake.

The Ingredients That Shape the Chocolate and Peppermint

• Natural cocoa powder — It gives the cake its chocolate base, and a fresh, unsweetened cocoa is worth using because stale cocoa can taste flat. I wouldn’t swap in Dutch-process cocoa at the same measure; the cake’s leavening balance is built around natural cocoa.
• Hot brewed coffee — It deepens the chocolate without taking over. Ordinary brewed coffee is fine; there’s no need to use a special roast. If you want to avoid coffee, replace it volume-for-volume with hot water, knowing the chocolate flavor will be a little less full.
• Buttermilk — Its acidity and moisture help keep the crumb tender. Use fresh buttermilk, and don’t replace it with plain milk alone; that misses the acidity this cake is designed around.
• Vegetable oil — Oil keeps the layers moist after they cool. A neutral vegetable oil is what you want here; strongly flavored oils can distract from the cocoa and peppermint.
• Unsalted butter and peppermint extract — The butter forms the creamy frosting base, while the extract brings a concentrated mint flavor. Generic unsalted butter works well; measure peppermint extract carefully because a little too much can make the frosting taste sharp.
• Powdered sugar — It gives the frosting its body and smooth sweetness. Use ordinary powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar, which won’t dissolve into the same soft buttercream.

From Loose Batter to Frosted, Even Layers

Prepare the pans and mix the dry ingredients

Heat the oven to 350°F, grease two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, and line their bottoms with parchment. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, natural cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and fine salt together in a large bowl until the cocoa is evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined. Keeping the wet and dry mixtures separate until this point helps you bring the batter together without overworking it.

Bring the batter together with coffee

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Gradually mix in the hot brewed coffee, stopping when the batter looks smooth. Scrape around the bottom of the bowl so no dry pockets of flour or cocoa remain. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans so the layers bake at a similar pace.

Bake and cool the layers completely

Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. A toothpick coated in wet batter means the centers need more time, while a few crumbs are the cue to stop. Leave the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them onto wire racks, remove the parchment, and let them cool completely. Frosting warm layers will soften the buttercream and make it harder to spread.

Beat the peppermint buttercream

Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until it looks pale and creamy. Add the powdered sugar in three additions, mixing on low after each one until incorporated; starting low helps keep sugar from puffing out of the bowl. Add the heavy cream, peppermint extract, and salt, then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes. The finished frosting should look fluffy and hold its shape when you lift the beaters.

Stack, frost, and finish with candy canes

Set one cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread about 1 cup of frosting over the top. Place the second layer on it, then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Spread gently so you don’t pull crumbs into the buttercream. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the finished cake for a crisp, peppermint-forward finish.

Three Ways to Adjust the Peppermint Cake

Questions That Come Up While Baking This Cake

Christmas Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Christmas chocolate peppermint cake layers rich chocolate flavor with fluffy peppermint frosting and a crunchy candy cane topping. The thin coffee-enhanced batter bakes into moist cake layers, making this a festive centerpiece for the holiday table.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cooling 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 800

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 1 tbsp nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 0.75 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 eggs large
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup brewed coffee hot

For the peppermint frosting

• 1.5 cups unsalted butter softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 0.25 tsp fine salt

For decorating

• 4 candy canes crushed

Equipment

• 2 9-inch round cake pans
• 1 electric mixer

Method

 

Make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
3. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
4. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until combined.
6. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
7. Gradually mix in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth; it will be thin.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes.
10. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks and remove the parchment.
11. Cool the cakes completely.

Make the peppermint frosting

1. Beat the softened butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until pale and creamy.
2. Add the powdered sugar in three additions, mixing on low speed after each until incorporated.
3. Add the heavy cream, peppermint extract, and salt, then beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy.

Frost and decorate

1. Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread about 1 cup of frosting over it.
2. Set the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides.
3. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the cake.

Notes

For neat slices, chill the frosted cake briefly before cutting and add the crushed candy canes just before serving so they stay crisp. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; freeze yes, preferably without the candy cane topping. For a dairy-free variation, use plant-based butter and cream and a dairy-free buttermilk alternative.