Chocolate Candy Cane Cake
Impress your friends and family for the holidays with this delicious chocolate and candy cane cake. Nicole Garrett from Susiecakes shares the recipe.
Chocolate Candy Cane Cake
Makes one 9” round cake with 4 layers, serves 12 – 20 guests
Preparation
2- 9” chocolate cake layers
3 cups of chopped up Candy Canes
½ cup of each red and white Sanding Sugar
Start by making two of your favorite 9” chocolate cake layers the day before decorating the cake. You can use any of your recipes; we suggest a dark chocolate or Devil’s food Cake. Once baked, set aside to cool at room temperature. Chill overnight for best results.
Unwrap candy canes and rough chop into pea-size pieces and set aside in an airtight container. Place both sanding sugars in a bowl and set aside until ready to decorate. Meanwhile, make the Chocolate and Mint Buttercream.
Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp salt .
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup half n’ half
Place chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler on low heat and stir every few minutes until melted. Turn off heat but keep the bowl over the warm water. Set aside.
Place room temperature butter into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and salt to the butter and cream together for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides down and mix on medium speed for an additional minute.
Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly pour in the vanilla extract and half n’ half. Let mix for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the mixer and paddle and mix on low speed for one more minute or until the buttercream is smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
Mint Buttercream
1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. natural mint extract
2 Tbl. half n’ half
Place room temperature butter into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and salt to the butter and cream together for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides down and mix on medium speed for an additional minute.
Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly stream in the vanilla extract and mint extract. Let mix for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the mixer and paddle and add the half n’ half last.
On low speed mix for one more minute or until the buttercream is smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
Building and Decorating
Slice the 2 chocolate cake layers in half creating a total of 4 layers. Place one of the cut side layers facing up on top of your cake plate. Spread approximately one cup of chocolate buttercream on top of the layer. Sprinkle one cup of the chopped candy canes over the top.
Place the next layer of chocolate cake on top of the candy cane and repeat the process two more times. Place the last layer of chocolate cake cut side down on top of the last layer of candy canes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pull the cake from the refrigerator and frost the top and sides with the Mint Buttercream. With the sanding sugar in the palm of your hand, add this to the sides of your cake. Sprinkle the rest on top if desired.
Eat at room temperature. Enjoy!
LINK: www.susiecakes.com