White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
White chocolate peppermint cake layers with white chocolate peppermint buttercream.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 tsp. (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 1 tbsp. (12 g) baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. (4.2 g) salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 6 ounces (112.5 g) white chocolate
- 1 tsp. (4.2 g) peppermint extract
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 8 ounces (150 g) white chocolate
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp (4.2 g) peppermint extract
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
FOR THE FILLING
- 1/4 cup (30 g) crushed peppermint candies
- 2 cups peppermint buttercream recipe above
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray four 6-inch pans or three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
- Using a double-boiler or microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate. Set aside for a minute.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed for about two minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer to medium and add the eggs, yolks, vanilla, peppermint and melted white chocolate. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix again until well blended.
- With the mixer now on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. This helps your ingredients to blend evenly.
- Pour the batter into prepared pans (about 12 ounces in each 6-inch pan and about 16 ounces in each 8-inch pan). Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Let the cake layers cool about 10 minutes in the pans and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cake layers are cooled completely, level if needed, and then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and then pour it over the white chocolate chips to melt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If needed, heat the mixture for another 20 to 30 seconds and stir until the chips are melted. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the peppermint extract. Stir until incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 30 seconds.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the white chocolate ganache. Once added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- If the frosting gets too soft from the ganache, you can refrigerate it for a bit.
FOR THE FILLING
- Combine 1/4 cup crushed peppermint with 2 cups of the buttercream.
ASSEMBLY
- Place a dollop of frosting on a cake board or cake stand. Place your first cake layer, top side up, in the center.
- Evenly spread 1 cup of the peppermint filling over the cake layer. Top with a second cake layer and then use the remaining cup of peppermint filling on top again.
- Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the second layer of frosting. Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining buttercream and crushed peppermint.