Chocolate Candy Cane Cake is an intense chocolate cake with a hint of peppermint flavor in each bite. Drizzled with a light peppermint glaze and sprinkled with crushed candy canes, I love how festive this chocolate candy cane bundt cake looks with barely any effort.
My family went nuts over this cake and I have to admit that I was hard pressed to stop snacking on it each time I was in the kitchen. This cake received rave reviews from everyone who tasted it. Over the past few years, the Chocolate Candy Cane Cake has become a holiday tradition in our family. I look forward to making it and the kids sure do look forward to eating it.
If you can’t get enough of the chocolate and peppermint combination, this is the cake for you. This cake is intensely chocolate with just the right amount of peppermint flavor. The glaze and crushed candy canes make it the perfect treat for your Christmas parties. For more chocolate and peppermint desserts to try, check out this {5-Minute} Peppermint Bark, Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge, and Peppermint Bark Cake Balls. I have this Peppermint White Chocolate Mousse Pie, Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti, and these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies on my list to try soon. These Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes are calling my name as well. I can’t get enough of the chocolate and peppermint combination!
I’ve made the Chocolate Candy Cane Cake in a bundt pan, a 9×13 pan, and we’ve made cupcakes too. The cupcakes are super cute for a holiday party with their glaze and a sprinkling of candy and the handheld cupcakes are always popular for easy serving.
Can I just tell you how much I adore my bundt cake pans these days? This swirl bundt pan (pictured in this recipe) is my current favorite, but I also LOVE classic style of elegant tall bundt cakes, and the special shape bundt pans too! I’ve decided that I simply can’t have too many bundt pans in my life. I LOVE how a simple bundt cake can look so much fancier (without ANY more effort) than the same cake baked in a sheet pan.
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Chocolate Candy Cane Cake (traditional and gluten free recipes included)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings or 24 cupcakes
Calories: 305 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour *
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder plus 2 tablespoons for flouring the pan
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup light flavored olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract optional
- 1 cup hot coffee or boiling water
- FROSTING:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- TOPPING:
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes
- * GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE:
- 1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your pan and lightly flour it with a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. (Alternatively, grease a 9x13 pan or prepare (24) cupcake liners.)
- Stir together all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the boiling water and continue stirring to combine. The batter should be very thin and watery. Pour into prepared bundt pan or divide between two round pans or cupcake holders.
- Bake the bundt cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. A 9x13 pan will bake in 30-35 minutes and cupcakes will bake in 22-24 minutes. Cool completely.
- To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth. The glaze should pour off the spoon in a thick white stream. Add a teaspoon more milk to thin it, or 1-2 tablespoons more powdered sugar to thicken it, if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Store at room temperature, loosely covered, preferably not airtight. This cake will keep nicely and stay very moist for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe works well in a bundt pan, a 9x13 pan, or cupcakes. Adjust cooking times as needed for the different bakeware.
{originally published 11/22/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/12/17}
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