Chocolate cake with peppermint cream double layer is a rich and festive dessert. This cake looks amazing and is decorated with gingerbread cookies, creating the perfect winter wonderland scene. A delicious showstopper for your Sunday dinner with family.
You can always find time to bake the most delicious chocolate cake ever – this is going to be my 2023 slogan.
This year, I started with a lot of cooking, baking, and planning! Even on New Year’s Eve (I know… sad), I was writing down the recipes and flavour combinations I would like to explore in 2023. And this chocolate cake came as surprise for me as well, and here is why:
Strangely enough, one flavour I really wanted to add to my dessert menu was peppermint. It’s strange because I’m not generally a fan of mint flavours in sweets. I can’t stand the iconic After Eights, for example. Nonetheless, I was already thinking about taste combos. And what could be better than chocolate, cream and peppermint combined? This wintry chocolate cake with peppermint is the absolute best you can bake this month!
Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Recipe Tips
In order to make a chocolate cake with peppermint is not complicated at all, but I’d like to share some tips to achieve the best results.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter.
- Make sure your sponge is fully cooled before you start assembling the cake.
- You can incorporate coffee flavours by using a tablespoon of instant espresso powder.
- Don’t over mix the cream layer – the moment it gets thick, stop mixing.
- You can make your sponge a night before to save some time.
- Be very careful with the peppermint extract. It’s a thin line between delicious, aromatic cream and toothpaste aftertaste. Add a couple of drops at a time – taste, and if needed, add some more.
Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Recipe Variations
This cake doesn’t have a lot of ingredients; however you can still improvise and use your favourite flavours.
- Black cocoa powder – if you don’t want to use it (or can’t find it anywhere, I purchased a pack on Amazon) feel free to change it for regular cocoa (adding around 60g). An extra tablespoon of instant coffee will bring those rich flavours.
- You can also use nutty flour to bring moisture to your cake. Substitute 50g of plain flour with almond meal.
- Peppermint flavour – I can imagine how peppermint flavours can be a little too strong for some of you, so feel free to substitute with vanilla extract.
- Lastly, if you don’t have cream cheese, you can make a simple buttercream (butter and icing sugar) frosting for your dessert.
Also, if you’re looking for other chocolate cake inspiration try out these cakes:
Chocolate Cake with Orange Cream
Chocolate Cake with Baileys Liquor and Coffee
Recipe
Ingredients
Sponge:
200g room temperature butter
100g caster sugar
4 eggs
150g flour
50g black cocoa
2 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Cream Layer:
250 cream cheese
200g double cream
60g icing sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Method
Prepare the sponge:
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line two round cake tins (I used 20cm diameter).
- Beat the butter with caster sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer for a couple of minutes, until you have a pale and smooth mix.
- Add the eggs and whisk until combined and smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients, together with milk, into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter in half and add it to the prepared cake tins.
- Bake the sponge in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Let the cake cool down completely.
Make the cream layer:
- Gently whisk the double cream.
- Add the cream cheese, icing sugar and peppermint extract.
- Whisk everything together until your frosting is firm.
Arrange the cake:
- Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread 1/3 of the cream over the bottom layer.
- Add the second layer of sponge on top of the cream layer. Spread another 1/3 of the frosting on top of the cake.
- Spread the remaining cream cheese layer to cover the sides of the cake.
- Place the cake in the fridge for an hour.
- Decorate the cake with gingerbread cookies and rosemary branches.
