The peppermint flavor with its pillowy texture, followed by swirls of chocolate is sure to bring joy to the holidays. This delicious cake will have you feeling like it’s Christmas day! For all of you peppermint fans out there, this recipe is for you!

Not only does this cake scream Christmas, but it also tastes like it. The yummy buttercream frosting and crushed peppermint colliding together make for an oh-so-tasty marble cake with just the right amount of crunch! It’ll have everyone around you in the mood for Christmas with just one bite!

MARBLE PEPPERMINT CAKE INGREDIENTS

Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Cake flour – Cake flour is soft, low-protein flour that produces a bakery-style cakey structure. If you do not have cake flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour.

Eggs – add richness and structure to the cake

Butter – unsalted butter, softened see notes below

Salt – fine sea salt

Sugar – granulated sugar can be substituted with cane sugar.

Cocoa Powder – I use natural cocoa powder, but Dutch pressed also works and will give the cake a deeper chocolatey flavor and color.

Peppermint extract – any brand will work

Buttermilk – Room temperature adds moisture to the cake while giving flavor and a perfect, delicate texture.

Leaveners – Baking soda and baking powder (ensure it’s fresh)

HOW TO MAKE MARBLE PEPPERMINT CAKE

Follow these steps to make this recipe:

Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine the water and cocoa: Heat the water on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe container until it simmers. Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined, then set it aside to allow it to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy and doubled in size, then add the sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs: In a small bowl beat the eggs, then add the oil and vanilla and mix to combine. Gradually add the egg mixture, (in thirds), scraping the bowl as needed.
Add the flour and buttermilk: in alternating thirds, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, scraping in between.
Make the chocolate batter: Remove two cups of the batter and place it in a medium bowl. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix to combine.
Fill the pans with batter: Divide the batter and layer them into the cake pans start by adding the vanilla batter, then add half of the chocolate batter, then add the rest of the vanilla batter. Using a butter knife or the back of a wooden spoon, gently swirl the batters together. Be careful not to overmix! Tap the pan a couple of times to remove air.
Bake: Bake the cakes in a preheated oven at 350°F (177°C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and tap the pan on the countertop to help release steam. Cool the cakes for 10-15 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before chilling. Allow the cakes to chill for 3 hours up to overnight before icing.
Make the buttercream: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar in thirds, scraping the bowl down in between additions, and continue to mix. Add the peppermint extract and mix it well to combine. Cover and set aside until ready to ice the cake.
Make the chocolate ganache: In a small microwave-safe bowl, or on the stovetop in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate, salt, butter, and corn syrup. If heating in the microwave, heat the mixture for about 50 seconds. Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly.
Assemble the cake: Ice the bottom layer of the cake with the peppermint icing, then add the top layer and continue to ice, covering the cake completely with a thin layer of icing. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, then ice the cake with a final layer of buttercream icing. Press the crushed peppermints into the bottom of the cake, then refrigerate again for another 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the refrigerator, then pour the ganache over the top of the cake and decorate it with crushed peppermints and peppermint bark. Allow the cake to cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This will help the ganache set.

PRO CAKE BAKING TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Sift your dry ingredients. Sift together all of the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
Cream the butter and sugar. Cream the butter on low to medium speed to prevent raising the temperature of the butter. Once the butter is light and fluffy, then add the sugar and continue to mix.
Use room-temperature dairy. It is important to ensure you start with room-temperature milk, eggs, and butter so that they create an emulsion.
Slowly add the eggs. Eggs should be added slowly to the creamed butter and sugar mixture in order to obtain a perfect texture.
Alternate between wet and dry ingredients. When adding the flour mixture and wet mixture to your cake, alternate between the two. The cakes will be properly mixed and rise evenly when baking.
Chill cakes before icing. Make sure the cakes are thoroughly cooled or chilled before icing the cake. Thoroughly chilled cakes are much easier to ice. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) before icing.
Add simple syrup. Adding a simple syrup to each layer of cake before icing will add additional moisture and help extend the shelf life of the cake.
Make it a bundt cake. Not in the mood to make a layered cake? Not a problem! Place the batter into a greased and floured bundt cake pan then, follow the directions to bake and frost.

HOW TO DECORATE MARBLE PEPPERMINT CAKE

Here are a few simple and effective ways for beginners and seasoned bakers to decorate an iced cake:

Chopped nuts
Fruit – Sliced fruit and fruit jams such as strawberry are a delicious way to add a pop of color and decorate this cake.
Toasted coconut
Shaved chocolate – Dark and white chocolate shavings are delicious additions to use for decorating the top and sides of the cake.
Cake crumbs – cake crumbs can be added to the oven to dry before using to decorate the cake
Chopped candy – chopped peppermints, peppermint bark, or candy canes really give this cake a festive touch!

Arrange in patterns or sprinkle them all over the cake. I like using the decorating ideas above because they not only make the cake look very attractive, but they also hide small mistakes!

Chocolate Marble Peppermint Cake

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Jamie Tryon Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hours

A rich and fluffy marble cake layered with peppermint buttercream and topped with a silky, chocolaty ganache.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups 3 1/2 Cake flour (spooned & leveled)
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 unsalted butter, 3 sticks (softened to room temperature)
3 large 3 eggs (room temperature; see notes)
2 cups 2 granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups 1 1/4 buttermilk (room temperature; see notes)
1 tsp 1 salt
2 tsp 2 baking powder
1 tsp 1 baking soda
2 tbsp 2 cocoa powder
2 tsp 2 vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 vanilla extract
1/3 cup 1/3 hot water
chopped peppermints for decorating cake
peppermint bark, optional decoration
Peppermint Buttercream
1 cup 1 unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
4 cups 4 confectioners sugar (sifted)
2 tsp 2 peppermint extract
Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup 1/2 dark chocolate
2 tbsp 2 unsalted butter
1 tbsp 1 corn syrup
pinch of salt

CakE Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans, and line them with parchment paper rounds (see notes in Cake Baking Tips). Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
Heat the water on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe container until it is simmering. Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined, then set it aside to allow it to cool.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The creamed butter and sugar will be extra fluffy and should be doubled in size. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
In a small bowl beat the eggs, then add the oil and vanilla and mix to combine. Gradually add the egg mixture, (in thirds), scraping the bowl as needed.
Add the flour and buttermilk in alternating thirds, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, scraping in between.
Remove two cups of the batter and place it in a medium bowl. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix to combine.
Divide the batter and layer them into the cake pans start by adding the vanilla batter, then add half of the chocolate batter, then add the rest of the vanilla batter. Using a butter knife or the back of a wooden spoon, gently swirl the batters together. Be careful not to overmix!
Bake the cakes in a preheated oven at 350°F (177°C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and tap the pan on the countertop to help release steam. Cool the cakes for 10-15 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before chilling. Allow the cakes to chill for 3 hours up to overnight before icing.
PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM DIRECTIONS
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the sifted powdered sugar in thirds, scraping the bowl down in between additions, and continue to mix. Then, add the peppermint extract and mix well to combine.
Ice the cooled cake with the icing
CHOCOLATE GLAZE DIRECTIONS
In a small microwave-safe bowl, or on the stovetop in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate, salt, butter, and corn syrup. If heating in the microwave, heat the mixture for about 50 seconds.
Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly about 15 minutes. Store in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, warm when ready to use.
ASSEMBLE THE PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE SWIRL CAKE
Place a cake plate down, then Ice the bottom layer of the cake with the peppermint icing, add the top layer, and continue to ice, covering the cake completely with a thin layer of the icing. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, then ice the cake with a final layer of the buttercream icing. Press the crushed peppermints into the bottom of the cake, then refrigerate again for another 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the refrigerator, then pour the ganache over the top of the cake and decorate it with crushed peppermints and peppermint bark. Allow the cake to cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This will help the ganache set.

Recipe Video

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 8. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and keep them at room temperature for 1 day or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) before icing.
Cake Flour: Cake flour is key in this recipe. If you don’t have cake flour, use all-purpose flour.
Buttermilk substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 2 tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk.

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