Sweetheart's Peppermint Kiss Cake 🍫
A decadent chocolate peppermint cake perfect for special occasions, featuring moist chocolate layers, rich ganache, and creamy peppermint cream cheese frosting topped with crushed peppermint candies.
Equipment
- 8 or 9-inch round cake pans
- Wire Rack
- Electric Mixer
- Heatproof Bowl
- Small Saucepan
- Parchment Paper
- Serrated Knife (optional)
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1 1/4 cups Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder
- 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups Warm Water
- 1 1/4 cups Buttermilk or milk + lemon juice
- 4 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz Dark Chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2-3 drops Peppermint Extract to taste
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter softened
- 6 cups Powdered Sugar adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- Salt large pinch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Milk as needed
- 2 Crushed Peppermint Candies for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three round cake pans.
- Mix all dry cake ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly and bake for 30–40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Heat cream and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and add peppermint extract.
- Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add sugar, extracts, salt, and milk as needed.
- Layer cake with ganache and frosting. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost entire cake and decorate with crushed peppermint candies.
Notes
Adjust peppermint intensity to taste. Cooling and setting times are important for clean layers.
