Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

Posted in Cakes, Chocolate, Mint by

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Sometimes I think there’s nothing better than Christmas time at home with my parents. My mom and dad live in a 19th century, stone town house in Pennsylvania, and every Christmas, with wood fires burning, we hang our stockings and sit by the fireplace laughing, eating and drinking until it’s well into the early morning. My parents go the extra mile when decorating the house for Christmas. Their tree is adorned with antique ornaments, beads, garlands and Christmas lights. Every fireplace mantle is swathed with fir tree branches, and our front door is crowned with a homemade Della Robbia, welcoming all family and friends that come to share the holiday spirit. 

Christmas Time

Christmas Time

Christmastime is truly everything that makes me happy. It’s the perfume of endless cookies and treats being baked in the oven. It’s the sight of twinkling lights and thoughtfully wrapped presents piled high underneath an aromatic Frasier fir Christmas tree. It’s the smoky, inviting fireplaces that are lit at noon and die down when the last sip of bourbon is finished, well into the night. It’s the sound of laughter as family and friends gather around a beautifully decorated dinner table to celebrate simply being with each other.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Some of the best memories of my childhood are in my parent’s kitchen, helping my dad out with holiday baking. It wouldn’t be unheard of if we made 5 or 6 types of cookies in a day, and I owe so much of my love of baking to my dad’s endless enthusiasm for good food and good fun in the kitchen. My dad is an amazing cook, and remains to this day one of the best bakers I know. He’s the best at taking a recipe and adapting it to making it his own, and everything he makes is 10 times better than the original. Some of my favorite recipes come from my dad, and he’s always my go-to whenever I have questions in the kitchen.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

When I’m not at home, and stuck in my tiny New York City apartment, I try to emulate my parents’ homey Christmas spirit. But instead of going to the local tree farm in Pennsylvania, we buy our tree from the sketchy pop-up Christmas tree shop on the corner of the street.  Lacking a fireplace, I light candles and turn bookshelves into mantles to adorn with greens. But what I can replicate as close as possible is the holiday baking that brings me so close to home.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

I’ve been baking a ton of cookies lately, but I’ve been having so much fun with the #BundtBakers group, I didn’t want to miss out on this month’s theme: mint!  (To read more about #BundtBakers, or if you’re interested in joining this fun group, see below!) Since we bought way too many boxes of candy canes to decorate the tree, and we can’t hang any on the lower branches because of this guy, I figured I couldn’t let them go to waste.  I decided on a Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake, because who doesn’t love mint chocolate? This cake is delicious, the crumb is very light and airy, and the ganache is incredibly decadent. It would go great with a hot glass of mulled wine or a rich glass of egg nog.  ‘Tis the season!

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

No matter what holiday you celebrate this time of year, I hope it’s filled with joy, laughter, and lots and lots of chocolate.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Note: The originally recipe called for the cake to bake for 50-65 minutes, but I found that after baking it for 45 it was slightly overcooked.  I adjusted for this in the recipe, but if the cake still comes out gooey when a toothpick is inserted, keep baking in 2-3 minute increments until it’s set. It’s definitely better for this cake to be slightly undercooked than overcooked, as it will dry out.

Adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) boiling water
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) whole milk at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon mint extract
  • 6 peppermint candy canes, roughly chopped

For the ganache:

  • 6 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped (can use bittersweet chocolate chips), about 1 cup
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
  • 4 tablespoons butter

RECIPE:

For the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa and 1/2 cup boiling water until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until evenly incorporated.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, (or large bowl with a hand-held mixer), mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add the butter, cocoa mixture and mint extract, and beat on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and evenly incorporated.
  5. Starting on low speed, gradually add the egg mixture, then raise to medium speed until everything is evenly mixed, about 1 minute.  Add 1/2  of the chopped candy canes (reserve the remaining amount for topping the cake), and mix with a wooden spoon so they are distributed.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the surface.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed.  Allow the cake to cool completely before inverting.
  7. Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the inverted bundt cake, allowing the chocolate to drip over the sides.  Sprinkle the remaining crushed peppermint sticks evenly over the top of the cake.
  8. Cake will keep at room temperature, stored in an airtight container or plastic wrap, for 3 days.

For the ganache:

  1. In a double broiler (or a metal bowl rested upon a saucepan with boiling water), add the chocolate chips and butter, and whisk until melted and smooth.  Be sure to not overcook as chocolate burns evenly.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, and whisk evenly.

Check out what others in our #bundtbakers group are up to! Links below!

BundtBakers

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. If you are just a lover of Bundt baking, you can find all of our recipe links by clicking our badge above or on our group Pinterest board.

27 thoughts on “Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake #BundtBakers”

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  15. It’s not even Cgristmas yet and I’ve already eaten a bit (read: a lot of ) sweets. These recipes just keep coming and coming. No pressure to feel guilty but it’s going to be your fault if I try to desperately join the gym in January! 🙂 This cake looks divine!

    Reply

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  21. You’ve described Christmas perfectly, I kind of wish it was Christmastime again. Scrumptious looking bundt cake 🙂

    Reply

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