Boozy Chocolate-Peppermint Layer Cake with Peppermint White Chocolate Frosting {GF}
A rich and moist chocolatey cake studded with pepperminty candy cane kisses and wrapped in a creamy, vodka-spiked peppermint white chocolate frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Assembly Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hr 40 minutes
- Yield: one 2-layer 9” cake 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Peppermint Cake:
- butter and cocoa powder, for pans
- 12 3/4 ounces (3 cups, spoon and level) gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 14 ounces (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 ounces (6 tablespoons) natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 11 1/4 ounces (1 1/3 cup) milk
- 4 7/8 ounces (5/8 cup) neutral-flavored cooking oil (vegetable, avocado, etc.)
- 2 5/8 ounces (1/3 cup) Tito’s Handmade Vodka
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 7 5/8 ounces (1 1/3 cup) chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
Peppermint White Chocolate Frosting:
- 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lb 2 ounces (4 1/2 cups) confectioner’s sugar
- 1 lb 2 ounces ounces white chocolate wafers (or chopped white chocolate), melted and slightly cooled
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) Tito’s Handmade Vodka
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Garnish:
- crushed candy cane bits
- Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
Instructions
Chocolate Peppermint Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and prep two 9" cake pans; butter the bottom and sides, line bottoms with parchment rounds, and dust sides with cocoa powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, oil, vodka, vinegar, and vanilla and fold in just until evenly incorporated. Fold in chopped peppermint kisses.
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean and tops of cakes spring back when lightly touched in the center.
- Let cakes cool completely in pans, and then carefully turn each out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Peel off parchment and wrap cake entirely in plastic wrap until ready to frost. For best results, place cake in freezer for 30 minutes before frosting.
Peppermint White Chocolate Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Reduce speed to low and gradually add confectioner’s sugar until fully incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high again and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- With mixer on low, slowly pour in melted white chocolate. Once all has been added, beat in on medium-high until smooth (if any white chocolate hardens on sides of bowl, do not scrape it into the frosting). Add vodka and peppermint extract and continue to beat until liquid is incorporated and frosting is light and creamy.*
Assembly/Garnish:
- Place one cake layer bottom-up on a cake board or plate. Spread a layer of frosting over cake and top with second cake layer, bottom side up. Apply a smooth layer of frosting over top and sides of cake.
- Cup candy cane bits in palm of hand and gently press onto sides of cake to cover completely, allowing to extend over top perimeter of cake slightly. Use a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (I used Ateco #846) to pipe 6 dollops of frosting around the top perimeter. Top each with a peppermint kiss. Garnish top of cake lightly with extra candy cane bits as desired.
- Leftover cake can be covered with plastic wrap or kept in an airtight container and stored at room temperature.
Notes
*If the frosting seems too thin or runny, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes before using.
Cake adapted from Hello Gluten Free
Frosting adapted from Relish