Deep Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake

A homemade chocolate cake is topped with a fluffy pink-tinted seven-minute frosting and crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 363 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup crushed peppermint hard candies
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 ¾ cups milk, divided
• Seven-Minute Frosting

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 2

Sift together the cake flour and salt.

Step 3

Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Turn into mixing bowl, and cool to room temperature; this mixture must be cool. Mix in the sugar. Blend in egg yolks and 1 cup milk.

Step 4

Pour in the flour and salt, and mix just until incorporated. Beat batter with electric mixer for 1 minute, and then blend in vanilla and 1/2 cup milk. Dissolve baking soda in the remaining 1/4 cup milk; stir into the batter quickly and thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until the surface of the cakes spring back lightly when pressed with a finger, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes on wire racks.

Step 6

Prepare Seven Minute Frosting, omitting vanilla (see Footnote for link). Tint the frosting a delicate pink with a few drops of food coloring, and add 1/4 cup crushed candy. Frost and fill the cooled cake. Garnish with bits of crushed candy.