Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake: #BundtBakers

This Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake topped with Marshmallow Glaze is the perfect dessert for the holidays–heck we think it is the perfect dessert all winter long! I am loving this Bundt Bakers theme, “Hot Chocolate,” and I hope you plan to check out all of the fabulous hot chocolate cakes below. Affiliate links have been used to link to items I am discussing.

I alway thought peppermint hot chocolate was the obvious way to drink hot chocolate. Then I started having people over and making hot chocolate and was shocked at the number of times I needed to make “plain” hot chocolate! So if peppermint is not your thing…. this is probably not the cake for you, and by the way don’t tell me so we can still be friends, ‘kay? (Psst! And in that case scroll to the bottom and check out the other cakes!)

Every November I make peppermint marshmallows –and remake them every time we run out. Forget about Christmas, we want these all winter long! If it is hot chocolate season, we must have peppermint marshmallows–ask any single member of my family and they will all tell you the same. For that matter, I know I have at least a sister and a sister in law who agree too. So what is with these people not liking peppermint and chocolate?

Inconceivable!

So as soon as I heard the theme for this month’s Bundt Bakers I knew it had to be a peppermint hot chocolate cake. Because I collect hot chocolate and hot cocoa mixes, I also knew I wanted it to include those, kind of a “What else can I make with hot cocoa mix?” kind of post. But I was uncertain about how that would affect ratios, so after searching the internet for a while, I settled on starting with this awesome cake from Cookies and Cups.

In the interest of disclosing exactly what I used to make this cake, I am going to link you to all of my specific cocoa mixes. But do not feel you have to use them–although if you try with any particular mix and do not get good results, I hope you leave a comment telling which cocoa mixes you used and what kind of results you got. In general, I do not buy the kinds of cocoa mixes that come with dry milk (that you just add hot water to). But I am aware that for many people, cocoa mixes mean that kind of hot cocoa. So I hedged my bets by using half Scharffen Berger Sweetened Cocoa Powder (an accidental purchase truthfully as it contains only cocoa and sugar, and I would just as soon buy unsweetened and sweeten it to taste) and half GODIVA Chocolatier Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa, which had been a gift, and while it is intended to be mixed with milk, I thought the extra creaminess and, well, milkiness from the milk chocolate might counterbalance the bare bones sweetened cocoa.

Whatever the reason, it definitely worked and worked well. We loved this peppermint hot chocolate cake! The original cake used Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa for its unsweetened cocoa, which is a blend of Dutched and natural cocoa powders, so I figured I would be ok adding Dutched cocoa powder for my cocoa, as the Scharffen Berger is natural. (If you are wondering why it matters, it is because it affects the acidity of the batter which in turn affects the leavener–and if you want to understand further, I refer you to David Lebovitz because I can never remember which does what!)

One last note about the melted chocolate: I used Green & Black’s Mint 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate because I had it on hand and love it. But please do not stress about having that exact chocolate–any dark chocolate of minimum 60% cacao that you love will work just fine, and if it is not flavored with peppermint, just add a few more drops of peppermint oil.

Everyone elses’ fabulous hot chocolate bundts are down below the marshmallow glaze recipe, so just keep scrolling for some serious deliciousness! And extra big thanks to Tara of Noshing with the Nolands for choosing and hosting such a fabulous theme!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Cookies and Cups. Please read my notes above about cocoa mixes and cocoa powder.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cakes

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups (284 g) AP flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t fine sea salt
• ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted, I used Dutched
• ½ cup dry hot chocolate mix (I used 2 different kinds, one with Dutched cocoa and one based on natural cocoa, see notes above), sifted
• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz (227 g, 1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 oz dark peppermint chocolate with minimum 60% cacao, chopped and melted (see notes above on subbing plain chocolate), 85 g
• 5 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 1/2 t peppermint extract
• 1/8 t peppermint oil
• Marshmallow glaze for frosting (see below)
• sprinkles of choice for decorating, optional
• 1 T cornstarch
• 3 T confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. This recipe makes enough for a 10 inch (or 12 cup) bundt pan, but I used a 9 inch (10 cup) bundt pan. Whichever you prefer, spray the bundt pan with a flour/grease mix, and, if using the smaller pan, also spray a mini loaf pan or something equivalent.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and cocoa mixes. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter briefly until creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the cream cheese. Beat on medium high speed until perfectly incorporated (how long will depend on how cold they start out).
5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the sugar slowly, while beating, over a 5 minute span. Scrape as needed.
6. When the sugar has all been added, scrape and beat once more until quite fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
7. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. We did not wait for the chocolate to cool, so we drizzled it into the beating bowl (so that it did not hit the butter all at once and melt it). However you choose to add it (quickly if cool or slowly if hot), beat the chocolate into the butter mixture. Scrape the bowl several times to make sure it is completely incorporating.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping well every other addition.
9. Beat in the extracts and peppermint oil. It should smell strongly of peppermint--remember you have not added the flour or cocoa yet, plus the peppermint will fade some with baking. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
10. With the mixer on slow speed, add the flour mixture in 3-4 additions, scraping well after each one. At the end, remove the bowl from the mixer and finish completely incorporating the batter by hand.
11. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s).
12. Bake for about 30 minutes for a mini loaf and 60 minutes for a bundt cake. The cake is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached.
13. Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, before turning out onto cooling rack to cool completely.
14. When it is completely cooled, place foil under the cooling rack and drizzle marshmallow glaze all over it. You should have a lot left. Let it drip and set for a minute or 2, and drizzle again. Repeat until you have used all of the glaze.
15. Be ready with a second piece of foil, and slice the original piece out from under the cake (replace with fresh foil). Squeeze the marshmallow glaze out of the foil and over the cake some more. Repeat as often as you like--I stopped after one time.
16. Let it set for 1 minute. While it is setting, whisk together the cornstarch and powdered sugar.
17. Sprinkle whatever nonpareils or jimmies you might choose to use over the cake. Then dust the cake with a sifter with the powdered sugar mixture to help it to set (this is exactly what you would use to help marshmallows set too).
18. Mine set overnight before we sliced into it, but waiting an hour or 2 ought to be sufficient.

5 from 2 votes

Print

Marshmallow Glaze

The boring (but delicious) truth is that I took our treasured Extra Creamy Peppermint Marshmallows, made them, and then at the end of the beating stage, I beat in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. It definitely deflated and thinned out the mixture. I would be curious to try it as a thicker topping also, but for this cake pan, a thinner glaze worked well I thought.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Frostings, Glazes, Toppings

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

• 2 envelopes gelatin (I usually use Knox)
• 1/3 cup + 3 T cold water
• 1 1/3 cups + 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 3 T light corn syrup
• large pinch salt
• 9 T cold water, in addition to water above
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 t peppermint extract
• several drops peppermint oil
• 1 T heavy cream

Instructions

1. I have heard some people say they could make marshmallows with a mid strength mixer (eg, the Kitchen Aid Artisan); I personally would only be willing to try in a professional grade/heavy duty mixer unless I knew I had the cash to replace the mixer! DO NOT USE A HAND HELD MIXER!!!

2. Place the gelatin in the bottom of the mixer bowl. Prepare the water measurements and set aside the larger water amount (1/3 cup + 3 T) beside it.

3. Find a heavy bottomed, preferably copper or stainless steel, 2-3 quart saucepan and put the 9 tablespoons of water, light corn syrup, sugar and salt inside of it. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan–do not let the actual thermometer touch the bottom of the pot. Place the pot on low heat and cover it.

4. Dump the 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons water over the gelatin–it should sit for 15 minutes while the sugar is cooking.

5. While the gelatin is soaking, stir the sugar mixture 2-3 times, very gently each time. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. From here on out do not stir or otherwise bother the sugar. Keep an eye on the thermometer; you want to boil the sugar to 245-248 degrees F.

6. When the sugar mixture reaches 248-250 F, slowly pour it in to the mixer bowl with the whip attachment mixing on the lowest speed. Be very careful to not let any of the boiled sugar touch your bare skin.After the sugar is all in the bowl, slowly increase the speed to medium low and beat for 1 minute. 
7. When the mixture is totally blended, increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. 
8. Reduce the speed back down to low and add the extracts and oil/crushed peppermint. Increase back to the highest speed again and beat for 8 minutes.
9. During this time the mixture will becomes more opaque and whiter. It will also become much, much thicker. I check the back of my mixer every so often during the 8 minute beating–if it should ever get dangerously hot, well, I guess either quit or cross your fingers. (I have been making marshmallows for 10 years now and never yet had it blow my motor out, but it still manages to make me nervous!)
10. Slow the mixer down and quickly add the cream. It will thin out and deflate pretty quickly. Beat the cream in for about a minute, and then begin drizzling over your cake as directed in the instructions above.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And now for some serious hot chocolate fun!

• • Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
  • Aztec Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by I Sugar Coat It!
  • Baileys Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake
  • Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
  • Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
  • Carob and Hot Chocolate Cake by A Kingdom for A Cake
  • Chocolate and Tiffany’s Bundtcake by La Mejor Manera
  • Hot Chocolate & Caramel Bundt Cake by I love Bundt Cakes
  • Hot Chocolate Bundt with Godiva Glaze by Our Good Life
  • Hot Chocolate Buttered Rum Bundt by The Crumby Cupcake
  • Hot Chocolate Habanero Bundt Cake by Brunch with Joy
  • Hot Chocolate Lavender Bundt Cake by Adventures in All Things Food
  • Hot Cocoa Almond Bundt Cake by SimplyVeggies
  • Irish Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate
  • Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime
  • Mocha Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Nutella & Toffee Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs
  • Orange Pisco White Chocolate Bundt by Food Lust People Love
  • Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
  • Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake by The Spiced Life
  • Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Bundt by Tartacadabra
  • Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake by Magnolia Days
  • White Hot Chocolate Peppermint Bundt by Noshing With The Nolands

For the collage lovers….