Make the vacations merry and shiny with this gorgeous three-layer cake. Tender-crumbed chocolate-peppermint cake layers get sandwiched with a buttercream made with toasted white chocolate, which provides a deep nutty taste. Gorgeously embellished to imitate a sweet cane, this cake is the final word centerpiece for any vacation celebration.
Chocolate-Peppermint Layer Cake
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (85 grams) Dutch course of cocoa powder
- 1⅔ cups (365 grams) firmly packed mild brown sugar*
- 1½ cups (360 grams) scorching brewed espresso
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 grams) entire buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 giant eggs (150 grams), room temperature and flippantly crushed
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) peppermint extract
- 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (3.75 grams) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Crimson gel meals coloring, for adornment
- Garnish: peppermint candies
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 3 (8-inch) spherical cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line backside of pans with parchment paper.
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In a big heavy-bottomed saucepan, soften butter over medium warmth. Whisk in cocoa; cook dinner, whisking continuously, till aromatic, about 1 minute. Take away from warmth; whisk in brown sugar, scorching espresso, and granulated sugar till sugars dissolve. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and extracts.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Regularly add flour combination to cocoa combination, whisking till simply mixed. Divide batter amongst ready pans (about 621 grams every).
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Bake till a picket decide inserted in middle comes out with a couple of moist crumbs, 25 to half-hour. Let cool fully in pans on wire racks. Take away from pans, and degree cooled cake layers, if desired.
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Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter. Unfold 1½ cups (275 grams) Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream on high. Prime with second cake layer, and unfold 1½ cups (275 grams) buttercream on high. Prime with remaining cake layer. Unfold remaining buttercream on high and sides of cake, smoothing with an offest spatula or bench scraper.
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To brighten with purple meals coloring, utilizing a picket decide, drag meals coloring in lengthy strains alongside sides of cake, if desired (A). Utilizing a bench scraper or lengthy offset spatula, unfold meals coloring into buttercream in lengthy, clean motions to create streaks (B). (The extra passes you make with bench scraper or spatula, the extra the purple coloration will unfold, so make as few passes as attainable.) Garnish with candies simply earlier than serving, if desired. Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream
Makes about 7 cups
- 8 ounces (226 grams) white chocolate, chopped
- 2¼ cups (450 grams) granulated sugar
- 10 giant egg whites (300 grams), room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2½ cups (567 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
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Preheat oven to 250°F (130°C).
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In a totally dry 9-inch spherical cake pan, place white chocolate.
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Bake till melted and a lightweight caramel coloration, about 45 minutes, stirring with a spatula each 10 minutes. (Chocolate would possibly look dry and crumbly at any level however proceed stirring till clean.)
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Within the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk collectively sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook dinner, stirring continuously, till sugar dissolves and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (71°C).
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Fastidiously return bowl to face mixer. Utilizing the whisk attachment, beat at excessive velocity till combination has cooled considerably and turns into thick and shiny. Scale back mixer velocity to medium-high; add butter, 2 tablespoons (28 grams) at a time, beating till fully mixed after every addition. Beat till buttercream is thick and shiny. (It might look barely curdled sooner or later, however hold mixing.) Beat in vanilla and salt.
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If white chocolate has solidified, switch to a microwave-safe container, and warmth on excessive in 30-second intervals, stirring between every, till melted. With mixer on medium velocity, slowly add white chocolate to buttercream, beating till mixed and stopping to scrape backside and sides of bowl. Use instantly.
