White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
This dreamy White Chocolate Peppermint Cake is as delicious as it sounds!
It's the season of all things peppermint, and we're happy to say that this is one holiday cake that you are going to want to make again and again.
Homemade White Chocolate Peppermint cake layers are filled and frosted with a luscious white chocolate peppermint buttercream for a holiday dessert that is guaranteed to please any crowd!
We made a Chocolate Candy Cane Cake a few years ago for our Cake Recipes section that we LOVE, but this white chocolate version is equally amazing. I can't believe that we didn't try this combination sooner!
In the spring and summer months, we often pair it with fruit fillings as in our White Chocolate Raspberry Cake recipe. We're thrilled to have another excuse to make it in the winter months!
Table of Contents
How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
- Prepare your white chocolate peppermint cake layers according to recipe instructions. We decided to divide our batter between three 8 inch cake pans instead of two so that we could have more filling in every slice. However, you could also divide the batter between two pans for thicker cake layers.
- After filling our cake layers, we frosted with a creamy and delicious White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream. I always use a turntable when applying frosting but that is optional. It just makes things a little easier. I applied a thin (crumb coat) of frosting, followed by a the final layer of frosting.
- We used a bench scraper to smooth the frosting as I rotated it on the turntable. Then, I added ridges by lightly holding a small rounded spatula against the cake as I turned it, working my way from the bottom to top. (See our easy Ridged Buttercream Technique tutorial for details!)
- Finally, we added oversized stars piped with a 404 french tip. Decorate with crushed candy canes!
More Christmas Recipes
We've made many Christmas cake recipes over the years! Some of our most popular are Eggnog Cake, homemade Red Velvet Cake, Gingerbread Cake, and Eggnog Pound Cake!
For our full collection of Christmas and Winter Cakes, Recipes, and Inspiration, hop over to our Roundup of Christmas Cakes! We have all sorts of festive cake designs to share with you also!
We hope that you enjoy this White Chocolate Peppermint Cake as much as we have! Thanks so much for stopping by. Make sure to check out our full collection of Cake Recipes as well as our Cake Decorating tutorials!
Have you made this? We would LOVE for you to leave a ⭐️ rating as well as a comment and photo below! We really appreciate your feedback!
Enjoy the Recipe
White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
This ultra moist White Chocolate Peppermint Cake with White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream frosting is amazing!
Ingredients
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
- 4 ounces (113.5g) white baking chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bar and Bakers Premium Baking Bar to test the recipe)
- 2 ½ cups (285g) cake flour * if you do not have cake flour see Note below for substitution
- 2 ½ teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, slightly softened (do not soften in the microwave)
- 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature ( if in a hurry you can warm the eggs in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for 5 minutes)
- 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- 1 â…“ cup (314g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4g) peppermint extract
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened (do not soften in the microwave)
- 8 ounces (227g) white baking chocolate (I use Ghirardelli or Bakers White Baking Chocolate)
- 4 tablespoons (48g) milk or cream, to be used when melting the chocolate
- 8 cups (920g) powdered sugar (sift then measure)
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt to cut the sweetness. Fine grained popcorn salt dissolves easily
- 1 teaspoon (4g) peppermint extract- (adjust to your liking)
- 3 Tablespoons (36g) milk- add a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached
- Crushed Candy Canes for Garnish
Instructions
For the Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- Grease and flour three 8x2 inch pans
- IMPORTANT: for this recipe you will need to add a circle of wax paper or parchment paper to the bottom of the cake pans to prevent sticking
- Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove top, do not let it boil. Add the white chocolate that has been cut into very small pieces. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir until melted and smooth. Let this cool down before using.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk for 30 seconds to blend and set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and beat on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow is blended in.
- Add the vanilla and peppermint
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk/chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk mixture).
- Mix until just combined, do not over mix and do not mix above medium speed.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees F for 22-25 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, it is done. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans and turn out.
- Works well for cupcakes
- Makes 6 cups cake batter
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream:
- Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk.
- Microwave for 15 seconds let sit for a minute or two, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate. The chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. Let the chocolate cool down before using.
- Beat the butter until softened and smooth, add the peppermint extract and mix. Add the powdered sugar alternately with the melted chocolate. Add the additional 3 tablespoons of milk as needed for spreading consistency. Beat at medium to low speed for 4 to 5 minutes (longer if using a hand mixer) until the buttercream becomes smooth and creamy.
- Makes 7 cups frosting. Makes enough to fill and frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
Looks and sounds delish! Adding it to my list! :-)
Beautiful cake! So simple to decorate and looks elegant
Great i love it
I made this cake yesterday for a December birthday, and it was beautiful and delicious! Thank you!
Wonderful, I'm so happy to hear it Caril!
Your write-up says a half teaspoon of the peppermint, but your recipe says a full teaspoon. So.. which is it?
Hi Rose, one teaspoon of peppermint as written in the recipe is correct, we will adjust. Thanks!
Nice recipe
Your cake is lovely!! Thanks so much for posting.
Hello how many servings does this cake get? Sorry, if I missed it somewhere on the page. Thanks! -Shauna
Hi Shauna, You should be able to get 14 servings.
What is the substitute for cake flour ?