Candy Cane Cake

Candy Cane Cake

This cake is a favorite of mine to bring to Holiday dinners and parties especially if they are all ages celebrations. Understandably kids will be quite happy with one of the cupcakes especially but most adults go mad for them too. It's no wonder, with such a moist scratch cake topped with plenty of peppermint marshmallow frosting that the sight of it brings out the wide-eyed kid in everyone. Merry Christmas everyone!

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Candy Cane Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Candy Cane Cake - this outstanding scratch cake is a kid favorite around here at Christmas time. My kids make the cupcakes to take along to their seasonal parties and they are very often the first items to get gobbled up.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
Yield: One 9 inch double layer cake or 3 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
• 1/4 cup mixed red and green candy sprinkles
• 6 roughly chopped candy canes

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans and line the bottoms with 2 circles of parchment paper.
2. Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and peppermint extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy
4. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
6. I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, fold in the 1/4 cup crushed candy canes and sprinkles, then pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. I've frosted this cake with Marshmallow Frosting with a little peppermint extract added but any good vanilla frosting is great on this cake. You can substitute a little peppermint extract to taste in your favorite frosting recipe but add just a little at a time, it's potent stuff. Find the marshmallow frosting recipe with our Black and White Cake.
9. If making cupcakes I find that making 1/2 of the frosting recipe is sufficient.
10. Sprinkle the roughly chopped candy canes over the top of the cake or cupcakes.

Candy Cane Cake

This cake is a favorite of mine to bring to Holiday dinners and parties especially if they are all ages celebrations. Understandably kids will be quite happy with one of the cupcakes especially but most adults go mad for them too. It's no wonder, with such a moist scratch cake topped with plenty of peppermint marshmallow frosting that the sight of it brings out the wide-eyed kid in everyone. Merry Christmas everyone!

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Candy Cane Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Candy Cane Cake - this outstanding scratch cake is a kid favorite around here at Christmas time. My kids make the cupcakes to take along to their seasonal parties and they are very often the first items to get gobbled up.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
Yield: One 9 inch double layer cake or 3 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
• 1/4 cup mixed red and green candy sprinkles
• 6 roughly chopped candy canes

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans and line the bottoms with 2 circles of parchment paper.
2. Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and peppermint extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy
4. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
6. I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, fold in the 1/4 cup crushed candy canes and sprinkles, then pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. I've frosted this cake with Marshmallow Frosting with a little peppermint extract added but any good vanilla frosting is great on this cake. You can substitute a little peppermint extract to taste in your favorite frosting recipe but add just a little at a time, it's potent stuff. Find the marshmallow frosting recipe with our Black and White Cake.
9. If making cupcakes I find that making 1/2 of the frosting recipe is sufficient.
10. Sprinkle the roughly chopped candy canes over the top of the cake or cupcakes.