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Peppermint Mocha Crunch Cake: Chocolate cake, LOADED with delectable frosting and crunchy peppermint candies, that’s perfect for beginners in the kitchen.
It’s time to finally admit, my heart has been set on dreaming of a white Christmas, for some time now. It seems as if stores are starting earlier, the songs on my radio stations are sneaking it in, and my Pinterest feed is slowly overflowing with holiday cheer!
So it doesn’t help that when I get together with my coffee-loving girlfriends, we start chatting about all of the fun seasonal coffee creamers, that are coming out. (Please tell me we aren’t alone when it comes to dancing a little jig in the store aisle when we see that it’s time for pumpkin spice or peppermint coffee creamer!)
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know it’s no secret that when the #fantab team gets together once a week, we tend to get a bit crazy in the kitchen. This is of course, after chatting over coffee for an hour (or two, ahem).
So after whipping up a crazy delicious cup of joe with the Salted Caramel creamer the other day beforehand… (didn’t it look crazy delish?) This type of indulgence will be recreated this ENTIRE holiday season!
… we decided that we wanted to do a bit of experimentation with the Peppermint Mocha, and the Peppermint Mocha Crunch Cake, was BORN!
It may look like you need to be a professional pastry chef to pull this one off, but trust me when I say… If I can do it, YOU can do it.
Peppermint Mocha Crunch Cake
We all know that I’m more of a “simply homemade,” kinda gal, right? So it’s no surprise when I wanted to use a cake mix for this, instead of a recipe from scratch. But no worries, if you’re more of a “from scratch,” kinda baker… you can do that too!
Full recipe will be below, but I wanted to walk you through the process with a few photos in case you’re more of a visual type of reader!
Cake Tutorial:
• Start with mixing, and baking the chocolate cake mix according to package directions, for two 8-in. round pans.
• While the cake is baking, break peppermint candies up into little pieces. We simply put the unwrapped candies in a plastic zip-top bag and beat them with a rolling pin. Set aside. (This is a fantastic job for the little ones in your kitchen, for a super fun baking activity.)
• When the peppermint candies are broken and ready, and while the cake is still baking, it’s a great time to mix together the frosting/filling. (Frosting recipe below.)
• When the cake is finished baking, allow to fully cool on a wire baking rack. It’s then time to pipe on the frosting and the filling.
• Start with spreading the frosting on top of one round cake. Sprinkle some of the peppermint candies on top of this layer of frosting.
• Place the other round cake on top, and using a piping bag with a large star tip, pipe the frosting on top of the cake, until the cake is completely covered.
• Taking some of the peppermint candies, place them into the sides of the cake where the middle is filled with frosting.
• Then sprinkle the top of the cake with additional broken peppermint candies.
We MAY or may not have waited a good 2 minutes before slicing and digging into this cake, to taste test. Trust me when I say it is mouth-watering goodness.
Peppermint Mocha Crunch Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix cooked according to package EXCEPT: replace the amount of water needed with International Delight® Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer.
Frosting:
- 1 cup shortening
- 4 Tablespoons International Delight® Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer.
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons clear butter flavoring
- 1 cup semi-crushed peppermint candies
- 1/2 teaspoon clear peppermint flavoring optional
Instructions
Cake:
- Divide prepared cake batter into 2 greased, 8-inch round cake pans.
- Bake the cake according to the box directions, except replacing water required for mix with Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer.
Frosting:
- While cake is baking, and cooling, prepare frosting/filling.
- With the mixer, mix together shortening, creamer, butter flavoring, and peppermint flavoring if desired.
- Slowly, one cup at a time, mix in powdered sugar, until smooth.
Assemble:
- When cake has completely cooled, frost one cake with the frosting, and sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top.
- Place the second layer of cake on top.
- Arrange peppermint candies into the middle filling.
- Frost the top of the cake, using a piping bag/large star tip like shown in photos.
- Sprinkle remaining peppermint candies over the top of the cake.
Nutrition
I so hope you enjoy this Peppermint Mocha Crunch Cake! Let me just say… my youngest little guy (who’s 3), and all the way up to my 70 year old grandpa… LOVED this cake. It will definitely be a staple in our home this holiday season!
