This Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake is rich, moist, and festive. Cocoa, coffee, and butter meld into a deep chocolate batter, and peppermint extract gives a bright holiday twist. It's filled with sour cream for added tenderness and crowned with a white chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with a cup of tea.
It's been six days and I've made this cake three times. It's wonderfully moist and delicious. A dry cake is the worst, I always spend plenty of time testing my cake recipes to ensure they are moist and soft!
One of the times I made this cake I forgot to put the peppermint extract in it. I realized this when I pulled it out of the oven. To try and salvage the peppermint flavor I made a peppermint simple syrup to give it that peppermint flavor. Simple syrup is just a mixture of equal parts water and sugar cooked together for a couple of minutes into a "syrup-like" consistency. You can flavor your simple syrup with anything you like- so this time I used peppermint extract. This chocolate peppermint bundt cake is a similar cake but with a chocolate glaze on top.
Adding a simple syrup extends the life of the moisture of any cake. Most bakeries do this for cakes. My sister went crazy for the simple syrup version of this cake, she told me she wants it for her wedding! I personally don't think the cake needs it but if you want to you can make it too. Simple cook over low-medium heat ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water until all of the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is thicker, let it cool then use a pastry brush to brush the liquid onto the cake.
The Building Blocks For This Festive Loaf
- Cocoa Powder + Coffee: Bloomed together, they deepen the chocolate flavor and create a silky base.
- Butter, Oil, Sour Cream: The combination makes the loaf rich, moist, and tender.
- Peppermint Extract: Adds the holiday lift-used sparingly since it's potent.
- Flour, Leaveners, Salt: Build the structure and ensure lift without collapse.
- White Chocolate & Powdered Sugar (Ganache): Create a creamy glaze that sets firm enough to hold crushed candy.
- Crushed Candy Cane: Adds crispness, peppermint crunch, and visual pop when sprinkled on top.
You could add chocolate chips to the batter too, who doesn't love more chocolate?Also- you could make mini loaves, I haven't made them but I would guess you would need about 4 mini loaf pans.
Mix, Bake & Drizzle With Joy
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Peppermint Chocolate Loaf with White Chocolate Ganache
This incredibly moist chocolate peppermint loaf cake is easy to make and topped with a thick white chocolate ganache frosting. A delicious cake to enjoy with family or gift to friends during the Christmas season. Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this gorgeous peppermint chocolate loaf cake recipe!
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 Teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
- 4oz (½ Cup) Butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
- 50 grams (½ Cup) Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
- 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- ¼ cup Whole Milk
- ⅓ cup Sour Cream
- 125 grams (1 Cup) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 4oz Cup Good White Quality Chocolate, finely chopped
- 240 grams (2 Cups) Powdered Sugar
- 4-5 Tablespoons Milk, divided
- 1 Candy Cane, crushed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9" X 5" loaf pan heavily.
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat cook together the espresso powder, hot water, butter, and cocoa powder. Stir frequently and let cook until all of the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for ten minutes or so.
- Once the cocoa mixture is cooled add the vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, peppermint extract, and eggs. Mix to combine.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined, make sure there are no flour streaks left behind but don't over-mix the batter or you risk a tough cake.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is fully cooked. If you gently press the top middle of the cake it should bounce back immediately. Or if you stick a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out with no wet batter. Let cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack then place a wire rack on top of the cake and flip over to invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie or a microwave. White chocolate is very temperamental so be careful not to burn it and don't get any water in it as that can ruin it. If using a microwave cook on medium for 15-second increments, stirring in between, when it is *almost* all melted just keep mixing, and the residual heat will melt it. If you want to create a make-shift bain-marie place a heat-proof bowl over a small pot so it fits snug. Remove the bowl then add a little water to the pot and place over low- medium heat add the heat-proof bowl on top so- make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir constantly until melted. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl whisk together the confectioner's sugar and three tablespoons of milk then mix in the cooled melted white chocolate. You want a very thick frosting that is still pourable you may need a drop more milk or a bit more powdered sugar. Pour on top of cooled cake and add crushed candy cane pieces.
Notes
- I would personally freeze this without the frosting but you can freeze it with the frosting. Let the cake cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap tightly twice to help prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to one month, when you want to thaw it place it at room temperature for a few hours.
- If you want to freeze it with the frosting then I would flash freeze it- once it is frosted place the cake on a plate and freeze for a few hours THEN wrap it in plastic wrap twice tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw unwrap it and let it thaw in the fridge lightly covered overnight.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Lydia says
I made this for my sister in law as she LOVES peppermint and this cake was soo good.... I think I ate half of it too I added the simple syrup with peppermint extract and it made it to perpperminty it was sooooo good!
Katie says
I baked this recipe in 3 mini loaf pans, and they baked in about 27-30 mins at 350 F. The batter filled up the pans about 5/6 of the way full, and they rose in really nice rounded tops that look beautiful with the icing. The peppermint was quite subtle and left a very nice aftertaste. Those who really enjoy a punch of peppermint could easily increase the amount of extract they use keeping in mind that a little extra goes a long way. I subbed the sour cream for plain greek yogurt, and that combined with the vegetable oil created a very soft, moist loaf.
Patty griffin says
Can I use Ghirardelli cocoa powder instead of dutch cocoa powder
LuAnn says
Sugar is mentioned to add in both ? the butter / cocoa step And more? to wisk in with the flour?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Sorry for the confusion LuAnn, mix it in with the flour. I updated the recipe card. Please let me know if you have any questions! XX Liz
Lori Jankowski says
Oh NO!!!!! I had printed the original recipe card and that's what I'm right in the process of using ... and then I got to the part that says to add the sugar to flour etc., when I had already added it to the espresso powder/cocoa mix! Now what am I supposed to do? I sure don't want to waste the espresso powder part!
Lori Jankowski says
Hi LuAnn. I am making this recipe today ... unfortunately I had printed (and am using) the original recipe that says to add the 1 cup sugar to the espresso, butter, cocoa powder etc. ... now I get to the part that says to add the sugar to the flower, baking powder etc. Do you think I should just carry on, but NOT add another cup of sugar to the flour mixture? I've reached out to Elizabeth Waterson (CBQ) but I'm right in the middle of this recipe!
Lori Jankowski says
There is nowhere in the recipe card that calls for vanilla as an ingredient, yet in the directions it says to add vanilla and peppermint extract to the cooled cocoa mix. I am so confused with this recipe!
Lori Jankowski says
"Once the cocoa mixture is cooled add the vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract, and eggs. Mix to combine." Where in the list of ingredients does it say anything about VANILLA????