Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake

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 a gift to friends during the Christmas season. Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this gorgeous peppermint chocolate loaf cake recipe!

It's been six days and I've made this cake three times. It's wonderfully moist and delicious.

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.

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.

Ingredients

For this cake recipe you will need:

• Dutch-process Cocoa Powder. I much prefer the taste of Dutch-process cocoa to natural cocoa powder. Dutch-process provides a much smoother, richer chocolate flavor. But most of the acidity has been stripped so for recipes that call for chemical leavening agents like this one, you should not just swap out natural cocoa.
• Hot Strong Coffee. Coffee does not make the cake taste like coffee, it instead blends with the chocolate to enhance the chocolate notes for an ultimate rich, chocolate cake. If I don't have any coffee in the house, I will use a teaspoon or two of espresso powder mixed with hot water. We will bloom the cocoa powder with the hot coffee, most people use hot water but since coffee compliments chocolate so well I skip straight to a strong coffee!
• Salted Butter. I like to use salted butter but you could use unsalted and just add a pinch more salt. Since we are cooking the butter, cocoa powder, and coffee together you can just grab the cold butter straight out of the fridge, no need to soften it!
• All-Purpose Flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly. Too much or too little flour can drastically affect the structure of the cake. AP flour is also known as plain flour in some parts of the world!  
• Granulated Sugar. The sugar plays two parts in the cake, the sweetness, and the structure! You can also use caster sugar.
• Baking Soda. For baking soda to activate you need acid and buttermilk plays that role in this recipe.
• Baking Powder. This chemical leavening agent is already active but you don't want too much of it because it could cause the cake to rise and fall drastically while baking or also create a metallic taste.
• Salt. Salt not only balances out the sweetness but also helps other ingredient's flavors shine bright!
• Vegetable Oil. I love the taste of butter-based cakes but butter does not retain as much moisture in a cake as oil does. So for that reason, I love to use a combination of both butter and oil.
• Milk. Milk helps create a moist tender cake.
• Sour Cream. Sour cream also provides intense moisture and since sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products it also helps create a rich texture.
• Vanilla Extract. Pairing vanilla with chocolate just enhances the chocolate flavor. Use the good stuff, no imitation vanilla, please!
• Peppermint Extract. Peppermint extract is very strong so be careful when you are measuring it.
• Large Eggs. Eggs act as a binder but also provide richness and structure to the cake. Your eggs should be at room temperature. 

For the frosting you'll need: 

• Good Quality White Chocolate. Trust me, use the good stuff! You'll want it finely chopped so it melts evenly!
• Confectioners Sugar. Don't forget to sift this so you don't have any lumps!
• Whole Milk. This loosens the frosting to give it that thick glaze-like consistency.
• Candy Canes or Peppermint Candies. You will crush the peppermint candy into small pieces.

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.

Instructions

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 cocoa powder, hot coffee, and butter. Stir frequently and let cook until all of the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for ten minutes or so.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Once the cocoa mixture is cooled add the vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Mix to combine once fully combined add the eggs and whisk to combine.

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 batter 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.

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 fit snugs. 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 the melted chocolate cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium size bowl blend together the confectioner's sugar and 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. 

Drizzle the white chocolate frosting on top of the cake. I use an angled spatula to spread it out and encourage the drips down the sides.

Then sprinkle crushed candy canes on top, keep in mind over time the candy canes will bleed into the frosting but they will stick better when the frosting hasn't been set so use your best judgment when you want to add them.

How to freeze

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.

Can you double

You can totally double and make two cakes! Just press the 2X button on the recipe card below.

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★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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