Peppermint White Chocolate Cake

White peppermint cake layers with a white chocolate buttercream

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, christmas cake

Preheat the over to 330 degrees.
In the bowl of your mixer beat the softened butter and sugar for 5 minutes with the paddle attachment on medium high, speed 6 on a kitchen aid. Scape the bowl half way to ensure everything is incorporated.
In a separate bowl combine your flour, salt, and baking powder.
In another bowl combine your buttermilk, oil, and peppermint extract.
Once the butter and sugar are light and fluffy turn your mixer to the slowest speed and add half the egg whites until combined then add the rest and let them combine.
On the slowest speed add 1/3 of your dry ingredients until combined, then 1/3 of your wet ingredients until combined. Repeat 2 more times making sure to scrape your bowl and not over mix.
Prepare your baking pans with baking spray and parchment.
Evenly distribute your batter using your scale. I put 28 oz of batter in 2 8 inch pans. if using 6 inch pans you could do about 18 oz in 3 pans each, but you may need to adjust bake time.
Cover the pans with tin foil. This helps to distribute heat and ensures they bake evenly and flat.
Bake at 330 for 55-65 min or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the edges start to pull away from the pan.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes before inverting them to cool on a cooling rack.
From here I like to wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface to prepare for decorating.

Chop the chocolate bar and melt on a double broiler or by microwaving in short burts of 10 seconds and stirring between. Do not over heat your chocolate. Set aside and let cool. We will not be adding it to the buttercream until it has cooled.
Add your room temp butter to your mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium high for 5 minutes, this is a 6 on kitchen aid. The butter will look almost white when done.
Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and add the sugar in small increments letting it fully combine before adding more until you've added all of the sugar.
Add the room temp heavy cream. I like to microwave the cream for 10 seconds before I start everything to allow it to come down to room temp by the time I need it. I find cold cream doesn't incorporate as well.
Once the cream is fully incorporated add the vanilla and salt to combine.
Last you will add in the melted room temp chocolate to the buttercream on the low speed until it's fully combined. Make sure to scrape the bowl to ensure it is combined well.

On a cake board, put a small dollop of buttercream and put the cake top side down on the board.
Smooth buttercream on the top. Add the next cake on top and repeat.
Seal the sides and coat the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream to lock in any crumbs. Refrigerate that for about 15 minutes before your final coat of buttercream.
Add your final layer of buttercream, smooth and decorate it as you wish.
I chose to add a small drip (made with 50 g red candy melts, 16 g heavy cream warmed until combined and cooled until just runny). I used a 1M piping tip to add a few swirls and dollops and used mini candy canes, mini Ghirardelli peppermint bark, and soft peppermint candies to decorate.