Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Do you love chocolate and peppermint? Imagine a dark chocolate cake topped with dark chocolate ganache with a kiss of peppermint. You can make this delicious chocolate peppermint bundt cake in no time at all.

chocolate peppermint bundt cake with ganache glaze


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Why This is the Best Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake Recipe

This chocolate bundt cake recipe produces a rich chocolatey peppermint cake. It’s full of butter, eggs, cocoa powder, coffee, yogurt, and vanilla. But that’s not quite enough! You also top it with a rich and creamy chocolatey peppermint glaze!

If you want a Christmas bundt cake or any other kind of holiday bundt cake, this chocolate peppermint cake is for you.

This is the best recipe for chocolate bundt cake from scratch. It’s so much better than one made with a box cake mix.

And it’s easy to make it without peppermint flavor. All you have to do is leave out the peppermint extract from the ganache and don’t top it with crushed peppermint candy.

chocolate peppermint bundt cake on a cake stand and slices on plates

What is a bundt cake?

A bundt cake is simply any kind of cake baked in a bundt cake pan. These special pans come in various sizes and designs and could be called cake molds. After the bundt cake is turned out of the pan, it is in a decorative shape.

Bundt cakes will often have a simple glaze drizzled over the top or be lightly dusted with powdered sugar so that the beautiful appearance of the cake is not hidden. The bundt cake pan produces a cake with a hole in the center. The cake can be made fancier by filling the hole with fruit, ice cream, or whipped cream.

How Did the Bundt Cake Get its Name?

H. David Dahlquist founded a Minneapolis-based company called Nordic Ware, which manufactured kitchen products. In 1950, two members of a Jewish women’s service group called Hadassah asked Dahlquist to make a special kind of cake pan. They missed the dense, rich cakes of their tradition and needed a pan with a hole in the middle. Dahlquist called his pan a bundt pan – the German word for community, “bund,” plus a “t.”

In 1966, a bundt cake (Tunnel of Fudge Cake) took 2nd place during the Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Dahlquist was flooded with orders and began making 30,000 pans a day.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of of the cake ingredients:

  • Vegetable shortening
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Salt
  • Milk
  • Strong brewed coffee
  • All-purpose flour
  • White granulated sugar
  • Baking soda
  • Eggs
  • Nonfat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • Vanilla extract
chocolate peppermint bundt cake ingredients

Here’s what you need for the ganache glaze and peppermint topping:

  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Corn syrup
  • Sugar
  • Heavy cream
  • Mint or peppermint extract
  • Peppermint candy or candy canes
peppermint chocolate ganache ingredients

How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

  1. Grease a bundt pan with vegetable shortening.
  2. Place butter, cocoa, salt, milk, and coffee in a small saucepan.
  3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until the butter is just melted. Take off the heat and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda.
Collage of first steps in preparing chocolate peppermint bundt cake.
  1. Whisk to combine dry ingredients then add half of the chocolate mixture and mix on low speed, until combined.
  2. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and mix again.
  3. Add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
  4. Mix until the batter is thoroughly blended.
  5. Pour the cake batter into the greased bundt pan.
Collage of mixing chocolate peppermint bundt cake wet and dry ingredients.
  1. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. Place the cake on a platter until ready to add the ganache.

How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

  1. In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and corn syrup.
  2. Heat the heavy cream and sugar either over the stove or in the microwave until hot and steaming but do not boil.
  3. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips.
  4. Set a plate over the top of the bowl to keep the heat in for about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
  6. Add the peppermint extract and stir again.
  7. Let the ganache stand until you reach the desired consistency.
  8. Drizzle the ganache over the cake.
  9. Top with crushed candy canes or peppermint candy.
  10. Serve immediately.
Collage of making ganache icing for chocolate peppermint bundt cake.

Recipe Notes

  • If you can’t find peppermint extract, you can use mint extract.
  • If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a whisk to combine the ingredients. You will still add the liquid chocolate in two batches.
  • You can use the peppermint glaze right away, but it will be thin. It will thicken as it cools. If you don’t want drips all the way down the sides of your peppermint cake, wait until the ganache is a bit thicker (about 15 minutes).
  • You can use a spoon to put the ganache on top of your chocolate bundt cake and gently push it over the edge to drip a little.
  • The crushed peppermints are best put on just before serving. They will get soft and start to run the longer they sit.
overhead view of a chocolate peppermint bundt cake

How to Store Bundt Cake

The ganache will remain soft and sticky, so it’s best to store your bundt cake under a cake topper.

Store the cake on the counter for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If refrigerated, let it come to room temperature before serving.

Tips for Greasing Your Bundt Cake Pan

This kind of pan helps bake a dense batter more uniformly, preventing under-cooking areas that tend to occur in a traditional baking pan. However, you must grease and flour every area of the pan before you pour in the batter. Also, before you put the pan in the oven, give it a couple of thumps to remove any air bubbles in the batter. This style of pan is best suited to a moist cake batter. The extra surface of bundt pans means that your cake could dry out quickly.

Bundt cake pans are decorative and valued for their beauty. Some people collect them just for displaying on their kitchen walls. However, their detailed designs are hard to grease, giving them a bad name for sticking. Even a generous coat of a nonstick spray doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. Instead, there are two methods that will work better:

Fat Plus Flour Creates a Nonstick Layer

Create a nonstick layer between the pan and the batter. Melted fat (butter or shortening) and flour make a dynamic duo, baking into a protective barrier around the cake. Here’s a way to do it.

  • With a pastry brush, brush the bundt pan with melted fat. Make sure to get into all nooks and crannies of the pan.
  • Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of flour evenly over the bottom of the pan.
  • Seal the top of the bundt pan with plastic wrap and shake well to coat the pan.
  • Invert the bundt pan and remove the plastic wrap and the excess flour.

Use a Pan Release Paste

  • In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup shortening, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
  • Make a paste by mashing everything together with a fork or kneading with your fingers.
  • Apply the pan release paste to your bundt pan with a pastry brush.
A closeup photo of chocolate peppermint bundt cake

Favorite Holiday Cake Recipes

More Christmas Treat Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my easy cake recipes and the best Christmas dessert recipes.

chocolate peppermint bundt cake with ganache glaze

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Chocolate bundt cake topped with chocolate peppermint ganache and peppermint candy is an incredibly delicious holiday dessert.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Bundt Cake with Mint Chocolate Ganache
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 364kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Bundt Cake

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening like Crisco
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup You can use golden syrup (cane syrup)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup candy canes, peppermint sticks, or peppermint candies.

Instructions

Cake directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease the bundt pan with vegetable shortening.
  • In a small saucepan heat the butter, cocoa, salt, milk and coffee over medium heat, stirring to combine, just until the butter is just melted. Take off the heat and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda, whisk to combine (see notes if you are not using a stand mixer).
  • Add half of the chocolate mixture, and mix using the stand mixer on a low speed, until combined, then add the rest and mix again.
  • Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mix again.
  • Pour the cake batter into the greased bundt pan.
  • Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.
  • After the cake has cooled for a good 30 minutes, turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Place on a platter until ready to add the ganache.

Ganache directions

  • In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and corn syrup.
  • Heat the heavy cream and sugar either over the stove or in the microwave until hot and steaming a bit, but do not boil.
  • Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and set a plate over the top of the bowl to keep the heat in. Let it stand for about 5 minutes.
  • Stir until the ingredients are well combined, add the peppermint extract, and stir again.
  • Let the ganache stand until you reach desired consistency (see notes).
  • Drizzle the ganache over the cake and top with crushed peppermint candy. Serve immediately.
  • Store on the counter for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can let it come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

  • To get the vegetable shortening in all the creases of the pan, you can melt the shortening and use a silicone brush. You can also just use your hands, but cover it well. 
  • If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a whisk to combine. Still add the liquid chocolate in two batches, and stir well. 
  • You can use the ganache right away, but it will be thin. It will thicken as it cools. If you want drips to not go all the way down, then wait until it is a bit thicker. You can use a spoon to put it on top of the cake and gently push it over the edge to drip. I waited for about 15 minutes. The ganache will also remain soft or sticky, so best to cover it with a cake topper to store. 
  • Put the crushed peppermints on just before serving. They have a tendency to get soft and run the longer they sit.

Equipment

Mixer

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. wilhelmina

    5 stars
    I love bundt cakes, they just feel a little more special somehow. This one has the perfect flavors for the holidays, absolutely delish!

  2. LAUREN

    5 stars
    I knew I had to make this immediately right when I saw it because I love chocolate and peppermint together. This is amazing! I even froze a few pieces and they were delicious too.

5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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