Peppermint Cake Log Recipes

PEPPERMINT YULE LOG

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and line a 12-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Butter and lightly flour parchment; set aside. Lay a kitchen towel on top of a wire rack, and dust with confectioners' sugar; set aside.
• Put egg yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until pale, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
• Put egg whites into the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium-high. Gradually add granulated sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in food coloring. Transfer egg-white mixture to a large bowl.
• Fold beaten egg yolks into egg-white mixture. Sift cocoa powder and flour over top, and gently fold in. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until cake springs back when touched, 10 to 11 minutes. Run an offset spatula or sharp knife around sides of pan; invert onto prepared towel. Remove parchment. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Starting at short end closest to you, roll cake in kitchen towel. Let cool completely, seam side down, on rack.
• Unroll cake. Using an offset spatula, spread with 2 cups Peppermint Frosting, leaving a 1/4-inch border on all sides. Starting at the short end closest to you, reroll cake (do not include towel this time). Transfer, seam side down, to a serving platter. Spread with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Cake can be stored up to 5 hours at room temperature.

PEPPERMINT CAKE ROLLS

Steps:

• Line 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans with waxed paper. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans, spreading evenly., Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. , Invert each cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack. , In a small bowl, mix whipped topping and extract until blended. Unroll cakes; spread each with 1-1/2 cups peppermint mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges., Cut a small hole in the corner of a food-safe plastic bag; fill with fudge topping. Drizzle each cake with half of the fudge topping; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crushed candies. Roll up again, without towel. , Transfer to platters. Frost with remaining peppermint mixture. Just before serving, top with remaining candies and, if desired, mint leaves. Freeze option: Omit candy topping and mint leaves. Place frosted cakes in airtight freezer containers; cover and freeze. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Top with remaining candies and, if desired, mint leaves.

PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs and adding mint extract. Pour batter into pans. Bake as directed for 8-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely. Cut each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers. (Mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long, thin serrated knife.)
• Tint 1 container frosting with red food color. Tint 1 cup frosting from second container with green food color. Leave remaining frosting white.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with half of red frosting to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread with green frosting. Top with third cake layer, cut side up; spread with remaining red frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread white frosting on top and side of cake. Freeze 1 hour.
• Place red and green round peppermint candies on bottom edge of cake. Break candy canes into large pieces; place in center of cake.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT LOG

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Line bottom of a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with parchment. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt twice., In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in water and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture (batter will be very thick)., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading evenly., Bake 12-15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa. Gently peel off paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack., For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and peppermint candies., Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again, without towel. Place on a platter, seam side down. Refrigerate, covered, until cold., For glaze, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in cocoa and water until blended. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Cool slightly., Spread glaze over cake. Sprinkle with peppermint candies. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE WITH CANDY CANE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the milk and the vanilla and peppermint extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, then increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 5 more minutes.
• In a separate large bowl (using clean beaters), beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 6 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the position of the pans about halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto racks to cool completely. Peel off the parchment. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead; wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• Make the frosting: Fill a medium saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and the salt in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 165 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy and cool, about 4 more minutes. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until combined, 1 more minute.
• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter and spread 1 cup frosting on top; sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with the final cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle more crushed candy canes on top.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake at 350° for 18-23 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For filling, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, vanilla and food coloring if desired; beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside about 1 tablespoon crushed candy. Fold remaining candy into cream mixture. Spread between layers and around sides but not over the top. , For glaze, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa and water; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; whisk in vanilla. Gradually blend in sugar until smooth. Add additional water if necessary. Spread over top of cake. Sprinkle with reserved candy. Chill before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

SHORTCUT PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions. Remove 1-1/3 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon extract and if desired, 1/2 teaspoon food coloring until blended. , Transfer plain batter to prepared pans. Top with red batter. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., Mix 1 cup frosting with remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/8 teaspoon extract and if desired, 1/2 teaspoon food coloring. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup plain frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost sides of cake with remaining plain frosting. Spread red frosting over top of cake. Gently press baking chips into frosting on top of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

PEPPERMINT RIBBON CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Transfer 1 cup to a small bowl; stir in the extract, food coloring and 1/2 cup crushed candies., Spoon 2 cups of remaining batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Carefully top with peppermint batter; do not swirl. Top with remaining plain batter., Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with remaining crushed candies.