Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake is the most visually stunning and decadent dessert you can serve as part of your Christmas spread! Make this chocolate bundt cake with peppermint ganache the centerpiece of your dessert table this year, and watch it disappear slice by slice.
Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
I know, I know… Bundt cakes can seem a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never made one before. Well, I’m here to settle all of your fears! This easy to make bundt cake is unbelievably good, and it has a secret ingredient snuck in there that will make your life a whole lot easier while whipping it up. Can you guess what it is? Cake mix, of course! There are some baking purists that never use boxed cake mix, but honestly, you really can’t detect the difference between this cake mix bundt cake and others.
That’s mostly because it’s not cake mix alone that’s at play here. The cake mix is dressed up deliciously with ingredients like sour cream, milk, and more to create the signature rich bundt cake consistency. As scrumptious as the perfectly baked chocolate bundt cake is, however, the real star of the show here is the chocolatey peppermint ganache! All you need are 4 simple (and inexpensive) ingredients to make the decadent ganache that gets generously poured atop your bundt cake.
If you love the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint, you’re really going to fall head over heels for this bundt cake recipe! I’m looking at you, Peppermint Bark lovers. There’s just something so Christmas-y and satisfying about the simple combination of rich chocolate and sweet peppermint that makes me want to decorate the tree and sing carols! Between the chocolate cake and the peppermint infused ganache, this cake really is the most delicious way to celebrate the season.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside. Be sure to spray every part of the Bundt pan.
Mix it up. In a large bowl, mix the Devil’s Food cake mix, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and eggs together until fully combined. Pour the mixture into the Bundt pan.
Bake. Bake the cake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool. Let the cake cool off for 5-10 minutes in the cake pan or until the edges slightly pull back from the pan. Invert the cake pan and carefully remove the cake from the Bundt pan using a large plate, then transfer it to a cooling rack. Let the cake finish cooling at room temperature for another 30-45 minutes until completely cool to the touch.
Make the ganache. Once the cake has completely cooled, start preparing the chocolate ganache by placing the chocolate bark in a heat proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 60 seconds or until it is steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot heavy cream onto the chocolate. Mix the peppermint extract into it until it is completely incorporated. Let everything sit for 2 minutes and then whisk the chocolate and heavy cream together until it is completely combined. Allow the chocolate ganache to cool for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is cool to the touch but is still stirrable.
Make it pretty! While the chocolate ganache is cooling, place aluminum foil underneath the cooling rack where the cake is resting. This aluminum foil will catch the extra chocolate ganache once it has been poured and make for easy clean up. Pour the chocolate ganache over the chocolate Bundt cake carefully, but don’t worry about filling every nook and cranny. Top your frosted Bundt cake with crushed candy canes.
Enjoy! Once your chocolate ganache sets, your cake is ready for slicing. Enjoy!
How do I store my chocolate peppermint bundt cake?
Keep this bundt cake fresh on the counter for about 2-3 days. It can be difficult to store since the glaze will stick to plastic wrap, so I would recommend a cake storage container. If you don’t care about getting it sticky, wrap it in some plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for up to 3 months to enjoy it as a cold treat later.
How can I make sure my bundt cake doesn’t stick to the pan?
Grease the pan VERY well, and make sure to really cover every little nook and cranny with spray. Also, don’t take too long to get the cake out afterwards. If you leave the cake in the bundt pan for longer than 5-10 minutes, it may get stuck in there. Lastly, you could always the Bundt pan in the freezer for a few minutes and that should help the cake come out easier. If you do all of these things, you should have no issues getting your cake out of your Bundt pan.
Craving more chocolate and peppermint?!
- Boozy Peppermint Mocha Coffee
- No-Bake Peppermint Bark Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Biscotti
- Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate Stirrers
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Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 15.25 ounce Devil’s Food cake mix
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
Peppermint Ganache:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate almond bark, thinly sliced (3 squares of a 24 ounce package or ¾ cup)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes, about 3 candy canes
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thoroughly spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside. Be sure to spray every part of the Bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, mix the Devil’s Food cake mix, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and eggs together until fully combined. Pour the mixture into the Bundt pan.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool off for 5-10 minutes in the cake pan or until the edges slightly pull back from the pan.
- Invert the cake pan and carefully remove the cake from the Bundt pan using a large plate, then transfer it to a cooling rack.
- Let the cake finish cooling at room temperature for another 30-45 minutes until completely cool to the touch.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, start preparing the chocolate ganache by placing the chocolate bark in a heat proof bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 60 seconds or until it is steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot heavy cream onto the chocolate.
- Mix the peppermint extract into it until it is completely incorporated.
- Let everything sit for 2 minutes and then whisk the chocolate and heavy cream together until it is completely combined.
- Allow the chocolate ganache to cool for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is cool to the touch but is still stirrable.
- While the chocolate ganache is cooling, place aluminum foil underneath the cooling rack where the cake is resting. This aluminum foil will catch the extra chocolate ganache once it has been poured and make for easy clean up.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the chocolate Bundt cake carefully, but don’t worry about filling every nook and cranny.
- Top your frosted Bundt cake with crushed candy canes.
- Once your chocolate sets, your cake is ready for slicing! Enjoy!
Notes
- Keep this Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake on the counter for 2-3 days. It can be difficult to store since the glaze will stick to plastic wrap, so I would recommend a cake storage container. If you don’t care about getting it sticky, wrap it in some plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for a couple of months to enjoy it as a cold treat later.
- Grease the pan really well. If you are using a cooking spray, I recommend one that has flour in it.
- Don’t take too long to get the cake out afterwards. If you leave the cake in the bundt pan for longer than 5-10 minutes, it may get stuck in there.