Candy Cane Cake

For a simple yet stunning holiday dessert, top angel food cake with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies. For a shortcut, start with a store-bought angel food cake instead of making one from scratch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sifted cake or pastry flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 12 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 8 ounces peppermint candy canes
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Sift again and set aside.
2. 2. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until egg whites are firm but not dry.
3. 3. Sift one-third of the flour-sugar mixture onto the egg whites and, with a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture into the egg whites. Add remaining flour in two batches, folding gently after each addition. Turn batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.
4. 4. Invert cake (in pan) on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a long, thin, sharp knife between cake and pan to loosen, and remove cake.
5. 5. Put candy canes in a large seal able plastic bag. Crush them into small pieces with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small frying pan. Sift crushed candy with a fine-mesh strainer and reserve candy dust for another use (see Notes). Set crushed candy aside.
6. 6. In a large bowl, beat cream with remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream using a spatula to form swirls and peaks. Sprinkle frosted cake with crushed candy canes. (To get candy on the sides, hold your hand about 1 in. from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the sides.) Serve immediately, using a serrated knife to cut slices.
7. Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Note: 

The very fine candy "dust" left over from crushing the candy canes is delicious sprinkled on vanilla ice cream or stirred into hot cocoa. Add the crushed candy just before serving; the moisture from the whipped cream makes the peppermint begin to "melt" after half an hour.

Molly Watson, Sunset
DECEMBER 2006

Ginger Cake With Maple Frosting

A creamy frosting made with maple syrup is the perfect partner for this richly spiced holiday cake. Decorate the top and sides of the cake with homemade or store-bought gingerbread cookies and candy canes for a cake that can double as the centerpiece.

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 5 large eggs 
• 1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup applesauce (do not use unsweetened) 
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 5 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Frosting:
• 3 sticks (3/4 lb.) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon maple extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two 9-inch round pans and line with parchment.
2. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, sugar, applesauce and molasses in a large bowl until smooth. Sift dry ingredients on a sheet of waxed paper. Add to buttermilk mixture, stirring to combine.
3. Divide batter between pans and bake in center of oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely. (Can be made one day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
4. Make frosting: In a bowl with electric mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Slowly add sugar, beating constantly. Add syrup and extract (if using), beating until well combined.
5. Assemble cake: Reserve 1/4 cup of frosting. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1 generous cup of frosting; top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
6. If cake was refrigerated overnight, bring to room temperature. Spread a dollop of reserved frosting on store-bought gingerbread cookies to stick them to cake (or make your own cookies).

All You
DECEMBER 2007

Red Velvet Peppermint Cake

Transform a classic red velvet cake into a festive holiday dessert by adding peppermint extract to the rich cream cheese frosting and garnishing the cake with peppermint candies.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (9-ounce) package yellow cake mix*
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnishes: Holiday Trees, 6 (5-inch) red and white peppermint candy canes, crushed; 12 (5-inch) green candy canes, broken; 12 round peppermint candies

Directions:

1. Beat first 4 ingredients according to cake mix package directions.
2. Beat yellow cake mix and next 6 ingredients according to package directions. Spoon red batter alternately with white batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Swirl batter gently with a knife.
3. Bake at 350° for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
4. Spread Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. (Cake may be chilled up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.) Garnish, if desired. Serve within 2 hours.
5. *1 3/4 cups yellow cake mix may be substituted
6. NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe White Cake Mix, Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix, and McCormick Red Food Color.
7. If cake is frozen, thaw completely before garnishing to prevent crushed candy from running. Do not refrigerate after garnishing.
8. For testing purposes only, we used candy canes from the American Candy Company. Call 1-800-822-6398.

Southern Living
DECEMBER 1998

Chocolate Velvet “Pound” Cake

This smooth and creamy chocolate velvet batter is not a traditional pound cake batter, but is the batter used for many popular Southern Living chocolate layer cakes. However, it works fine to use this batter for a cake baked in a tube pan. Top with powdered sugar or a chocolate ganache for an extra special holiday touch.

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Velvet Cake Batter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Spoon batter evenly into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
2. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake.

Southern Living
DECEMBER 2003