Gluten Free White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Description
Nothing can get me in the holiday spirit like a delicious piece of cake! This White Chocolate Peppermint Cake is perfect for Christmas! There are white chocolate chips in the cake and melted white chocolate in the frosting, and the perfect hint of peppermint throughout. I hope you have a festive and safe holiday filled with joy and lots of sweet treats. Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
- 30 minutes prep time
- 30 minutes cook time
- 2.5 hours chill time
Recipe
For the cake:
3 cups (390g) 1:1 gluten free flour blend
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8+1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk (I used Almond milk mixed with lemon juice)
1/3 cup (60g) white chocolate chips
Red color gel
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups (339g) butter, softened
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
3 cups (345g) powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8+1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract (add more to taste)
Peppermint Kisses for decoration
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray and line three 6” pans.
2. Whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mix until well combined.
5. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract.
6. Mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
7. Fold in white chocolate chunks.
8. Pour 470g batter each into two of the cake pans. Add red food color gel if desired to remaining cake batter and mix until well combined. Add remaining cake batter to the 3rd cake pan.
9. Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine took 32 minutes.
10. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream:
1. Melt white chocolate in the microwave or slowly over a double boiler until chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Set aside and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch.
2. In large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, beat softened butter on medium/high speed until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
3. Turn mixer to slow speed and gradually add the melted but cooled white chocolate. Scrape down the side and mix until fully combined.
4. Add half of the powered sugar along with the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until smooth.
5. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until completely combined and fluffy.
Assembly:
1. Trim off tops of cake layers if needed to make them level.
2. Add dollop of buttercream to middle of the cake board and place first cake layer securely on the board. Top with thin layer of buttercream and smooth out evenly.
3. Add the second cake layer (red one if you used food coloring) on top. Top with thin layer of buttercream and smooth out evenly.
4. Top with final cake layer.
5. Crumb coat the cake by applying a thin layer of buttercream all over the sides and top of cake and use your spatula or bench scraper to smooth it out and lock in the crumbs.
6. Refrigerate crumb coated 20-30 minutes.
7. Add a final layer of frosting to the entire cake and use spatula or bench scraper until it is even and smooth.
8. Decorate as desired. I used a 4B tip to create frosting Christmas Trees around the top of the cake and added crushed peppermint kisses to the middle.
9. Slice and enjoy!
For the cake:
3 cups (390g) 1:1 gluten free flour blend
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8+1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk (I used Almond milk mixed with lemon juice)
1/3 cup (60g) white chocolate chips
Red color gel
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups (339g) butter, softened
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
3 cups (345g) powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8+1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract (add more to taste)
Peppermint Kisses for decoration
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray and line three 6” pans.
2. Whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mix until well combined.
5. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract.
6. Mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
7. Fold in white chocolate chunks.
8. Pour 470g batter each into two of the cake pans. Add red food color gel if desired to remaining cake batter and mix until well combined. Add remaining cake batter to the 3rd cake pan.
9. Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine took 32 minutes.
10. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream:
1. Melt white chocolate in the microwave or slowly over a double boiler until chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Set aside and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch.
2. In large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, beat softened butter on medium/high speed until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
3. Turn mixer to slow speed and gradually add the melted but cooled white chocolate. Scrape down the side and mix until fully combined.
4. Add half of the powered sugar along with the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until smooth.
5. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until completely combined and fluffy.
Assembly:
1. Trim off tops of cake layers if needed to make them level.
2. Add dollop of buttercream to middle of the cake board and place first cake layer securely on the board. Top with thin layer of buttercream and smooth out evenly.
3. Add the second cake layer (red one if you used food coloring) on top. Top with thin layer of buttercream and smooth out evenly.
4. Top with final cake layer.
5. Crumb coat the cake by applying a thin layer of buttercream all over the sides and top of cake and use your spatula or bench scraper to smooth it out and lock in the crumbs.
6. Refrigerate crumb coated 20-30 minutes.
7. Add a final layer of frosting to the entire cake and use spatula or bench scraper until it is even and smooth.
8. Decorate as desired. I used a 4B tip to create frosting Christmas Trees around the top of the cake and added crushed peppermint kisses to the middle.
9. Slice and enjoy!