Chocolate Candy Cane Cake

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake: it’s the dessert your family wants you to bring to the holiday get together this year! Rich chocolate cake with Cool Whip filling and crushed peppermints!

If you LOVE homemade chocolate cake, be sure to check out my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe too!

Why this Cake is Best

Most people think about Christmas candy recipes and holiday cookies, but what about cake?

Today’s chocolate candy can cake is a cross between our favorite Ding Dong cake and this rich and fudgy chocolate pudding cake.

• Starts from a box, nobody needs to know!
• Chocolate chunks IN the cake batter.
• Chocolate ganache layer!
• Cool whip, whipped cream, or use our stabilized whipped cream to create the light peppermint frosting to go between layers and all over this cake!

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate Cake Mix – any variety and brand that make two 9-inch round cake layers.
• Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix- adds moisture AND MORE FLAVOR to the cake mix.
• Basics- eggs, oil, water, milk (for structure).
• Sour Cream- adds moisture.
• Chocolate Chunks- could swap out for chocolate chips.
• Cool Whip (thawed)- you’ll fill the layer and cover the entire cake. You can also use whipped cream or our homemade cool whip if you prefer.
• Peppermint candy- while this cake is perfect any time of year, adding the peppermint gives this cake color and flavor for the holidays.

Step by Step Instructions

Bake the cake. Cool COMPLETELY before frosting. We chilled our cake layers in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Once we chilled our layers of cake, my daughter made a quick chocolate ganache by using another bar of Semi-Sweet Chocolate and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. This was spread over the bottom layer of cake.

Frost. Add chopped candy canes or sprinkles (if you choose not to make it peppermint flavored).

The best part of this Chocolate Peppermint Cake recipe? You can make it ahead of time!

We made ours the day before serving and stored it in the refrigerator. Such a cool, refreshing treat after dinner. This one is sure to please this holiday season.

More Holiday Recipes

• Take your love of chocolate peppermint cakes to a new level. This Christmas favorite is a Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake and is layered with rich chocolate cake, peppermint cheesecake, and peppermint frosting!
• I’m obsessed with making these cheesecake cakes. And it was only necessary to make an eggnog version. With a homemade spice cake. And eggnog buttercream frosting. This Eggnog Cheesecake Cake is a true Christmas treat!
• Have a little fun this Christmas and make an entrance at your next holiday party with this easy Ugly Sweater Cake!
• The most delicious, from scratch, white cake recipe is used to create this perfect Coconut Cake!
• Old fashioned, best ever, 7 Up Pound Cake recipe! You’ll love this classic cake with it’s perfect texture!
• Don’t forget the fudge! This Candy Cane Fudge recipe is packed with peppermint and creamy vanilla fudge flavor.

Holiday Cake Recipes

See all Cake recipes

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Chocolate Candy Cane Cake

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By: Aimee

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake: it's the dessert your family wants you to bring to the holiday get together this year! Rich chocolate cake with Cool Whip filling and crushed peppermints!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients 

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For the Cake:

• ▢ 1 package chocolate cake mix 2 layer cake size
• ▢ 1 package JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding mix 3.9 ounce
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 container sour cream 8 ounce
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ ¼ cup milk
• ▢ 1 package semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped 4 ounce
• ▢ 18 small candy canes coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

For the topping:

• ▢ 1 package 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tubs COOL WHIP, thawed 8 ounce each
• ▢ 4 small candy canes coarsely chopped, for garnish

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix with JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water and milk. Blend completely for about 2-3 minutes. Fold in crushed candy canes and chopped chocolate.
• Spray two 9inch cake pans with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Divide batter evenly into the pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes and allow to cool about 5 minutes in the pan. Loosen cake from the sides and invert onto wire racks. Cool cakes COMPLETELY before frosting. We chilled our cake layers in the refrigerator for about an hour.
• For the ganache, combine the chocolate with the heavy cream in a small glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and heat an additional 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth.
• Place bottom layer of cake on cake plate. Top with melted ganache. Allow to cool slightly before adding COOL WHIP. Spread 3/4 of one container on top of ganache. Top with second layer of cake. Using the remaining COOL WHIP (from the first container and the second), spread evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes for garnish.
• Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. ENJOY

Notes

• Lining the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper is optional. But with the full cup of candy canes crushed into the batter, some parts may be sticky. This helps it remove from the pan easily!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 298mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 30g

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!