Give your favourite red velvet cake a festive update by topping it with cool peppermint icing, crushed candy canes, and some cute Christmas decorations. American holidays are filled with all things candy cane, while red velvet cake is a stateside classic.
This peppermint red velvet cake uses some clever time-saving cheats. Ready-made frosting is flavoured with peppermint essence, while the sponge base is a box cake mix enriched with fresh buttermilk. Apple cider vinegar might seem like a surprising ingredient, but it’s traditionally used in red velvet cake to counteract the sweetness of the sponge.For a classic cake, we love Mary Berry’sChristmas cake recipe (opens in new tab).
Ingredients
1 (18.25oz) white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 (9oz) 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
1 x tub Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting (or use vanilla and add a few drops of peppermint essence)
To decorate:
Green plastic Christmas trees or similar cake decorations
6 (5-inch) red and white peppermint candy canes, crushed
12 (5-inch) green candy canes, broken
12 round peppermint candies
WEIGHT CONVERTER
grams
to
cups
Method
Beat the first four ingredients according to cake mix package directions.
Beat yellow cake mix and next six ingredients according to package directions. Spoon red batter alternately with white batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Swirl batter gently with a knife.
Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for ten minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
Spread Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with the crushed candies, if desired. Serve within two hours.
Rosie Hopegood is a former professional chef turned journalist with a passion for veggie food. She spent several years working as a chef aboard superyachts, catering for the culinary demands of the very rich and sometimes famous. She also worked as a private chef in the Swiss Alps, the Scottish Highlands, and the Balearic Islands. Later, she spent five years looking after the food pages at Reach Plc’s magazines. Rosie lives in New York and writes for Al Jazeera, Sunday Telegraph, and The Guardian.
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