Best Peppermint Pound Cake With Cream Cheese Peppermint Bark Frosting Recipes

PEPPERMINT CREAM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with whipping cream. Fold in candies., Transfer to a well-greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Stir in enough cream to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with additional candies. Refrigerate leftovers.

PEPPERMINT POUND CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE PEPPERMINT BARK FROSTING

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Spray a 12-cup fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) with baking spray; set aside.
• Beat softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy and light yellow in color, 4 to 6 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined.
• Alternately add flour and milk, beginning and ending with flour, beating on low speed after each addition until batter is just blended. Add vanilla extract and peppermint extract; blend just until incorporated.
• Transfer 1 cup of the batter into a small mixing bowl; stir in red food coloring.
• Pour 1/3 of the uncolored batter into the prepared pan. Dollop with 1/3 of the red batter. Top with remaining uncolored batter and dollop with remaining red batter. Tap the filled pan gently on the counter to release any air pockets. Use a long skewer or off-set spatula to swirl the batter slightly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a long wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• While the cake cools, beat softened cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing on low speed, until all the sugar is incorporated. Add milk and vanilla extract; beat until smooth and creamy.
• Drizzle frosting over the cooled cake. Sprinkle candies and peppermint bark over the frosting while it's slightly wet. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE WITH CANDY CANE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the milk and the vanilla and peppermint extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, then increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 5 more minutes.
• In a separate large bowl (using clean beaters), beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 6 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the position of the pans about halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto racks to cool completely. Peel off the parchment. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead; wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• Make the frosting: Fill a medium saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and the salt in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 165 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy and cool, about 4 more minutes. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat until combined, 1 more minute.
• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter and spread 1 cup frosting on top; sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with another cake layer, spread with 1 cup frosting and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes. Top with the final cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle more crushed candy canes on top.

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Use pulsing action of food processor to process 18 cookies until finely ground. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.
• Crush 30 mints, then chop 10 of the remaining cookies. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Stir in crushed mints and chopped cookies. Pour over crust.
• Bake 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, crush remaining mints, then chop remaining cookies. Cover baking sheet with parchment. Melt chocolates separately as directed on packages. Spread semi-sweet chocolate into thin layer on prepared baking sheet; top with tablespoonfuls of the white chocolate. Swirl gently with spoon. Top with crushed mints and chopped cookies. Refrigerate until firm.
• Break chocolate bark into small pieces; sprinkle over cheesecake before serving.

CREAM CHEESE PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
• Blend cream cheese and butter.
• Add sugar a cup at a time. You may end up needing more sugar for thicker frosting.
• Add peppermint extract and 7 drops of green food coloring.
• Beat or stir until fluffy.