Dear Santa…all I want for Christmas is this cake.

This cake tastes just like Starbuck’s Peppermint Mocha, but better, because there’s frosting involved.

I am a Starbucks junkie and I get so excited when the holiday cups come out. The other day I ordered my first Peppermint Mocha of the season; my absolute favorite. As I drove home in a kid-free car (very rare), I slowly and blissfully sipped my coffee, while singing along to Kelly Clarkson’s “All I Want for Christmas.” It was a corny, delightful holiday moment and I wanted to live in it. That moment inspired this cake.

This Peppermint Mocha cake tastes like Christmas morning. The best Christmas morning ever! What makes the cake so divine is the Chocolate Peppermint Sauce from Stonewall Kitchen. It’s so rich and chocolatey with just the right amount of peppermint. Together, with the vanilla buttercream and espresso chocolate cake, this is one heavenly holiday package.

This cake is perfect for a holiday party. Of course, for me, it was perfect for a Wednesday. It makes a large 4 layered cake. Feel free to cut the recipe in half to make a smaller version. But why, though?

Peppermint Mocha Cake

* Make one 8” 4 layered cake

For the Espresso Chocolate Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups dark cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder (not instant coffee)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups hot freshly brewed coffee

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour four 8” cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, mix the flour, sugar, dark cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt , and espresso powder until well combined.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until well combined.
Very slowly, while whisking, add the hot coffee to the buttermilk mixture.
With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix on medium speed for 45-60 seconds till fully combined. The batter will be thin.
Pour the batter evenly among the four pans. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, till a tester in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and allow to cool on wire rack completely. Wrap the cakes in cellophane and chill them for 30 minutes to overnight.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

* Makes about 6 cups

2 1/2 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Red gel food coloring, such as Americolor (optional)

With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until smooth.
Mixing on slow speed, slowly add the heavy cream, pure vanilla extract, and kosher salt.
1. To tint the frosting red, add 5 to 6 drops of gel food coloring till desired color is achieved. The color will darken over time so don’t add too much, as it will also change the consistency of your frosting.
Mix on medium-high speed for 3 full minutes till light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin or a touch more heavy cream if the frosting is too thick.

Dark Chocolate Drip

1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Place the dark chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl and pour the heavy cream in. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. You want the mixture to be slightly warmer than room temperature before dripping over your cake.

Assembly

I jar of Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Peppermint Sauce, warmed up slightly and stirred
6 crushed candy canes
Assorted candies or cookies of your choice

Place one layer of chilled cake, flat side down, onto a serving plate or cake board. Top the layer with a heaping 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting. Spread evenly to the edges.
Add a generous scoop of Chocolate Peppermint Sauce. Spread evenly over the frosting, leaving a 3/4” border around the edge. You don’t want the sauce to leak out of the cake layers. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
Repeat the steps with remaining layers.
Add the final cake layer, flat side up.
Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to create a crumb coat. Chill the cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use the remaining frosting to cover the entire cake. Using a large spoon, pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top, allowing it to drip down over the sides. Decorate with piped frosting, candy cane and cookies.
Serve at room temperature. Cake can be made one day ahead, keep covered in fridge.