Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake

How to Make Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake

How is Bundt Cake Different from Regular Cake?

Bundt cake recipes must be very moist to avoid drying the cake out during its long baking time. Since you have so much batter in one pan, they must have enough chemical leavening (like baking soda or powder) to ensure they don’t end up overly dense. Otherwise, layer cakes and bundt cakes are actually pretty similar! It’s the pan, batter volume, and baking times that are the key differences.

Natural vs. Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

I prefer Dutch process cocoa powder in this Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake recipe. It gives this cake a perfectly rich cocoa flavor and deep, bold color. You can purchase Dutch Process Cocoa Powder online here, but it’s also available in some supermarkets. 

Can I Use Natural Cocoa Powder Instead?

If you can’t find Dutched cocoa, you can also use regular natural aka unsweetened cocoa powder instead – just note that your cake’s color will be a little different, and the chocolatey flavor may not be as rich. This recipe can work with both since it uses baking soda + acidic ingredients (brown sugar, coffee, and sour cream). You can learn more about the differences between cocoa powders here.

The Coffee / Espresso

I don’t have an espresso machine that I use regularly so I just combined hot water + instant espresso powder for this Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake. If you’d like, you can just use 3/4 cup hot espresso instead, or very strong hot coffee.

Can I Make this Cake Without the Coffee?

Sure – if you’d prefer no “mocha” element, just omit the espresso powder altogether.

The Peppermint

The glaze is where the peppermint flavor lives in this Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake. We use peppermint extract and crushed candy canes to flavor it. The peppermint flavor remains intense in the glaze since it doesn’t get baked. I found it to be perfect! However, if you want a stronger punch of peppermint, you can swap out the vanilla extract for peppermint extract in the cake batter.

What’s the Best Pan for Baking Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake?

This recipe uses a 10-cup bundt pan, like this one. If your pan is a little larger, that’s fine, but don’t use a smaller pan as the cake will overflow. If your pan has a dark interior coating, reduce the baking temperature by 25°F and extend the baking time anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.

How to Prevent My Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake From Sticking to the Pan

• Some pans tend to stick more than others, especially if they have an intricate design. 
• Coat the bundt pan with melted shortening and work it into every nook and cranny with a silicone pastry brush right before pouring the batter into the pan. If this is done too early, the grease will slide down the sides of the pan and leave you with an uneven coating.
• Alternatively, use Baker’s Joy spray. While I don’t prefer to use nonstick sprays because they can damage the nonstick coating on baking pans over time, Baker’s Joy does work well.
• Check out my article on How to Prevent Bundt Cake from Sticking for more tips.

Should You Let a Bundt Cake Cool Before Flipping It?

Let the cake rest for 5-10 minutes once you remove it from the oven, and then flip the cake onto a cooling rack upside down and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you remove the pan. A little trick here is to use a grid cooling rack, not one that has big gaps that can cause the cake to settle into the gaps, which makes it harder to remove to a platter.

How to Glaze a Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are nothing without their beautiful luscious glazes. This glaze is a variation of chocolate ganache and is thick, fudgy, and shiny. To make for a perfect presentation, place the baked cake on a cake stand. Here’s how to best glaze this Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake:

1. Tear strips of parchment paper and slide them so they are slightly under the cake and covering the stand around the entire circumference. This will prevent the glaze from getting all over the cake stand.
2. Wait until the ganache has cooled enough so that it is very thick. You can pop it in the fridge or freezer briefly to speed this up.
3. Slowly pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip over the edges on its own.
4. I like to use a glass measuring cup with a spout and just slowly pour the ganache out in circles until the cake looks beautiful.

How to Store Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake

Store Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake well covered or inside an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or at room temperature for 3 days. This cake is even fudgier when enjoyed chilled!

Can You Freeze Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake?

Freeze unglazed Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake wrapped in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight before icing with ganache and candy canes and serving. We have not tried freezing this cake once iced.