Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Jam-packed with decadent festive flavors that everyone loves!
Texture: The cake is tender and ultra moist, the glaze is rich and fudgy, and the peppermint on top adds a perfect crunch.
Ease: WAY easier than a traditional layer cake. Pretty much anyone could make this cake.
Pros: Favorite Christmastime cake. This just smells like chocolate heaven from a mile away! Plus, it’s SO pretty!
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Definitely.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake will fill your house with the most incredible aromas possible. No need for holiday candles while this delicious cake bakes!
Of course, this cake also tastes as good as it smells. The chocolate + coffee + peppermint combination is incredible.
You might think it would be overpowering, but it’s the most perfectly balanced flavor combination. It tastes like the most flavorful, wonderful peppermint mocha from your favorite coffee shop.
Free Buttercream Guide!
Frost your cakes and cupcakes perfectly with our Best Buttercream Guide. Trusted by 50,000+ home bakers.
My friend even said that this cake was “by far the most delicious thing I’ve ever had.” I’d say that’s a pretty stellar review!
I hope you’ll make this cake for your family this holiday season!
Sprinkle of Science
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 bake time. Since you have so much batter in one pan, they must have enough chemical leavening (baking soda or baking 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.
Be Sure to Measure Correctly!
Accidentally adding too much flour or cocoa powder will yield a dense, dry, or crumbly cake. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to measure your dry ingredients.
Natural vs. Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe, which provides a perfectly rich cocoa flavor and deep, bold color. You can purchase Dutch-Processed 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 either cocoa powder, since it uses baking soda + acidic ingredients (brown sugar, coffee, and sour cream). You can learn more about the differences between types of cocoa powder here.
The Chocolate
This cake batter contains bittersweet baking chocolate for richness AND cocoa powder for tons of pure chocolate flavor. Avoid using chocolate chips in place of freshly chopped baking chocolate, they don’t melt down as smoothly and won’t incorporate into the batter as evenly.
The chocolate ganache uses melted semisweet chocolate. Feel free to use milk or bittersweet chocolate, if you prefer – just note that this will alter the sweetness of the ganache.
The Coffee
To make this recipe as easy as possible, I prefer to combine hot water + instant espresso powder. Feel free to use 3/4 cup hot espresso or very strong hot coffee instead.
Can I Make this Cake Without the Coffee?
Sure – if you’d prefer no “mocha” element, just omit the espresso powder and make the recipe as written otherwise, no other modifications needed.
The Peppermint
The peppermint flavor lives in the glaze here, thanks to peppermint extract and crushed candy canes. The peppermint flavor remains perfectly intense in the glaze since it doesn’t get baked.
If you want a stronger punch of peppermint, feel free to use peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract in the cake batter.
What’s the Best Pan for 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 by about 5 to 10 minutes.
How to Prevent 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 removed from the oven, and then flip it onto a cooling rack upside down and let it rest for about 5 minutes before removing from 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.
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. My tips for glazing:
- 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.
- 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, but be cautious doing this as it can over-thicken quickly.
- Slowly pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip over the edges on its own.
- I like to use a glass measuring cup with a spout and slowly pour the ganache out in circles until the cake looks beautiful.
How to Store 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?
Wrap the unglazed cake in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. Freeze for up to one month. Defrost in the fridge overnight before icing with ganache and candy canes and serving. We have not tried freezing this cake once iced.
More Christmas Dessert Recipes:
- Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
- Peppermint Oreo Truffles
- Christmas Funfetti Sheet Cake
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Tiramisu
Be sure to also check out my Christmas Recipe Headquarters for more holiday baking recipes!
Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3/4 cup (64 grams) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
- 6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (400 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa, chocolate, and espresso. Pour the boiling water into the bowl and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whisk in the sour cream.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the melted chocolate mixture alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour, until the batter is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.
- Spray a 10-cup Bundt cake pan generously with Baker’s Joy or brush with melted shortening, using a pastry brush to brush the spray or shortening into every nook and cranny of the pan. Immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out and let cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat until hot (but not boiling). Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Add in the peppermint extract. Let cool slightly until thickened. Drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let the glaze set at room temperature, about 10 minutes, before serving.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with new photos, weight measurements, and additional recipe tips. Photos by Patty Kraikittikun-Phuong.
YUMM…chocolatyy,,creamy,,fluffyThanks for the recipe
Hi! Planning on making this tonight and taking it to a party 4 hours from our home tomorrow. When should I put on the glaze?
This cake looks amazing. I would like to know if peppermint extract can be substituted for some of thee vanilla in the cake?
Planning on making this for Christmas! Can I make a couple days before and store in the refrigerator?
I have made days ahead and kept in fridge… it as ll depends on how you plan to store in fridge if you should glaze or wait..