The Freshman Cook: 2014

It is BundtBakers Day! If you are looking for something special to serve this holiday season, this little Candy Cane Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Drizzle is the answer. I stepped up the white cake batter a notch by adding peppermint extract and red food color swirling through the batter. The chocolate ganache is rich and decadent, and what better time to have decadent than at the holidays! It is topped off with chopped candy cane pieces and adorned with a candy cane Christmas Tree!
 This sweet little treat screams “Merry Christmas”!

Candy Cane Bundt Cake

w/ Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

Cake

2 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 cup Butter

1 3/4 cups Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

4 Egg Whites

1/3 cups Buttermilk

Red Food Coloring

Ganache

Milk Chocolate 

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Candy Cane Tree
(make this the day before or at least before the cake)

 crushed Candy Canes

Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter 

Pan Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour your bundt pans.

Combine your flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Set aside.

Mix  your butter and sugar together until creamy.

Add peppermint and mix in.

Add egg whites, beating well.

Add some flour and then alternate with buttermilk and

flour on low until combined.

Remove 1/2 cup of batter and place in separate bowl.

Add food coloring one drop at a time until

you reach your desired color.

Place white batter in your bundt pans but only half as high

as you would go. Add red batter with a large spoon.

Spread it around the pan.

Add additional white batter .

Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the two colors together.

Bake for 15-16 minutes.

Remove from oven, take a toothpick around 

the edge of each bundt. Let sit 15 minutes.

Remove from pan.

Melt about 5-6 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler.

Heat your whipping cream so it is warm.

You can do this in a microwave. If you want to do 

it on the stove, do it in a separate pan from the chocolate.

Once the cream is warm to the touch, not hot, 

add the cream to the pot of chocolate, and whisk it together.

Cold cream could make your chocolate seize and it

 will not be unusable. 

Drizzle chocolate on your plate. 

Place the bundt cake on the plate and drizzle 

chocolate on it how ever you like. I like

to fill the center because it tastes so good 

with the peppermint pieces.

To make the candy cane tree and star, set your oven 

to 250 degrees. Wipe the inside of the cookie cutters

with pan spray. Place the cutters on a cookie sheet

covered with parchment paper.  Crush your candies

and sprinkle the pieces in the cookie cutters. The higher

you fill them, the thicker they will be. Cook for

10 minutes or until melted. Keep a close watch. 

Remove from oven and let cool. Then remove from

the cookie cutter. This can be made the day
before you want to use it.

Decorate accordingly!

Here is the inside of your peppermint cake.

See the chocolate dripping down the inside! Yum!