Peppermint Hot Chocolate Snack Cake
This Peppermint Hot Chocolate Snack Cake is rich, moist, and packed with holiday cheer! Made with cocoa powder, a hint of peppermint, and topped with vanilla peppermint icing and crushed candy canes, it’s the perfect festive dessert. Easy to make and bursting with flavor, it’s a crowd-pleaser for any holiday gathering.
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup salted butter melted, room temperature. You can use unsalted if you prefer!
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3.9 oz package of Instant Chocolate Pudding it must be instant!
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup hot water
For the icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream room temperature
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped candy canes
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (177°C) and grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper for easier removal. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, pudding mix, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until combined. Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the hot water to smooth out the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven drop the temperature to 325℉ and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, ice the cake!
For the icing:
- In a medium sized bowl combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency. Feel free to add more peppermint extract, ¼ teaspoon at a time, if you'd like!
- Once the cake has cooled, top with the icing and chopped candy canes. Slice & serve!