Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake with Marshmallow Cream Frosting

MozieNovember 28, 2023

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Our lights are hung on the house, the Christmas tree is up and decorated, and we are spending more time in the kitchen baking all our favorite treats.. It’s truly the merriest time of year, and we can’t think of anything that represents the holiday more than the chocolate peppermint combination. Whether it’s peppermint Oreo bark or peppermint mochas, we can’t get enough this time of year.

We thought it’d be fun to combine our love of chocolate and peppermint into a delicious cake. The rich, moist chocolate cake is topped with a whipped marshmallow cream frosting and sprinkled with crushed candy cane. This Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake is the perfect holiday treat to make for your next holiday dinner party, for a holiday office party or to gift a neighbor this Christmas. It’ll be a crowd favorite!

Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

Flour: We always prefer to use unbleached all-purpose flour when we’re baking cakes. It’s the best quality and make the cake a lighter consistency.
Cocoa Powder: We used a dark cocoa powder for this recipe, but you can use any type of cocoa powder you have on hand. The dark cocoa powder will give it a richer taste.
Baking Powder: The baking powder helps the cake to rise.
Salt: Salt helps to offset the sweetness of the cake. We used kosher salt for this recipe.
Eggs: A couple of large eggs add moisture and structure for the cake.
Sugar: Since this is a cake, there is equal parts flour to sugar. Milk: Milk adds necessary moisture to the cake.
Sour Cream: We love adding sour cream to cakes, muffins and bread loafs, because it adds moisture, flavor and a beautiful texture.
Butter: Nine tablespoons of butter add the necessary fat, richness and flavor to this chocolate peppermint cake.
Vanilla: A bit of vanilla is added to the cake and marshmallow frosting for flavor. We love using Trader Joe’s vanilla bean paste during the holiday season.
Egg Whites: Egg whites are essential to creating the whipped marshmallow cream. Once whisked with the sugar, they create a light, fluffy texture.
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar gives creates the marshmallow texture and glisten to the frosting.
Candy Canes: Crushed candy canes are sprinkled on top of the marshmallow cream frosting to add that peppermint flavor.

Direction Snapshot

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Pour the batter in the loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a fork come out clean from the center.
Let is cool for 10-15 minutes, while you make the marshmallow cream.
Add the marshmallow cream to the top and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Slice and serve yo friends and family at your next holiday gathering.

Tips for Success

Butter Pan, Then place Parchment Paper: One way to make the cake come out of the loaf pan seamlessly is to first butter the loaf pan and then add the parchment paper so it comes up off either side of the pan. When the cake has baked and cooled, you can then lift up on the parchment paper and remove the cake from the pan.
Check the Cake after 30 Minutes: Depending on how you oven works, this loaf cake may cook quicker or slower than normal. Since it has cocoa powder in it, it may tend to get dryer the longer it’s in the oven. We typically like to check the cake at the 30 minute mark. This will help us gauge whether we need to take it out of the oven or keep it in for a few minutes longer.
Whisk the Marshmallow Cream for 4-5 Minutes: The key to making marshmallow cream frosting with the perfect consistency is to whisk it on a medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes. This will give you that whimsical, creamy marshmallow look on top of the cake.