Description
This is a wonderfully festive wintertime cake. It’s a tender and moist pound cake with the most subtle peppermint flavor. The cream cheese frosting glaze is rich-tasting and blends so well with the mint and cake.
Ingredients
- baking spray with flour
- 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring, or more as needed
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
- ¼ cup chopped chocolate peppermint bark
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Spray a 12-cup fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) with baking spray; set aside.
- Beat softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy and light yellow in color
- 4 to 6 minutes. Gradually add sugar
- beating on medium speed until light and fluffy
- about 3 minutes
- scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time
- beating just until combined.
- Alternately add flour and milk
- beginning and ending with flour
- beating on low speed after each addition until batter is just blended. Add vanilla extract and peppermint extract; blend just until incorporated.
- Transfer 1 cup of the batter into a small mixing bowl; stir in red food coloring.
- Pour 1/3 of the uncolored batter into the prepared pan. Dollop with 1/3 of the red batter. Top with remaining uncolored batter and dollop with remaining red batter. Tap the filled pan gently on the counter to release any air pockets. Use a long skewer or off-set spatula to swirl the batter slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a long wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean
- 1 hour 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes
- then invert onto the rack to cool completely
- about 1 hour.
- While the cake cools
- beat softened cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar
- a little at a time
- mixing on low speed
- until all the sugar is incorporated. Add milk and vanilla extract; beat until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle frosting over the cooled cake. Sprinkle candies and peppermint bark over the frosting while it’s slightly wet. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 16