Dark Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Cream Cheese Glaze
There is so much flavor packed into this dark chocolate cake with peppermint cream cheese glaze recipe! Don’t let the long name fool you though, it’s actually a very simple recipe to make!
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Welcome to the 5th annual 12 Days of Holiday Ideas even, hosted by Shirley of Intelligent Domestications and Erlene of My Pinterventures. Go here to see our kick-off collection of Holiday ideas as well as all of this year’s talented participating DIY and Foodie Blogs.
Thank you so much to Dixie Crystals for providing me with the sugar and baking tools used to make this delicious dark chocolate cake with peppermint cream cheese glaze.
It’s Day 10 and we are all sharing our delicious Christmas dessert ideas! When I think of Christmas and winter desserts I immediately think of peppermint and chocolate. So that was my jumping-off point for today’s recipe! Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake with a peppermint cream cheese frosting.
Peppermint and dark chocolate is one of the best Christmas flavor combinations, so what better way to portray that than with a dark chocolate loaf cake topped with a creamy peppermint cream cheese glaze?
This recipe starts with a simple dark chocolate cake recipe. The secret to getting a moist, chocolatey cake is to add in some really strong brewed coffee. You could also use espresso granules, but I prefer using liquid coffee. To get a really soft cake, just slightly undercook it!
The real hero of this recipe though is the peppermint cream cheese glaze. Making a cream cheese glaze is simple, but adding a bit of peppermint extract to it takes the flavor over the top!
You go from a boring chocolate cake to a delicious dark chocolate cake with peppermint cream cheese glaze. A Christmas dessert that isn’t any more difficult or a hassle to make! Add some crushed peppermint candies and festive sprinkles and your dessert is holiday gathering ready!
Dark Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Cream Cheese Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee cooled
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Peppermint Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese softened and cubed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup peppermint candies crushed
- 2 tbsp sprinkles optional
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and liberally grease a loaf pan. Alternately you can line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1″ overhang on all sides.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until both are incorporated. Mix in vanilla and strong brewed coffee.
- In a small bowl, combine sour cream and heavy cream together. Add to the mixing bowl and beat together just until incorporated
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to mixing bowl, and blend together just until mixed. Do not over mix the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- When finished baking, let cool for 15-20 minutes. Then gently run a spatula around all edges of the cake to release from pan. Gently turn out onto a plate or baking sheet to let it cool the rest of the way. *if you used parchment paper, gently lift out the parchment paper by the 1″ over hang. Peel it away from the cake and leave it to cool the rest of the way.
Peppermint Cream Cheese Glaze
- Cream together the softened cream cheese, butter, heavy cream and peppermint extract.
- Slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. The glaze should be thin enough to pour easily. If too much sugar is added, thin out the glaze with 1 tbsp of heavy cream at a time until desired thickness is achieved.
- Pour the glaze onto the cooled dark chocolate loaf cake. Start at one end and slowly dribble back and forth until reaching the opposite end.
- Top with crushed peppermint candies and sprinkles if desired.
Nutrition
12 Days of Holidays Ideas Hop:
- Day 1–Gift Guides– Gift Ideas for the Foodie
- Day 2–Holiday Survival Guides– Guide to Surviving the Holidays as an Introvert
- Day 3– Kid’s Crafts
- Day 4– Games
- Day 5– Advent Calendars
- Day 6–Wreaths– Simple Evergreen Hoop Wreath
- Day 7– Ornaments– Paint Pour Christmas Ornaments
- Day 8–Printables– Funny Hand Lettered Gift Tags for Handmade Gifts
- Day 9–Pot Luck Recipes– Creamy Skillet Brussel’s Sprouts with Bacon
- Day 10– Desserts– Dark Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Cream Cheese Glaze
- Day 11– Breakfast Recipes– Homestyle Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
- Day 12– Christmas Trees– White and Wood Tabletop Christmas Tree
More dessert recipes for the holidays:
Don’t forget to pin it for later!
Love the tip on adding the coffee, it really makes such a difference! This cake looks so yummy!!!
Thanks Rachelle! The coffee really helps bring out the chocolate flavor!
Dark chocolate and peppermint cream cheese…what an amazing combination! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Pinned!
The chocolate cake looks so moist and I love that it has strong coffee in it. Kind of like nibbling on a chocolate-covered coffee bean. Yum. But then you add the peppermint cream cheese glaze and I’m salivating over here! Yummy Pinned the recipe to give a try
Thanks Marie! Hope you enjoy! The coffee really helps make that chocolate flavor pop!
This is very festive! My son loves chocolate cake, so I will have to make it for him!