This cake is a red velvet cake with a peppermint twist, and a delicious peppermint cream cheese frosting.
Okay, I thought this was a perfect recipe! I completely enjoyed it. I only have one tip. . . I had no clue that the red batter would be so thick! The recipe says to just bake according to directions and being the novice cook that I am, I was worried that I needed to add the oil, water and etc. according to the box. But, I didn't. I worried until the knife slid effortlessly through the cake. So, for any beginning cooks out there--don't be alarmed by lumpy red batter! Merry Christmas!
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Frosting was excellent, cake was blah. I will make this frosting again for other cakes. I will never make the cake recipe again. The box by it's self would have been better. The frosting would be delish on a devils food cake.
Read More Okay, I thought this was a perfect recipe! I completely enjoyed it. I only have one tip. . . I had no clue that the red batter would be so thick! The recipe says to just bake according to directions and being the novice cook that I am, I was worried that I needed to add the oil, water and etc. according to the box. But, I didn't. I worried until the knife slid effortlessly through the cake. So, for any beginning cooks out there--don't be alarmed by lumpy red batter! Merry Christmas!
My mom only made the peppermint frosting and put it on top of chocolate cupcakes. It was very, very good. I'm NOT a big fan of peppermint but I didn't think it was too minty at all. You need to know that the recipe calls for peppermint EXTRACT, not oil, which isn't supposed to be used for cooking (although it is edible). Peppermint OIL is much stronger than extract, which would explain the bitter taste. An all around great recipe for some delicious frosting.
This makes a really festive cake...one suggestion...one teaspoon of peppermint extract goes a long way. Taste it before you add the second.
This is a very good cake, would be really nice to take to a Christmas party. I have to agree with the previous post, 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil is more then enough! I used the 2 called for, and it's so strong it's bitter. I made this for my mom's birthday, she loves peppermint, but even she agreed that it's to strong. I honestly don't know how you could eat it being that strong. It overpowers the whole cake. I'm hoping that in a day or so, it will mellow out.
I got so many compliments on this cake when I served it at my Christmas party. I even had people asking me for the recipe. The only changes I made was that I used butter instead of margarine (I prefer eating real food, not chemicals) and I used one teaspoon of peppermint extract. Two teaspoons would have been way too much. I will definately be making this every Christmas from now on. It is truely the best Christmas cake I have ever had.
This was good. I took the advice of others and used only 1/2 the yellow cake mix and 1 1/2 tsp. of peppermint extract. It was still too much peppermint. I will use 1/2 tsp. next time. Also, I crushed candy canes to put on top, which looked great but got yucky and soggy after the first day. So if you're going to do that, I'd recommend making sure the whole thing gets eaten immediately!
A number of reviews mentioned it was sort of dry, so I added an extra T. of oil to the white cake recipe. It takes a little longer to bake, but was nice and moist. Also, make sure you have fresh, quality peppermint extract to avoid that bitter taste.
I made this a few nights ago and the whole family LOVED it. I didn't have peppermint flavoring. So I took a bag of peppermint individuals put them in the blender and crushed them as fine as sugar and stired into the icing. It was very good. We stored ours in the fridge.
This was delicious! I cheated a bit though. For the cake, I used Betty Crocker white cake mix and Duncan Hinz Red Velvet cake. I prepared them per the box instructions, rather than adding anything too them. Rather than swirl the two different colored cakes together, I baked the whole red velevet mix in one 9" pan for 50 minutes and the whole white cake mix in a separate 9" pan for 50 minutes. after the cakes had cooled, I cut the dome off of the tops and used a piece of dental floss, I cut the cakes, width-wise, into 2 layers so that I had 4 total layers. I made the frosting recipe per the directions but used 1/2 of the peppermint extract as many recommended. This was just the right amount of mint for me. I then frosted the cakes, icing in between each layer and on the outside. When the cake was sliced, it looked like a candy cane on the inside!
This is a very beautiful cake to serve at Christmas time! I received many compliments. I reduced the amount of peppermint to 1-1/2 tsp, and sprinkled crushed candy canes on top to add to the presentation. Also, note the size of the yellow cake mix-- it is NOT the standard size!! Thanks to an earlier review for this tip!
Really great recipe, especially for someone who is just learning to cook beyond the microwave!! My only problem is that the cake split across the top after I put the icing on. Also, making the icing was extremely labor intensive, but well worth it. I used 2 tsp. of Peppermint Flavor instead of extract (couldn't find it at the store). Not sure if it was the same thing, but it didn't turn out bitter or too strong. It was perfect!
I didn't personally make this cake, but my brother did and I thought it was pretty good. The icing was very pepperminty (pepperminty is a word :)), but the cake itself wasn't very flavorful, and I found it lacking. It's a decent recipe, but I wouldn't make it again.
I love the concept! And I am sure this is a great recipe. But to save time I bought a red velvet cake mix and a white cake mix. I used store bought cream cheese frosting with 1 teaspoon of extract stirred in. Sorry! Busy people have to find short cuts when they can!! Thanks for the idea!!!! I made them for Christmas gifts for my girlfriends. BTW, using the cake mixes, I made two bundt cakes at once! Even more time saving to end up with two cakes instead of one!!!
Frosting was excellent, cake was blah. I will make this frosting again for other cakes. I will never make the cake recipe again. The box by it's self would have been better. The frosting would be delish on a devils food cake.
This was sooooo good. I made it for dessert for Christmas. I started out with half the peppermint extract and added more to taste. It was so yummy. Everyone loved it.
This cake was great, although I cheated and used a chocolate cake mix and prepared according to those instructions. I halved the icing recipe and sprinkled crushed puffed peppermint candy over the top of the frosted cake. It was a hit!
This recipe is great! I followed the recipe exactly as stated. I used two TEAspoons of McCormick Peppermint extract and didn't find it overpowering at all. I found a box of 9 ounce yellow cake mix by Jiffy so I didn't have to use half of a normal box. I did have to stir the icing by hand as I added the last little bit of the sugar because of it's thickness, but it was never dry or crumbly. I also bought Andes candies white chocolate/peppermint pieces and pressed them around the sides of my cake. Scrumptious!
This recipe was awesome! I read the reviews and added an extra tablespoon of oil to the white cake mix to make it more moist. I also decided because I'm not a fan of cream cheese frosting to use store bought vanilla and add the peppermint extract. It came out looking and tasting amazing, definately a crowd pleaser! I added some decorations to make it more festive for the holiday too!
Because of what others had to say about the strength of the peppermint, I started with 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint oil and even that was VERY strong. Is peppermint oil different from peppermint extract? It completely covered up the rest of the flavors. The cake was very pretty, but I'm would only make it again if I used a few DROPS of peppermint.
This is a terrific recipe! My son made this cake for Thanksgiving when he was 11 years old. It was such a good cake that my brother in law paid my son to make another one for my sister for her Christmas birthday.
We really enjoyed this cake. I found the peppermint extract in the frosting to be just the right amount. I swirled with the knife just a little bit to get a chunky marbled effect..it looked so pretty! Great recipe!
I felt the icing on this made the cake. The cake itself was too dry for my tastes. I enjoyed mixing the colors and even added green food coloring to the icing. When I make this again, I will use all white cake mix rather than the yellow too. I will also use a different cake recipe, but keep the frosting...yum!
This cake is fabulous! I saw the recipe a couple of years ago and have been asked to bake it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas again this year! Make sure you have a good Kitchen Aid mixer or similar...the red part/peppermint is very doughy!
Everyone loved this cake, however I felt it was a bit crumbly when sliced (took away from the beautiful marble effect). I also needed to add a bit of milk to the frosting to get it to a spreadable consistency. Decorated with crushed candy canes on top and whole canes on the sides.
I'm not much of a baker - I usually throw a box mix into a cupcake pan and call it good. I think I was disappointed because it was a more work than I usually go to and the taste was "eh". The peppermint extract (I only used 1 tsp.) was the predominant flavor for the entire cake. I won't bother again.
WONDERFUL cake! I have made it for 2 seperate events already and it was a HUGE hit both times.
Haven't tried it yet but I notice the given times in the heading are incorrect. Bake for l5 minutes?
I took this to my husbands work, and EVERYONE loved it. My husband said it was one of the best cakes he ever had. A very easy recipe, and easy to follow. I did use real butter, like someone else suggested, and I noticed that if you use 10-14oz of the powered sugar and not all 16oz, the icing wont be hard. Also, I know the main thing was the peppermint extract, but I had to leave it out, since i was afraid that not everyone would like it. Again - fantastic recipe!!! Im already getting requests to make it again!
The cake is very pretty but is nothing special. NOTE: yellow cake mix calls for a smaller size.
I have made this recipe for years and always deliver the perfect cake to my office Christmas parties and receive the best compliments. I follow the recipe to the letter and come out with moist, perfect cakes every time. The peppermint isn't overpowering even at the amount listed. As an extra touch, I scatter crumbled bits of star peppermint candy across the top of the cake.
Although I thought this cake turned out to be a little dry (most likely it was my fault), my reactions were wonderful...and this was a tough crowd.
This cake is awesome. I made it in my food science class. It was a hit. The best part is eating the awesome tasting icing. This is my new favorite dessert.
I am giving this 5 stars because of all the compliments that I received. I made this for a Christmas Eve party. Those who tried it really liked it... a lot. I personally am not a big fan of store bought cake mixes and was not really happy with the cake itself. When it first came out of the oven it was very dry. I thought it was not going to be good at all but I really wanted to try the icing so I made it anyway. I will have to say that after it sat a while the cake did not seem as dry and the icing is awesome... if you like peppermint, which I do. I am already planning on making this next Christmas. I am going to experiment with a homemade cake, though. I decorated it with peppermint candies and it made a very tall but very attractive cake. Next year I will also probably only make 2 layers because I could not get the glass cover on it... it was too tall and since we have to travel this is a problem.
This was a good cake and just beautiful with the marbeling of the red velvet and the yellow cake mixes. Please note that the yellow cake mix is a one layer mix,not the traditional 2 layer. I didn't notice that until it was too late. It makes a stunning presentation when cut and is tasty too.
I called it a "Candy Cane Cake" and it was the perfect ending at my in-law's Christmas dinner this year! Minor adjustments I made to the recipe: I used a box of Red Velvet Cake mix and made it per box instructions except substituted buttermilk for water. Also, the frosting is not nearly enough... I softened 2 cream cheese and blended it with 1 1/2 cups of softened butter, then added 3-16 oz pkgs of powdered sugar. The peppermint extract was perfect as is (2 tsp). I baked the cake mixes separately, each in a 9" cake pan, at 350 for 50 minutes, cut off the dome tops, split the layers in half and alternated red/white/red/white, so that it looked like a candy cane when sliced (see before/after photos). Everyone LOVED it, especially served with a scoop of chocolate ice cream! Yummmptious!!! :D
This cake is soooo beautiful. It was delicious, too! Mine was not too dry. I think the key is to use a half-size cake mix for the yellow (red velvet) cake batter, as the recipe calls for. I only had a full-size mix, so I doubled the liquid ingredients mixed in and only used half the mix. Don't be tempted to use more than half as the red really dominates the white when they're marbled.
I LOVE the frosting this makes! If you're a peppermint lover, you will love this too! The cake was a little bit dry (I added a little bit more oil) but was still good. I got mixed reviews (some people didn't like peppermint). Otherwise I made it exactly as the directions state. YUMMY and so great for the holidays!
This was absolutely wonderful. I followed the ingredient list to a T. Instead of making a 3 layer cake I decided to make cupcakes from the top layer. My only suggestion is to reduce the amount of peppermint extract to 1/2 for the icing. I did reduce by 1/4, but I still a little strong.
Great cake -- very moist and flavorful. This feeds a LOT of people! I made the recipe without any alterations, and I wouldn't change a thing. My husband absolutely loved this cake.
Great cake...lots of compliments on the pretty cake on Christmas Day!! My mother-in-law bought me the ingredients to make her one to serve her bridge club a week later. The cake stays real moist. I also added crushed Starlight mints to the top for a little color.
I followed the directions perfectly and my cake turned out wonderful. I didn't have to change a thing. It was moist, fluffy and just the right amount of peppermint flavor in icing. I made sure that I kept the icing in my mixer for several minutes on a high speed and it was soft and fluffy. I crushed candy canes and sprinkled lightly on top of cake and around the plate, I also put candy canes around the side of cake right before serving and it was very cute. I will be making this again.
This tasted very good. I think if I make it again I will use less peppermint in the frosting.
Great cake! Took it to a party and brought home an empty plate. I didn't put all the sugar in the icing, but that left me a little tight on finishing. I think next time I will used more cream cheese, too.
The cake came out beautifully!!! Very tall cake. Everyone enjoyed it.
This was a very tasty dessert. The cake turned out similar to an angel food cake - light and fluffy. The only bit of trouble I ran into was that the icing was a little heavy for the cake so I found it a bit crumbly when I iced it. Everyone loved the flavor! Delicious.....
This was a very decorative and appetite-pleasing cake to make for the holidays. I received many compliments on this dessert and have been requested to make this cake for every Christmas dinner that we will have at our church!!
Amazingly delicious! I followed the recipe and the only modification I made was I added three tbsp. of oil like many others said to do. I also only made two tiers and made cupckaes with the rest of the batter. This cake was a huge hit at the Christmas party. Well done.
This cake was way too sweet for my liking, and I really like sweet things. I brought this to Christmas dinner. Hardly any of it was eaten.
LOVE it! I have made it 3 Christmases in a row. Kids love it, guests love it, I love it. Super yummy and sweet! Fun to make and fun to eat with vanilla ice cream.
Big hit at the Holiday party as the red stood out very well!!! I found a cupcake box with yellow cake in a 9 oz size that worked perfectly and I also added an extra tbl of veggie oil to the white cake mix to keep it all moist. Didn't have a problem with the cake breaking at all.....found the swirling a little challenging but it worked out in the end with me doing very little mixing to ensure it didn't turn into a pink cake overall like some of the pictures shown. Great treat!
This recipe made exactly enough batter for a 9x13 cake (easier to transport) and 6 cupcakes. Other than changing the pan size, I followed the recipe exactly. Topped with red sprinkles, it looked very festive and the cake was moist and yummy. One person swore it was the best cupcake he ever had. I'll make this again next Christmas.
I made this cake in to cupcakes and brought them to my work Holiday Party. Everyone loved them! And the kids (I work at a day care) we still craving them the next day. The only thing I wish I could have done was actually use the peppermint extract. They were all out at the store. I tried crushing candy canes in the food processor. It too forever and what a mess! There was peppermint sugar stuff everywhere! But the cakes looked so pretty! Thanks!
I made this cake for Christmas Eve. It turned out great and tasted great too! It is a VERY sweet cake and a small slice will do ya'! I garnished with crushed peppermint candies. This cake might be a new tradition for our family!
Followed the directions exactly, however made cupcakes which I took to a Christmas party. Everyone loved these, not a single one was left.
I made this in a sheet cake pan, and it was exceptionally moist. I made the frosting to taste rather than what was called for in the recipe and added finely crushed candy canes to the frosting.
I have made this cake the last 5 Christmases. It is always a hit with kids and adults love it too! I usually buy the red and white Andes Mints that are already chopped up sold in the Baking aisle at the store and it looks pretty on a dessert table.
I made this for a Christmas party last year and also for our Birthday cake for Jesus that we have on Christmas Day. I got rave reviews! So, needless to say this cake will be a Christmas tradition! I too put only 1 teaspoon of peppermint in the cake, and thought it turned out just right!
I don't care for peppermint folks, but let me tell you this is one great cake. Experimented on my friends (still) and it was a great hit. The frosting melts like ice cream in your mouth and there is only a hint of the peppermint, not over powering. Try it, you will like it. Thanks, its a keeper
The cake icing was great and my kids loved the crushed candycane on the sides but the cake was not so good. The red batter was extremely thick it actually pulled a beater out of my mixer! It was then very difficult to spread in the cake pan. Let's just say the entire cake making process was not the best and in the end it wasn't the greatest tasting cake either. Luckily my kids prefer the icing anyway. I don't think I'll be making this one again.
I made it for a party and it was a huge success. I crushed up candy canes and used them between the layers and on top--yummy!
Sounds delish but I don't want to make such a huge cake. I converted it down to 8 servings but it just says to use 2/3 of a box of mix, etc. Anyway to make it a 2 layer cake???
I only made the icing for my son's first birthday party but it was AMAZING!! Everyone loved the icing. I made chocolate cupcakes and to me together they tasted like Andes mints :) I did have to add a small amount of milk to get the cream cheese and milk to blend but other wise perfect.
I give this a five star for taste. I didn't prepare it, my early-teens daughter did over the holidays. I noticed it in my recipe box, and now 9 months after Christmas I just had a wonderful brilliant image of our holiday! Such a clean texture and bright taste, not to mention a very merry presentation! I can't wait to have this again. A great alternative to the fruit inspired and heavily chocolate laden cakes that usually grace our holiday desserts.
I had a hard time with this cake. Putting 3 layers on top of each other was not easy, and the top layer ended up cracking and looking terrible. Also, I messed up the recipe because I didn't realize the yellow cake was supposed to be only a 9oz. mix, this was my fault for not reading carefully.
I made this cake for a family Christmas party and everyone loved it. It was gone before all the other deserts where!
I had to bring a Christmassy dessert for a Christmas potluck dinner and decided to bake this cake. Everyone raved about the cake and the icing. Yes, it could well become a tradition with us.
Really good. However, it was very messy! I also added peppermint extract to the white cake batter, and put crushed candy canes on top.
Why go to all this trouble to make a beautiful cake and use a cake MIX??? Using mixes, in my opinion, is not baking. A chemical taste ALWAYS end up being the final result. Making a scratch cake only takes a few minutes more, and the flavor is so much better.
The cake is beautiful when complete and the frosting is to die for!!!
I should have read the reviews because as I found out, too late, the red batter was too thick and the cake cooked unevenly. There is something wrong with the recipe proportions. The frosting was ok. I'm mad that my Christmas cake didn't taste as good as it looked just like the photo.
