Candy Cane Lane Cake

Makes 1 9x13” sheet cake

(Or a layer cake, cup cakes, essentially sky’s the limit!!)

CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE SHEET CAKE

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup sugar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 eggs

½  cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup milk

1 ½ teaspoons vinegar

1 ¼ cups flour

½ cup cocoa powder (substitute cocoa powder with more flour, if you’d prefer a vanilla candy cane sheet cake!)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13” baking pan.

In a large bowl whisk together butter, sugars and eggs until well combined. Whisk in oil and vanilla.  Whisk in milk and vinegar.

Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt just until smooth.  

Pour the batter into your sprayed pan and sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces on top.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in. Using oven mitts, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan before frosting.

PEPPERMINT FROSTING

3 sticks (24 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened or slightly melted

41⁄2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon mint extract

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 cup crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the milk, mint extract, and salt and mix until combined and fluffy. Add the candy canes and continue mixing just until combined.

ASSEMBLY!

½ cup crushed or whole peppermint candy or candy canes

Spread the Peppermint Frosting across the surface and edges of the cooled cake. Decorate to your heart’s desire— I love some whole candy canes, some crushed and a little fresh powdered sugar dust. Save for a dessert centerpiece or cut into squares or triangles and tuck in!