Description
This Candy Cane Sheet Cake is a festive and delicious holiday treat featuring a moist vanilla cake with crushed candy cane swirled throughout and a creamy peppermint buttercream frosting. It’s perfect for Christmas gatherings and is both visually stunning and flavorful, combining classic vanilla with refreshing peppermint notes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 1 tablespoon vanilla 5 mL
- ¼ teaspoon salt 1 g
- ⅔ cup crushed candy cane (⅓ mixed into batter, ⅓ sprinkled on top and swirled)
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk 300 mL
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 300 g
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 g (room temperature)
- ½ cup sour cream 120 mL
- 6 egg whites
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
For the Buttercream:
- 3 sticks unsalted butter 340 g (room temperature)
- 1 lb confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract 2 mL
- ¼ cup milk 60 mL
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet cake pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter until smooth. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Vanilla and Salt: Mix in the vanilla extract and salt until fully combined and creamy.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk and sour cream until smooth.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and baking powder to ensure even distribution.
- Add Egg Whites: Add the egg whites to the mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Combine Mixtures: Alternate adding the milk mixture and the dry flour mixture to the stand mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until the batter is fully combined; do not overmix.
- Fold in Candy Cane: Gently fold in one-third of the crushed candy cane pieces into the batter, being careful not to overmix to preserve texture.
- Pour and Swirl: Pour the cake batter into the prepared sheet cake pan. Sprinkle another one-third of the crushed candy cane evenly over the batter and swirl gently with a spatula to create a marbled effect.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cake is springy in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- Prepare Buttercream: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter until smooth and fluffy. On low speed, gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar.
- Add Flavorings and Milk: Slowly pour in the milk, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract while mixing. Continue to beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Frost the Cake: Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the buttercream frosting over the cooled cake. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula for a neat finish.
- Garnish: Sprinkle the remaining one-third of crushed candy cane pieces over the frosted cake for decoration and an extra peppermint crunch.
Notes
- Don’t worry if you see little clumps of butter after mixing the wet ingredients; it will incorporate smoothly once you add the dry ingredients.
- You can use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream slightly to help ingredients combine more easily.
- Sour cream can be substituted with whole milk yogurt without affecting texture or flavor noticeably.
- If American buttercream is too sweet for your taste, consider using Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream alternatives for a lighter frosting.
- For clean and precise cake edges, trim ¼ inch from each side of the cake with a sharp serrated knife before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
