Holiday Peppermint Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Posted by -Angela/Soap Mom's Kitchen

Since November came rolling in, I have been in Holiday Mode. I have made chiffon cakes before and they are usually moist and light and very easy to handle. The one rule of thumb is you have to keep in mind that the fillings should be light. This particular chiffon cake is not a dense cake and cannot really withstand heavy fillings.

This recipe for Chocolate Chiffon Cake is from reknown pastry chef, Bo Friberg who is my idol. I have been wanting to make this chocolate chiffon cake for sometime, so this is the perfect opportunity. Since the holidays are almost here, I decided to add peppermint extract to the batter and do a light textured peppermint frosting and chocolate peppermint ganache.

Recipe:
Chocolate Chiffon Cake: adapted from Bo Friberg
1 cup canola oil
8 egg yolks
1 cup room temperature water
1 tsp. peppermint extract
11 oz. cake flour
3 oz. Hershey's Cocoa
14 oz. granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites

Grease the bottom of a tube pan, not the sides. This is very important. The cake batter needs to be able to grab onto the sides of the pan to lift.

Whip the egg yolks and oil together until combine, add water and peppermint extract, mix well.

Sift flour, one third of sugar, baking powder and the salt. Add to egg yolk mixture and mix on high speed for 1 minute, put to the side.

Whip your egg whites until light and at soft peaks add slowly the remaining sugar. Continue to beat just until firm peaks begin to form. Do not over beat!

Slowly fold in egg whites to chocolate batter. Take your time folding until it is well incorporated. Do this with a light hand. You do not want to deflate the batter. Pour into prepared tube. I had to leave out about 3/4 cup of the batter. I was afraid it would overflow.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Everyone's oven varies in temperature, do the toothpick test!

Allow cake to cool completely. I ran a very thin paring knife around the cake pan to release the cake. Invert onto a serving plate.

Filling:

1 stick room temperature soften unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream cold
4 cups powder sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

Whip butter until light and fluffy, add cream and extract, continue to beat until fluffy and well incorporated. Add one cup at a time of powder sugar and continue to beat for several minutes until it is fluffy and white.

I cut cake into 4 layers and layered with peppermint frosting!

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 T. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Heat heavy cream in sauce pan, until very hot, add chips and beat with whisk until well incorporated, add corn syrup and extract, mix well.

Spoon ganache over cake and let drizzle down sides. I crushed some peppermint candies to add a festive look to the Cake.

Piped Frosting:
1 stick soften butter
3 to 4 cups of powder sugar
a few drops of more peppermint extract
and milk if you need to thin out

Beat butter until creamy and light, add extract. Add one cup at a time of powder sugar. Add milk if need be. Pipe rosettes on top of cake with pastry bag and large star tip. Add a peppermint candy to each rosette.

It really is delicious! Moist, light and the peppermint is divine with the chocolate ganache! My family loved it!

I will be making this for my Holiday Dinner Party! It reminds me of the candy, York's Peppermint Patty .