Christmas 7 Up Marbled Peppermint Layer Cake Food

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yolk. Add cocoa and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with ice water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just blended and smooth after each addition. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.
• For dark chocolate ganache:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Chill until firm enough to spread, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Before using, let stand at room temperature until soft enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
• For white chocolate cream:
• Place white chocolate in large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in saucepan. Pour hot cream over white chocolate. Let stand 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Whisk in extract. Cover; chill until mixture thickens and is cold, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.
• Add 2 cups chilled cream to white chocolate cream and beat until smooth and peaks form. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk to thicken, if necessary, before using.
• Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer on platter, cut side up. Spread 1/3 of dark chocolate ganache over cake. Spoon 2 cups white chocolate cream in dollops over cake; spread evenly to edges. Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread 1/3 of ganache over, then 2 cups white chocolate cream. Repeat with third cake layer, cut side up, remaining ganache, and remaining cream. Cover with fourth cake layer, cut side down. Chill while preparing frosting.
• For peppermint frosting:
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, egg whites, and corn syrup in large bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer. Whisk by hand to blend well. Set bowl with mixture over saucepan of gently simmering water; whisk constantly with hand whisk until mixture resembles marshmallow creme and ribbons form when whisk is lifted, 8 to 9 minutes. Whisk in peppermint extract. Remove bowl from over water and attach bowl to heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until mixture is barely warm to touch and very thick, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using offset spatula and working quickly, spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle chocolate curls over top and sides. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill.

PEPPERMINT RIBBON CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Transfer 1 cup to a small bowl; stir in the extract, food coloring and 1/2 cup crushed candies., Spoon 2 cups of remaining batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Carefully top with peppermint batter; do not swirl. Top with remaining plain batter., Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with remaining crushed candies.

SHORTCUT PEPPERMINT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of three greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions. Remove 1-1/3 cups batter to a small bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon extract and if desired, 1/2 teaspoon food coloring until blended. , Transfer plain batter to prepared pans. Top with red batter. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., Mix 1 cup frosting with remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/8 teaspoon extract and if desired, 1/2 teaspoon food coloring. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup plain frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost sides of cake with remaining plain frosting. Spread red frosting over top of cake. Gently press baking chips into frosting on top of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

MARBLED PEPPERMINT ANGEL CAKE

Steps:

• Follow the directions on the package to make the angel food cake batter, but add 1 tsp peppermint extract with the water. Divide the batter in half. Tint half with red food coloring, folding gently until the color is blended. Leave the other half white.
• Spoon the batter into a non-greased tube pan, alternating layers of red and white batter, usually you'll get two layers of each - red, white, red, white.
• Cut through the batter with a knife to marble. Bake according to the package directions.
• Cool according to package directions. Remove from pan. Shortly before serving, drizzle with glaze and top with crushed candy cane.
• Glaze directions: Combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract and food coloring adding enough milk to make a "drizzable" glaze. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

DEVIL'S FOOD LAYER CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• PREPARE CAKE:.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F
• Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
• Dust pans with flour; tap out excess.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in medium bowl to blend.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in yolk.
• Add cocoa and beat until well blended.
• Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with ice water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just blended and smooth after each addition.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes; invert cakes onto racks and cool completely.
• *(Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.)
• PREPARE DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:.
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan.
• Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
• Transfer to small bowl; chill until firm enough to spread, about 1 hour.
• **(Can be made 1 day ahead. Before using, let stand at room temperature until soft enough to spread, about 30 minutes.)
• PREPARE WHITE CHOCLATE CREAM:.
• Place white chocolate in large heatproof bowl.
• Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in saucepan.
• Pour hot cream over white chocolate.
• Let stand 1 minute; whisk until smooth; whisk in extract.
• Cover; chill until mixture thickens and is cold, at least 4 hours.
• ***(Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill).
• Add 2 cups chilled cream to white chocolate cream and beat until smooth and peaks form.
• ****(Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk to thicken, if necessary, before using.)
• ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:.
• Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter, cut side up.
• Spread 1/3 of dark chocolate ganache over cake.
• Spoon 2 cups white chocolate cream in dollops over cake; spread evenly to edges.
• Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread 1/3 of ganache over, then 2 cups white chocolate cream.
• Repeat with third cake layer, cut side up, remaining ganache, and remaining cream.
• Cover with fourth cake layer, cut side down.
• Chill while preparing frosting.
• PREPARE PEPPERMINT FROSTING:.
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, egg whites, and corn syrup in large bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer.
• Whisk by hand to blend well.
• Set bowl with mixture over saucepan of gently simmering water; whisk constantly with hand whisk until mixture resembles marshmallow creme and ribbons form when whisk is lifted, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Whisk in peppermint extract.
• Remove bowl from over water and attach bowl to heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
• Beat on high speed until mixture is barely warm to touch and very thick, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using offset spatula and working quickly, spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
• Sprinkle chocolate curls over top and sides.
• ***** (DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill.).
• E N J O Y !