White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix well.
• Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.
• Use to frost your favorite cake or cupcake recipe.

PEPPERMINT WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Bring cream and milk to a simmer in a large, heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add white chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.
• Ladle hot chocolate into individual mugs and top with whipped cream and crushed candies. Garnish each mug with a small candy cane.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for one minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
• Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds.
• Add the peppermint extract and two cups of the confectioners' sugar and blend on low until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, one minute more, adding up to ½ cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.
• Feel free to fold in up to ½ cup crushed peppermint candy for a crunchy and creamy frosting!
• Will frost 24 cupcakes generously. (see Cake Doctor's Red-less Velvet Cupcakes).

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave on high power for 1 minute.
• Remove bowl from the oven and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth; set aside to cool.
• Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend the cream cheese and butter for 30 seconds.
• Add the melted white chocolate and blend another 30 seconds on low speed.
• Add the mint extract and 2 cups of the powdered sugar; blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more.
• Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed, to make a good spreading consistency.
• Use as desired.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8-by-8-inch square or 9-inch round light-colored metal baking pan with oil.
• In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the mixture until foamy and slightly lighter in texture and color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir the espresso powder into the hot water, then add the mixture to the bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a rack for about 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, clean the mixing bowl and make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then add 2 teaspoons of the cream, the vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and salt. Turn the speed up to medium-high, and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, adding a bit more cream a teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to make a smooth and light frosting. Taste the frosting, and add a few more drops of peppermint extract if desired. The frosting can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.
• Top the cooled cake with an even layer of frosting, then use the tip of a toothpick to dot the frosting with a few small dots of gel food coloring, if using. Use a spoon or offset spatula to swirl the food coloring into the frosting to create candy cane-like stripes - just a few swipes will do the trick. If you mix it in too much, the frosting will turn pink. Top the cake with sprinkles and shaved chocolate, if desired. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and creamy; gradually add confectioners' sugar and milk and beat until smooth. Add peppermint extract and food coloring and beat on high speed until fluffy.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Break the chocolate into individual squares and place in a bowl set over a pot of hot water (no hotter than 160 F) on low heat.
• The water must not touch the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir until the chocolate begins to melt.
• Return to the heat if the water cools, but be careful it does not get too hot.
• Stir until smooth.
• (The chocolate may be melted in a microwave on high power if stirred every 15 seconds. Remove before fully melted and stir, using the residual heat to complete the melting.) Allow the chocolate to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese (preferably with a flat beater) until smooth and creamy.
• Gradually beat in the cooled chocolate until smoothly incorporated.
• Beat in the butter and lemon juice.
• Use at once or to ensure smoothness rebeat at ROOM TEMPERATURE (to prevent it from curdling) before frosting.
• Store: 1 day room temperature, 2 weeks refrigerated, 2 months frozen.
• Allow to come to room temperature before rebeating.
• Pointers for success: Do not overheat the chocolate and stir constantly while melting.
• Be sure no moisture gets into the melted chocolate.
• Beat constantly while adding the chocolate to prevent lumping.
• If lumping should occur, it can be remedied by pressing the buttercream through a fine strainer.
• Buttercream may separate slightly if room temperature is very warm.
• This can be corrected by setting the bowl in ice water and whisking the mixture.
• The buttercream becomes spongy on standing.
• Rebeat to restore smoothy creamy texture.
• Use ice to chill your hand during piping to maintain firm texture of the buttercream.

CREAM CHEESE PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
• Blend cream cheese and butter.
• Add sugar a cup at a time. You may end up needing more sugar for thicker frosting.
• Add peppermint extract and 7 drops of green food coloring.
• Beat or stir until fluffy.

CAKE DOCTOR'S RED-LESS VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
• Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat two minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Spoon batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
• Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
• Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. When finished, place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely.
• Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

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.