We’re back again with another super easy addition to my “25 Bakes of Christmas” series. Can you believe how many bakes we’ve been through so far? My goodness, how will we ever choose?? This new recipe, my Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake is sure to be an easy pick. It’s a one-bowl kind of cake, with a little ganache drizzle and peppermint sprinkled right on top. No stacking, no crumb coating, no buttercream… just a tasty bundt and a little tasty chocolate Christmas flair!

Let’s get right into it because these photos alone are enough to make me want to make it again and again!

Which bundt pan do I use?

While creating this recipe, I knew we needed a bundt cake in my lineup this month. My chocolate cake base is an exceptionally tasty and reliable recipe, so adding it right into my bundt pan (no modifications needed), it worked perfectly! I used this “French Wreath” donut pan from Amazon and it worked beautifully.

If you’re interested in a couple other yummy bundt recipes, I have a few you’d probably love!

  1. Lemon Poppyseed Bundt
  2. Banana Biscoff Bundt
  3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt
  4. Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt
  5. Rainbow Bundt Cake

How to make the chocolate peppermint bundt cake

I love that my recipes are so simple and easy – you only need one bowl and one whisk. Yep! Combine everything in a bowl and hand-whisk the ingredients together. Speaking of ingredients, here’s what you’ll need to make this Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake:

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk – room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream – room temperature
  • 3 whole large eggs – room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract – I found mine in my local grocery store, but you can always order it online here, too.
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder – I love this Brute cocoa from Amazon.
  • 1 15.25oz Box Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix I prefer Duncan Hines brand for this recipe, but anything similar should do fine.

Doesn’t that just look so tasty?! I can’t get over how pretty the peppermint looks with the dark chocolate bundt cake underneath. YUMMY!

Baking the bundt

Bundt cakes take longer to bake than your usual cake rounds. I leave mine in for at least 35-40 minutes, depending on the pan and recipe. The key is to make sure the center has baked through, or else your bundt will shrink or cave in when you flip it over to cool on a wire rack.

Ganache drips

I used Ghirardelli melts this time for taste – but you can use candy melts, etc, for this recipe. Combine the melts and heavy cream and heat them together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Then 30 seconds again. Don’t be tempted to do 1 minute – your chocolate may seize and be ruined from too much heat too soon. Slow and easy is key, and give it a good stir to make sure everything is heating up evenly together. Add the ganache to a drip bottle, then drizzle that goodness all over your bundt cake. You don’t have to do neat drips, you can certainly just pour it over the entire thing! YUM!

Sprinkle with peppermint – you can buy the pre-crushed or smash up a few peppermint sticks in a plastic bag and then sprinkle the pieces right on top like sprinkles. Just make sure the pieces are small so that no one has too big of a crunch when biting into the cake slices.

Here’s a quick video of the drip process:

I can’t wait to see what you create! If you do make this bundt cake, I’d love to see it – make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie on Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, or Facebook so I can join in on all the fun!

As always, happy baking!

Xo,

Mandy

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Rich Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Crushed Peppermint. Perfect for the holidays and always!
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients
 

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
  • 3 whole large eggs , room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 15.25oz Box Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix, I prefer Duncan Hines brand for this recipe.

Dark Chocolate Gananche

  • 2 cups Dark Chocolate Ghirardelli Melts
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Extra

  • 1 cup crushed peppermint

Equipment

  • bundt pan
  • Ganache Drip Bottle

Instructions
 

Bundt Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 convection bake (if using traditional bake, just leave the cake in the oven for about 5 minutes longer).
    Prep a bundt ban with a generous swipe of shortening and dust of flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cake ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix, then gently stir until just combined. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center of the bundt has baked through. Flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache

  • In a small glass bowl, pour the heavy cream over the chocolate melts. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, then stir again until the chocolate melts have all combined into the heavy cream. If it's too thick, add in a tablespoon more of the heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in a couple more chocolate melts. Add to a drip bottle, then add the drip onto the bundt cake.
  • Top with crushed peppermint.