A beautiful Peppermint cake, with a luscious cream cheese swirl and a rich candy cane cream cheese frosting. A festive Candy Cane cake that will have everyone running to the dessert table.
Bundt cakes are the best; they are so easy but look fancy. No boxed white cake mix or fussy cake layers here.
With the holidays just around the corner, you’ll love this easy Gingerbread Bundt Cake, this famous White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake, or this popular moist chocolate cake.
I love bundt cakes, they look fancy, but are secretly really easy! Try a few of our favorites; this Best Banana Bread Bundt Cake Recipe with Brown Butter Glaze, Pear Bundt Cake and this to-die for Peach Cobbler Pound Cake.
Why You Will Love this Peppermint Bundt Cake
- So Festive! | What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to bake this beautiful cake sprinkled with crushed candy canes!
- Make Ahead | This delightful dessert can easily be made beforehand, helping you check one more thing off your holiday to-do list!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, you can Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Simple Ingredients
- Eggs | Large room-temperature eggs for the best baking.
- Granulated Sugar | I use all-natural cane sugar, regular white sugar may be used
- Butter | Use the real thing, no butter blends. I used salted, but unsalted may be used by adding ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Coconut Oil | Melted, or use vegetable oil
- Peppermint Extract | Use a quality brand.
- Buttermilk | I use whole buttermilk (room temperature); other percentages are fine. See below for how to make your own buttermilk.
- Plain Greek Yogurt | Bring it to room temperature an hour before using.
- All-Purpose Flour | I use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour
- Baking powder, baking soda & Kosher salt
- Crushed Peppermint | You can use crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
- Red Food Coloring | Optional, just need a few drops.
- Cream Cheese | Room temperature for the best mixing.
- Frosting ingredients | Cream cheese, vanilla, peppermint extract and powdered sugar.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Fresh Tips
- Make your buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill with milk, stir the milk mixture, allowing it to sit for 7-10 minutes until thick and room temp.
How to Make Christmas Peppermint Bundt Cake
Step 1 | Prep Pan, Oven, and Ingredients
Remove eggs, cream cheese, butter, buttermilk, and Greek yogurt from the fridge one hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C); see notes for high altitude. Grease a 10-12 inch bundt pan with baking release spray (my favorite brand) or brush with soft butter well and flour, knocking out excess. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a separate bowl.
Recommended Tools
- You need a quality, solid bundt pan! This is my favorite!
Step 2 | Make Cream Cheese Filling
In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until combined. Add egg, flour, and vanilla and continue beating until smooth; 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Set aside.
Step 3 | Make Peppermint Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar for 3 minutes on high speed until fluffy and pale in color.
Add melted butter, coconut oil, and peppermint extract, blending between each ingredient.
Add buttermilk and Greek Yogurt until well blended with the mixer on low, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed.
Slowly add the sifted flour mixture / dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about ⅓ cup at a time and mix on low speed until blended. Add Crushed Candy Canes and, if adding, add red food coloring until the desired hue. Mix on low speed until just combined; do not overmix.
Step 4 | Prepare Bundt and Bake
Spoon about ⅔ of the peppermint cake batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan (eyeballing it is fine). Spread all of the cream cheese filling evenly on top of the batter.
Fresh Tip
- The cream cheese batter is thick; as best you can, avoid the edges of the pan and spoon the cream cheese filling as evenly as possible, this will allow the cream cheese filling to stay in the center of the cake.
Pour the remaining peppermint cake batter evenly on top and smooth. Place a pot holder under the bundt pan and give 2-3 taps to settle the batter.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto a wire rack, remove Bundt pan, and cool completely before frosting.
Step 5 | Prepare Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until smooth and no lumps remain.
Fresh Tips
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are room temperature or your batter and cream cheese filling will not mix smooth.
Add powdered sugar, a ½ cup at a time with the mixer on low. Then add in the peppermint extract and cream until desired consistency. Add more powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency.
Step 6 | Frost Candy Cane Bundt Cake
Once the cake is completely cooled frost the cake. Spoon frosting into a piping bag and snip off ½ inch, then frost “fingers” from the inside to the outside of the cake.
If you prefer not to have the cream cheese frosting, add peppermint extract to basic vanilla buttercream glaze or this easy chocolate ganache.
Fresh Tip
- If using crushed peppermint to decorate your bundt cake, do so immediately after you frost/glaze the cake so they will stick to the surface.
Top Tips for Candy Cane Bundt Cake
- Use my favorite cake release spray instead of greasing the pan with butter and dusting with flour! I like La Tourangelle for all of my gluten-free cakes and Bak-Klene for my regular cakes.
- If your cake sticks, or won’t easily release, use a butter knife to gently work the sides of the cake away from the pan, making sure to release the cake’s center. If that still doesn’t work, you may have cooled it too long; return a 350° F oven for 5 minutes, then invert immediately onto a cooling rack to release the cake.
- Be extra careful when adding peppermint extract; a little can go a long way, so it’s best not to add more than the recipe suggests.
- Make sure your oven runs at the correct temperature; many ovens are 25° +/- the best way to allow it to preheat for 30 minutes and use an oven thermometer to verify the temperature.
Variations & Substitutions
- For extra richness, stir in 1½ cups of white chocolate chips to the batter before pouring into the bundt pan, to keep them from sinking toss them with a tablespoon of the flour mixture before adding to the batter.
- For a less pepperminty cake, reduce the peppermint flavor in the batter by 1 teaspoon and in the frosting by ½ tsp.
- Looking for a chocolate peppermint cake recipe? Turn this delicious Copycat Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake into a delicious holiday cake by adding 2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter, 1 teaspoon to the frosting, and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Use red, white and green crushed peppermint for a more colorful cake.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Swap out with an equal amount of sour cream.
- Instead of cream cheese frosting, make peppermint buttercream frosting by adding ½-1 teaspoon peppermint extract, and make it extra pretty by placing buttercream in piping bag and frosting similar to my red velvet bundt cake.
Recommended Tools
- My favorite bundt pan!
- Love this bundt cake keeper, keeps it fresh without smooshing the frosting.
Mini Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cakes
Mini candy cane bundt cakes, bundtlets, or bundtlettes or just plain candy cane cupcakes – Whatever you call them, they are adorable, convenient, and delish! All you need to do is add the cake batter to a mini bundt cake pan or a cupcake pan, filling each to about ⅔ full, spoon a layer of cream cheese filling on top and finally spoon remaining cake batter on top, being careful not to overfill past ¾ full.
For the bundlette and quartet pan, bake the treats for about 20 to 25 minutes; bake the treats for 18 to 22 minutes for the cupcake pan. Then, cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, invert onto a cooling rack, cool completely, frost and sprinkle crushed peppermints and serve!
Sheet Pan Peppermint Candy Cake Recipe
You can also use a baking pan to make this recipe. A 9×13-inch pan works best. Brush the pan with butter or baking spray, then evenly pour batter about ½ way up the side of the pan.
Spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling on top, then pour the remaining cake batter. Using a butter knife, slowly pull the knife through the batter to swirl. Bake as directed and check the cake at about 25 minutes. When finished, cool, then frost with cream cheese icing and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes.
Gluten-Free Peppermint Cake
While I haven’t made this cake gluten-free, I have had great luck in the past, substituting the all-purpose flour with equal amounts of Gluten-free all-purpose flour (King Arthur is my fave) and a combination of almond flour and oat flour, or all one or the other. Do not overbake.
High Altitude Peppermint Bundt Cake
I bake at 5280 feet above sea level, this recipe has been tested at high altitudes and at sea level; for high altitudes, follow these adjustments.
- Increase the oven temperature to 375° F (190° C)
- Increase all-purpose flour to 2 ¼ cups
- Decrease sugar to 1 ⅔ cups
- Decrease baking powder to ¾ teaspoon
Watch cake closely and check for doneness at about 50 minutes to prevent overbaking.
Storage Tips
Since this cake has a cream cheese frosting, I recommend you refrigerate it, if making it longer than 4-6 hours before serving. Remove from the fridge about 20-30 minutes prior to slicing. Bundt cakes will last from 5-7 days in the fridge, if you can hide it from your family!
Can You Freeze Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cakes?
- You betcha! Even frosted you can freeze these cakes or bundtlets. If freezing before frosting, cool completely (very important so you don’t form ice crystals, then wrap well in plastic wrap and then in foil.
- Much like this Banana Bread, I think it’s better the second day, allowing the flavors to mingle and meld.
- If freezing after icing, place in the freezer for 30-50 minutes to harden the icing, then cover with plastic wrap well; then again in foil. Will keep well frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a worn and old or low-quality pan, there’s always a chance for the cake to stick and fall apart when removed. Use plenty of cooking spray or butter to grease the pan evenly.
Yes, you’ll only be sacrificing a little richness and if you prefer it, then no problem.
Darker-colored and non-stick pans tend to brown and cook a little bit faster, having a golden brown bundt cake color is not a bad thing. If your bundt pan makes it too brown, try reducing the heat by 25° F.
What to serve with Peppermint Bundt Cake
Best Drinks for Peppermint Cake
For a tasty combo with your peppermint cake, try a Cranberry Mimosa – or go for a Christmas Morning Chai, or sip on this Starbucks White Hot Chocolate; check out all of our holiday drinks!
The Best Christmas Morning Chai Recipe (Dutch Bros)
This holiday season enjoy this copycat Dutch Bros Christmas Morning Chai recipe. A chai latte that is spicy and flavorful chai tea mixed with half and half and swirled with white chocolate syrup. Delicious hot or cold.
Best Cranberry Mimosas Cocktail Recipe
In just 5 minutes, and with only three ingredients, you can craft the best Cranberry Mimosas Cocktail Recipe Poinsettia Christmas Cocktail.
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate Recipe
A quick and easy recipe on how to make a Starbucks White Hot Chocolate recipe at home. Save time and money, by making this fast copycat white hot chocolate recipe in the comfort of your own home.
Pomegranate Cocktail Recipe
This fun drink is the best Thanksgiving punch! Pomegranate cocktail has pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice and a splash of chilled club soda to make it all sparkle! A vodka punch recipe that is easily adapted to be non-alcoholic!
Best appetizers to serve with Candy Cane Cake
We love this Cranberry cream cheese dip, these Turkey and Cranberry sliders and our favorite Cowboy crack dip (great hot or cold).
Cowboy Crack Dip Recipe (Hot or Cold)
Not your average Philadelphia cream cheese dip recipe. Cowboy Crack Dip is cheesy, creamy, savory, and fresh — the perfect appetizer. This Crack Dip recipe is a classic appetizer ideal for your next party; like the big game, holiday get-togethers, a clear party favorite!
Best Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
This Cranberry Cream Cheese dip is not only easy, is perfect for the holiday season. 4-ingredients to this cheesy, sweet-tart, salty and savory hot dip. Using homemade or leftover cranberry sauce, this cream cheese cranberry dip will be raved about at your next party.
Easy Turkey Cranberry Sliders Recipe (Baked)
These turkey sliders are ready in 45 minutes! With 15 minutes of prep, these leftover turkey sliders on sweet Hawaiian rolls, with cheese and cranberry sauce are great after Thanksgiving!
Charcuterie Cups – How to Pack a Perfect Charcuterie Board to Go
These individual charcuterie cups are everything you love about charcuterie boards but loads more fun! I'll show you how to pack a charcuterie board to go. These tasty single–serve treats are easy to make, portable, and perfect for gatherings large and small.
Our favorite holiday sweets
Easy Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe with Butter Sauce
I can’t imagine the holidays without this easy Cranberry Christmas Cake! I love cranberries! It’s a sweet buttery, no eggs cake – great for breakfast or dessert with tart cranberries and a rich, warm vanilla butter sauce.
An easy must make this Christmas!
Eggnog Coffee Cake Recipe + Bundt cake option
Tender, fluffy coffee cake gently spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon and topped with a warm brown sugar streusel, drizzled with a simple eggnog glaze. With easy overnight instructions and high altitude adjustments.
Easy Gingerbread Bundt Cake Recipe with Rum Glaze
A showstopper but easy, Gingerbread Bundt Cake Recipe with a rum glaze that takes it over the top! It’s easy to make and full of warm, seasonal spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
Perfect Christmas bundt cake, ready for the oven in just 15 minutes.
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Best Easy Shortbread (Traditional Scottish Recipe)
The best tender traditional Scottish shortbread recipe is 4 basic ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Plus I’ll show you how to make molded shortbread for beautiful cookie gifts.
Top Tip
Do not fill your bundt pan higher than ⅔ full, if necessary bake up extra batter in cupcake tins and butter and flour your bundt pan or spray with cake release spray.
I hope you loved this Peppermint Cake — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Peppermint Candy Cane Cake with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature, 1 package
- 4 tablespoons Butter room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar aka confectioners sugar
- 1 large Egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Peppermint Cake Batter
- 3 large Eggs room temperature, if you forgot, submerge eggs in bowl of warm, not hot water, 5-7 minutes.
- 2 cups granulated sugar reduce to 1 ⅔ cup for High altitude
- 12 tablespoons Butter melted (I used salted, if using unsalted add ¼ teaspoon additional salt)
- â…“ cup Coconut Oil melted, or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons Peppermint Extract
- ½ cup Buttermilk room temperature, I used whole milk, other % may be used
- ½ cup plain Greek Yogurt room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose Flour sifted, (Increase to 3 ¼ cups for high altitude)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder reduce to ¾ teaspoon for high altitude
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher Salt
- ½ cup Candy Canes crushed, or peppermint candies
- 10 drops Red Food Coloring optional
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup butter ½ stick, room temperature
- 4 ounce cream cheese room temp, regular or Neufchâtel
- 1 ¼-1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup candy canes crushed, or peppermint candies to sprinkle on top
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream half and half or milk, if needed to thin
Instructions
Step 1 | Prep Pan, Oven and Ingredients
- Remove eggs, cream cheese, butter, buttermilk, Greek yogurt from fridge one hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C); see notes for high altitude. Grease a 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan with baking release spray or brush well with soft butter and flour, knocking out excess. Set aside.
- Sift together flour (3 cups), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (½ teaspoon), and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) in a separate bowl.
Step 2 | Make Cream Cheese Filling
- In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese (8 ounces) and butter (4 tablespoons) until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add egg, flour (4 tablespoons), and vanilla (1 teaspoon) and continue beating until smooth; 2-3 minutes on medium. Set aside.
Step 3 | Make Peppermint Cake Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs (3 eggs) and sugar (2 cups) for 3 minutes on high speed, until fluffy and pale in color.
- Slowly drizzle in melted butter (12 tablespoons), coconut oil (⅓ cup), and peppermint extract (2 teaspoons), with mixer on medium-high speed.
- Add buttermilk (½ cup) and Greek Yogurt (½ cup) until well blended with the mixer on low.
- Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about ⅓ cup at a time and mix on low speed until blended. Add Crushed Candy Canes (½ cup) and, if adding, add red food coloring (10 drops) until the desired hue. Mix on low speed until just combined; do not overmix.
Step 4 | Prepare Bundt and Bake
- Spoon about ⅔ of the peppermint cake batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan (eyeballing it is fine). Spread all of the cream cheese filling evenly on top of the batter.
- Note: The cream cheese batter is thick, as best you can, avoid the edges of the pan and spoon the cream cheese filling as evenly as possible. Pour the remaining peppermint cake batter evenly on top and smooth. Place a pot holder under the bundt pan and give 2-3 taps to settle the batter.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto a wire rack, remove Bundt pan, and cool completely before frosting.
Step 5 | Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter (¼ cup) and cream cheese (4 ounces) in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Note: if your butter and cream cheese are too cool, this will not be as smooth. Make sure they are room temperature.
- Add powdered sugar (1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups), a ½ cup at a time with the mixer on low. Then add in the Peppermint Extract (1 tsp) and cream until desired consistency (1-2 tablespoons). Add more powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency.
- Decorate using Crushed Candy Canes as desired.
Notes
While I haven’t made this cake gluten-free, I have had great luck in the past, substituting the all-purpose flour with equal amounts of Gluten-free all-purpose flour (King Arthur is my fave) and a combination of almond flour and oat flour or all one or the other. Do not overbake. High Altitude Peppermint Bundt Cake
- Increase oven to 375°F (190° C)
- Increase all purpose flour to 2 ¼ cups
- Decrease sugar to 1 ⅔ cups
- Decrease baking powder to ¾ teaspoon
- Watch cake closely and start check for doneness at about 50 minutes.
Mini Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cakes
Mini candy cane bundt cakes, bundtlets, or bundtlettes or just plain candy cane cupcakes – Whatever you call them, they are adorable, convenient, and delish! All you need to do is add the cake batter to a mini bundt cake pan or a cupcake pan, filling each to about ⅔ full, spoon a layer of cream cheese filling on top and finally, spoon remaining cake batter on top, being careful not to overfill past ¾ full. For the bundlette and quartet pan, bake the treats for about 20 to 25 minutes; bake the treats for 18 to 22 minutes for the cupcake pan. Then, cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, invert onto a cooling rack, cool completely, frost and sprinkle crushed peppermints and serve!Sheet Pan Peppermint Candy Cake Recipe
You can also use a baking pan to make this recipe. A 9×13-inch pan works best. Brush the pan with butter or baking spray, then evenly pour batter about ½ way up the side of the pan. Spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling on top, then pour the remaining cake batter. Using a butter knife, slowly pull the knife through the batter to swirl. Bake as directed and check the cake at about 25 minutes. When finished, cool, then frost with cream cheese icing and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes.Nutrition
Love the swirl pattern of the bundt – and the incredible peppermint flavor!
Thank you so much!
I love anything with peppermint and this cake was incredible. I will definitely be making it again.
Love hearing that Dannii!
Such a fun and festive cake! I especially love that cream cheese swirl. Definitely perfect for the holidays.
It really is!
This cake is the ultimate Christmas dessert! All of my favorite flavors into one delicious treat!
Thank you so much, Holley!
Oh my goodness that looks divine and I love the flavours.
Thank you!