Description
This Candy Cane Sheet Cake is a festive and delicious holiday dessert featuring a moist vanilla cake infused with crushed candy canes, layered with a creamy peppermint buttercream frosting, and topped with more crushed candy canes for a delightful crunch and holiday flair.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 1 tablespoon vanilla 5 mL
- ¼ teaspoon salt 1 g
- ⅔ cup crushed candy cane (⅓ with the batter, ⅓ sprinkled on top and swirled)
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk 300 mL
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 300 g
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 255 g, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream 120 mL
- 6 egg whites
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 312.5 g
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
For the Buttercream:
- 3 sticks unsalted butter 340 g, room temperature
- 1 lb confectioners sugar 454 g, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract 2 mL
- ¼ cup milk 60 mL
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet cake pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter until smooth. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue mixing until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
- Add Vanilla and Salt: Mix in the vanilla extract and salt until incorporated.
- Mix Wet Ingredients Separately: In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk and sour cream until well combined.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and baking powder to ensure even distribution and remove lumps.
- Add Egg Whites: Add the egg whites to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed until fully combined with the butter and sugar mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Alternately add the milk mixture and the dry flour mixture to the stand mixer, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is fully combined but avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Crushed Candy Cane: Gently fold in one third of the crushed candy cane into the batter without overmixing to evenly distribute the peppermint flavor and crunch.
- Pour and Swirl: Pour the batter into the prepared sheet cake pan. Sprinkle another third of the crushed candy cane evenly over the top and swirl it gently into the batter with a spatula to create a festive pattern.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare the Buttercream: In a clean stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted confectioners sugar on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud.
- Add Flavor and Milk: Slowly pour in the milk, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract while mixing. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
- Frost the Cake: Use an ice cream scoop to evenly apply the buttercream frosting over the cooled cake. Smooth it out using an offset spatula for an even finish.
- Decorate with Candy Cane: Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy cane on top of the frosted cake for a festive and crunchy topping.
Notes
- If you see little clumps of butter after mixing the wet ingredients, don’t panic; it will smooth out when you add the dry ingredients. Using melted butter and warming the milk and sour cream slightly can help with mixing.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for sour cream if preferred; the taste difference is minimal.
- If traditional American buttercream is too sweet, consider using Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream for a lighter flavor.
- For clean, unblemished edges when slicing, use a sharp serrated knife and trim about ¼ inch from each side.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
