A buttery vanilla layer cake with a cool peppermint lift serves as the base for a festive centerpiece: handmade trees built from ice cream cones, chocolate frosting, and red-and-green M&M’S. A final light dusting of confectioners' sugar gives the scene a snowy finish, making the cake both dessert and decoration.
Info
- Cook time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour
- Yield: 38 servings
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for the pans
- 2¾ cups cake flour, plus extra for the pans
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk
For the Frosting and Trees
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 ice cream sugar cones
- Red and green M&M’S, for decorating
Instructions
- Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350˚F. Oil two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, oil the parchment, and flour the pans lightly, tapping out any excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until combined. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture is light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the extracts. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Raise the speed to medium high and beat until fully combined.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Tap the pans on the counter, then bake until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Set the pans on a rack and let the cakes cool for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter and salt with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the extracts, then the milk, and continue beating until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Let it cool slightly, then stir the melted chocolate and cocoa powder into the reserved 1 cup of frosting.
- Make the trees: Using a serrated knife, carefully saw off the wide ends of 3 of the sugar cones so the cones are all different heights. Coat the outside of all 4 cones with a thick layer of the chocolate frosting. Press M&M’S into the frosting to cover completely.
- Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Spread about 1 cup of the white frosting over the cake. Top with the second cake layer, then frost the top and sides with the remaining white frosting. Arrange the trees on top and lightly dust them with confectioners' sugar.
Notes
240 calories per serving
