A winter cake that combines peppermint, cookies, and chocolate. Candy cane cookies and cream cake is a must for the holiday season.
Let’s jazz up the traditional cookies and cream cake with a little holiday flair! This holiday cake is flavored with candy cane cookie sandwiches. The assembled layer cake is frosted with chocolate buttercream, garnished with chocolate ganache, and topped with an assortment of sweet goodies.
Candy cane cookies and cream cake is an excellent holiday dessert, perfect for sharing! The cake has a lot of elements sure to please everyone, especially all the Oreo cookie lovers.
This cake has numerous components. Manage time and reduce stress by breaking down the cake making process over several days!
Ingredients
This holiday cake is comprised of:
- Cookies and Cream Cake Layers
- Swiss Buttercream (dyed pink)
- Simple Chocolate Buttercream (American buttercream)
- Garnishes (ganache, cookie sandwiches, candies)
The cake base is adapted from this coconut confetti cake. It uses a combination of butter and coconut oil. Use your choice of refined or unrefined coconut oil. The coconut oil will not impart any flavor.
However, you may sub in your choice of neutral flavored oil such as grape seed oil or avocado oil. The oil ensures the cake stays soft and moist, while the butter provides that rich flavor.
Fold roughly chopped candy cane chocolate cookie sandwiches (such as Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s) into the cake batter. Alternatively, you may easily swap out regular Oreos or any other sandwich cookie flavor. Mint creme Oreos are a fabulous substitute!
Swiss buttercream is a stable frosting made by whipping softened butter into Swiss meringue. It’s less sweet, more silkier, and lighter in texture compared to American buttercream. The cake photographed in this post is features buttercream lightly colored with a few drop of red gel food coloring.
Beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder to make chocolate American buttercream.
There are plenty of options for decorations and garnishes. Keep it simple with crushed candy canes or chopped cookie sandwich bits. Or, add more season candies such as Hot Cocoa Kisses, Candy Cane Kisses, or Andes Peppermint Crunch Thins.
Assembly
Break down cake assembly into four steps: 1) Level the cake layers. 2) Fill the layers. 3) Crumb coat. and 4) Final frosting and decoration.
Check out the step-by-step assembly images displayed in this classic chocolate cake recipe post.
Recommended Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- three 6-inch round cake pans
- piping bag fitted with a small fluted tip
- mini offset spatula
- rotating cake turntable
- stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and whisk attachment
- kitchen thermometer
Make Ahead Options
Bake cake layers up to a month in advance. Cool cake to room temperature. Then, tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze up to a month. Defrost at room temperature and use immediately.
Otherwise, bake cake layers a day before assembly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature away from heat and direct sunlight.
Assemble cake up to two days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Store the assembled cookies and cream cake in the fridge in a covered container until ready to serve. Left cake out at room temperature for about an hour to soften before serving.
Use a sharp knife to slice cake. Wipe knife clean between slices to ensure neat cuts. This holiday cake pairs well with vanilla ice cream, peppermint ice cream, or chocolate ice cream.
It’s also wonderful with hot chocolate such as tsokolate (Filipino hot chocolate) or amp up the flavors with this mint hot chocolate.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Bring to room temperature to allow cake layers to soften before eating.
More Holiday Cake Recipes
Candy Cane Cookies and Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cookies and Cream Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (260 g)
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (113 g) melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup coconut oil, (113 g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- ½ cup whole milk, (114 g)
- 1 cup candy cane chocolate cookies sandwiches*, (105 g), roughly chopped
Swiss Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites , (210 g), about ¾ cup
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, (300 g)
- 2 cups unsalted butter, (454 g), room temp, cut into tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt
- red gel food coloring, as needed
- candy cane chocolate cookie sandwiches, as needed, roughly chopped
Simple Chocolate Buttercream:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (113 g), softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, (170 g)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (20 g)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon milk,
Toppings:
- melted dark chocolate
- candy cane chocolate cookie sandwiches,, roughly chopped
- candy cane pieces, , roughly chopped
Instructions
Cookies and Cream Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease lightly and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combined butter, coconut oil, and sugar. Add eggs and beat until mixture is pale in color. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix on low speed until combined. Fold in chopped cookie sandwiches.
- Divide batter among the three prepared cake pans. Level batter and bake for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding. Allow to cool to room temperature on wire rack.
Swiss Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and sugar. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. Make sure simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk sugar egg mixture until it reaches a temperature of 160°F. *Alternatively, if you don't have a thermometer, heat until all the sugar has melted. You can test this by dipping your pointer finger into the warm mixture and rubbing it against your thumb. The mixture should be smooth. You should not be able to feel the granules of sugar.
- Return bowl to the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat mixture at medium speed until it has cooled to room temperature and mixture is at medium stiff peaks. Reduce speed to low and add butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add a pinch of salt. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until buttercream is light and fluffy.
- If desired, add a few drops of red gel food coloring to achieve pink color. Fold in chopped sandwich cookies. Set aside until ready to assemble cake.
Simple Chocolate Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream butter until smooth. Sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add to bowl in three additions. Mix on low speed after each addition. Add salt and milk. Mix until combined. Adjust consistency according to preference. If buttercream is too thick, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved. If buttercream is too thin, add 1/4 cup sifted powder sugar (up to 3/4 cup). Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly:
- Place one cake round on cake stand, or serving dish of choice. Spread a thin layer of Swiss buttercream. Top with second cake round followed with thin layer of Swiss buttercream. Finish with remaining cake round.
- Spread Swiss buttercream all over cake to seal in the crumbs (crumb coat). Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Once cake is chilled, spread chocolate buttercream over cake.
- Pour melted chocolate over finished cake. Decorate cake with additional piped buttercream and chopped cookie sandwiches.
Notes
- I used the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s. Mint Oreos would be a great substitute.
- I used Americolor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in Red
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
happy new years! (or almost, anyways). excited to see filipino food, since my comfort zone is limited to chicken adobo and leche flan. and i feel you about the candy cane joe joe’s; there’s 3 boxes in my house rn, oops.