A white-as-snow peppermint meringue icing decked with candy-cane stripes tops three decadent layers of chocolate cake for a holiday treat that’s almost too pretty to eat – almost!

Photography: Maya Visnyei

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cake

• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1⁄4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 1⁄2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 2 1⁄4 cups buttermilk

Peppermint Meringue Icing (makes 7 cups)

• 2 1⁄3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1⁄4 cups liquid egg whites
• 3 cups unsalted butter, softened and cubed
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

Assembly

• Peppermint Meringue Icing
• 1⁄2 cup crushed candy canes
• 5 to 10 candy canes or peppermint sticks (optional)

Directions

Dark Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat into butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, making 3 additions of the flour mixture and 2 of buttermilk. Scrape into prepared pans, smoothing tops.

Bake until cake tester inserted in centres comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Invert onto greased racks; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Peppermint Meringue Icing

In stainless-steel bowl set over saucepan of gently simmering (not boiling) water, whisk sugar with egg whites until sugar is dissolved and candy thermometer reads 140°F. Transfer egg mixture to stand mixer with whisk attachment; whisk until stiff peaks form and mixture is cooled completely, about 10 minutes. (If only soft peaks form after 12 minutes, proceed with recipe as directed. It will yield slightly less icing.)

Switch to paddle attachment; beat in butter at low speed, 1 cube at a time, until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. (Mixture may look curdled but will come back together.) Beat in peppermint extract.

Assembly

Using serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to level, if necessary. Spread 1 tsp of the icing in centre of cake plate; top with 1 cake layer, cut side up.

Spread 1 1⁄4 cups of the icing over cut side; cover with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread 1 1⁄4 cups of the icing over top. Cover with final cake layer, cut side down; spread with 1 cup of the icing.

Using offset palette knife, spread thin layer of the icing all over cake; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Using offset palette knife, spread remaining icing all over cake, smoothing side and top; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Arrange 2-inch wide strips of parchment paper vertically, 1 inch apart, around side of cake. Press crushed candy canes into exposed icing on side of cake; carefully peel off parchment paper. Garnish top of cake with candy canes (if using). Store at room temperature
for up to 4 hours.

Makes 16 servings.

Tip

If you’re storing meringue-based icing in the fridge, it can separate when being brought to room temperature. Here’s the fix: transfer 1⁄2 cup of the icing to a microwaveable bowl; microwave on medium until melted, about 15 seconds. Scrape into remaining icing and beat again; repeat if necessary until icing returns to original fluffy texture.