My peppermint Christmas pound cake is a southern classic made extra festive for the holiday season with sweet peppermint flavor and lots of vanilla! It's inspired by the beautiful bundt cakes my aunt used to make every December.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my peach cobbler pound cake, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make - This homemade Christmas pound cake recipe follows the traditional pound cake proportions with no fancy techniques needed so it is beginner friendly. Follow my pro tips below for the best results!
Festive Winter Flavor - With notes of refreshing mint, mellow vanilla, and sweet almond, this cake tastes very similar to the super popular candy cane cookies that I make for my family every year. But with a tender cake crumb, classic pound cake crust, and sweet frosted finish.
I love cooking and baking during the holiday season most and incorporating classic candy cane flavor into all kinds of treats. Check out my chocolate chip candy cane cookies, slow cooker peppermint hot cocoa, and peppermint hot chocolate dip!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Eggs, Butter, Flour, and Sugar--one pound each and make sure the eggs and butter are at room temperature so that they mix well.
Almond, Peppermint, and Vanilla Extracts infuse the pound cake batter with flavor in every single bite. My family loves the recipe exactly as written but you can play with the amounts of extract to suit your preference or swap in bourbon whiskey for the vanilla.
Peppermint Crunch, aka crushed candy cane or candy cane sprinkles dissolve in the batter while baking and add bursts of sweet minty flavor throughout the cake. They also make for a festive garnish over top!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Food Coloring is optional for dyeing the glaze a bright red color. You can also use beet root powder to achieve a stunning color without chemicals. Or try other festive colors you and your family might enjoy for the season like icy blue or deep green.
Marble Batter - You can add coloring to half the batter to create a peppermint swirl pound cake. Check out this simple trick in action in my strawberry swirl pound cake recipe!
Add Chocolate - For a peppermint mocha pound cake, reduce the almond extract by half and add in ¼ cup of cocoa powder with the dry ingredients.
Pan Shape - This recipe fits into a 10-cup bundt pan or a tube pan or two medium sized-loaf pans.
How to Make Peppermint Pound Cake for Christmas
- Step 1: Cream the butter until smooth then beat in sugar, followed by the eggs, and extracts.
- Step 2: Meanwhile whisk together the flour, crushed peppermint, baking powder, and salt.
Pro Tip #1
I typically cream the butter for about three minutes then another two minutes with the sugar before adding the eggs in, on at a time. This gives each ingredient time to incorporate.
- Step 3: Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until just combined.
- Step 4: Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan.
Pro Tip #2
I recommend beating the batter with your mixer for about 30 seconds then finishing by hand with a silicone spatula or kitchen spoon in order to avoid over mixing it. Over-mixed cake batter results in a tough cake, which we don't want.
- Step 5: Bake until golden brown and fully baked through then let cake sit in pan for about 10 minutes before removing it.
- Step 6: While cake cools, mix together the frosting ingredients until uniform and fluffy.
Pro Tip #3
Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer into multiple places. When fully baked, the toothpick should come out clean.
Pro Tip #4
I use a basic vanilla glaze with food coloring for a festive look but you can add a couple drops of peppermint extract to the mix for candy cane flavored glaze, if you prefer.
- Step 7: Once cake is fully cooled, pour the frosting over top then sprinkle extra crushed peppermint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this cake up to three days ahead of time. Just follow the storage instructions below.
Store covered at room temperature for up to four days then refrigerate in an airtigh container beyond that for up to one week.
You can freeze this cake whole or in slices for up to three months. I recommend freezing it without frosting for the best experience once thawed. Wrap snugly with plastic wrap then aluminum foil before placing in the freezer.
How to Serve
Serve this easy Christmas bundt cake at room temperature with all the toppings you like! Think: candy cane sprinkles, red and green M&Ms, and white chocolate curls. Or an alternative to frosting the cake, you can dust it with powdered sugar all over for a "snowed in" look.
We love ours with a scoop of ice cream and since it's the holidays, a steaming mug of gingerbread hot chocolate to be extra indulgent.
Favorite Unique Pound Cake Flavors
Want more recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this peppermint pound cake from scratch soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Christmas Peppermint Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 whisk
- 1 silicone spatula or kitchen spoon
Ingredients
For the Pound Cake Batter
- 1 pound butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups flour
- ¼ cup peppermint crunch plus more for decorating
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Frosting
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 20 drops red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour inside of bundt pan and set aside.
- Using stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream butter for three minutes or until it is glossy, smooth, and a slightly lighter shade of yellow. Add sugar and beat for another two minutes then beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by extracts.
- Meanwhile, whisk together flour, peppermint crunch, and salt.
- Add half the flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until incorporate then add remaining flour mixture and stir until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan
- Place pan onto middle rack of oven and bake for about one hour 20 minutes or until the exterior is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the interior comes out clean.
- Let baked cake set in pan for about 10 minutes then invert out of pan to cool fully.
- While cake cools, mix the frosting ingredients until glossy, uniform, and fluffy. Frost the cake once fully cooled then sprinkle with more peppermint crunch over top.
Notes
- Food Coloring is optional for dyeing the glaze a bright red color. You can also use beet root powder to achieve a stunning color without chemicals. Or try other festive colors you and your family might enjoy for the season like icy blue or deep green.
- Marble Batter - You can add coloring to half the batter to create a peppermint swirl pound cake. Check out this simple trick in action in my strawberry swirl pound cake recipe!
- Add Chocolate - For a peppermint mocha pound cake, reduce the almond extract by half and add in ¼ cup of cocoa powder with the dry ingredients.
- Pan Shape - This recipe fits into a 10-cup bundt pan or a tube pan or two medium sized-loaf pans.
Tisha says
I love peppermint candy canes, so this recipe definitely gives me some holiday feels! I live Florida, so I’m not going to hold my breath for a white Christmas either lol def want to give this a try!!
Katrina Adams says
This looks delicious and moist!!!! Good Luck with all of your 2019 goals!! 🎄🎄🎄
Jazz says
Thanks, Katrina!