Candy Cane Peppermint Bundt Cake

Peppermint is a dominant Christmastime flavour, so this candy cane bundt cake has a lot of it! With crushed candy canes baked into the cake batter and sprinkled over top a sweet and sugary glaze too, there’s no shortage of peppermint flavour here!

Initially, I wasn’t going to include this Candy Cane Peppermint Bundt Cake in my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas series. But, I realized that I had included only one cake so far for the kids. All kids love candy canes, and I’m sure they will love this cake too. Now they can have their cake and candy too!

CRUSHED CANDY CANES

In the recipe card below, I indicated that you need 3/4 cup of crushed candy canes to make this cake. You can crush your own, but you can easily find them already crushed at any bulk food store. Walmart carries them and so do most dollar stores at Christmastime.

Back in August, John.e, McKenna, my dad, and I were shopping for antiques in St. Jacob’s. The reason for this shopping trip was to try to find cake stands or cake plates. I found only one cake plate. It was the one you see in the Holiday Matcha Bundt Cake photos. The other cake stands/plates were found at HomeSense, Winners, Hobby Lobby, and my dad’s china cabinet! This red cake stand though, was my mom’s. I bring it out only at Christmastime. But, this story isn’t about the cake stands, it’s about the crushed candy canes.

Right next to this very large antique market in St. Jacob’s, is a bulk food store. We go there maybe twice a year, but I think that number might increase greatly, Dear Reader. That particular bulk store has everything you could ever want or need if you’re a baker.

In most cases, crushed candy canes are red and white. This store had crushed candy canes that were red, white, and green. I had to have them! Truth be told, Dear Reader, I “had” to have a lot of things during that particular visit. I almost passed out when the cashier said our total was $193! But, it was worth every penny – especially the $2 I paid for the bag of crushed candy canes!

YOU CAN CRUSH WHOLE CANDY CANES TOO

If you don’t want to use the red and white, then you can crush your own candy canes. Place unwrapped, broken candy canes into a sturdy bag, firmly rolling over them with a wooden rolling pin.

Either way, look for candy canes that are not crushed too finely. Many times, you’ll find them that have too much powder, meaning that they have been crushed too much. You want chunky pieces in order to get the red and green speckled pattern when you slice into your baked cake.

Candy Cane Peppermint Bundt Cake has a lot of peppermint flavour. In addition to the crushed candy canes, there’s also a good bit of peppermint extract. I used one tablespoon of peppermint extract in the cake batter. You can add another teaspoon if you really want more peppermint flavour.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cakes. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Peppermint Extract
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated. 
• Crushed Candy Canes

And, for the decoration of this Candy Cande Peppermint Bundt Cake, you will need confectioner’s sugar, more milk, more peppermint extract, and more crushed candy canes!

HOW TO MAKE A CANDY CANE PEPPERMINT BUNDT CAKE

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a bundt pan by coating the inside of it with non-stick cooking spray. Dust the entire baking surface with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well into the sugar and butter mixture. Next, add the peppermint extract and mix it into the batter. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add the milk and fully incorporate. Stir in the crushed candy canes.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Test the cake to see if it has baked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, continue the baking process for a few more minutes. Test again.) Remove the cake from the oven. Place the cake on a cooling rack and let set for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to continue cooling.

When the cake has completely cooled, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and peppermint extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and top with the remaining crushed candy canes.

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Bundt Cake series! I’m updating this paragraph right here to let you know that even though this original cake series was published in 2019, there have been many holiday recipes shared since then. Some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cakes, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cakes will stay fresh in a covered cake stand or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want to serve the cake, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

If you plan to freeze your Candy Cane Peppermint Bundt Cake, you certainly can! I would not recommend adding the drizzle of glaze or the decorative sprinkles until you take the cake out of the freezer to thaw. To freeze almost any cake, wrap the completely cooled cake well in two layers of plastic wrap. Then, wrap it tightly in a layer of aluminum foil. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!