Mocha Peppermint Loaf

When you combine cocoa, coffee, and peppermint, they form the perfect flavour combination; and these flavours are bold and delicious in this Mocha Peppermint Loaf. Because this loaf is made with buttermilk, it remains very moist. Drizzled with a peppermint ganache and topped with crushed peppermint candy, this loaf is certainly decadent! This recipe makes two loaves – one for you and one to share!

In our home, Christmas cannot come and pass us by without a good dose of treats flavoured with peppermint. Those treats are even more welcomed and enjoyed if they have crushed candy cane bits in them. Seriously, we can’t get enough of it! I’m not a huge lover of sweets, but every Christmas I have to get my peppermint fix. This year, I managed to satisfy the craving with this Mocha Peppermint Loaf.

So today, I’m back with another chocolate and peppermint combination, but this time, I’m adding some coffee to the mix as well. If you have never baked with coffee before, you should give it a try. If you happen to be one of those people who don’t like coffee, don’t worry – you won’t taste it! Adding coffee to chocolate does not change the flavour of the chocolate, however, it does enhance the chocolaty-ness. You’ve never experienced rich, deep, chocolate cake-type desserts until you’ve baked a cake – or loaf, in this case! – with coffee!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my second Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

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

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves Series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, 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!!??

BAKED GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

This loaf is so perfect for gift-giving, which is just what I did with it. Not only is this loaf great for giving to a friend or loved one, but it’s so easy to package and transport. It might be just me, but is there anyone else out there who loves to receive kitchen-related products as gifts?

If you’d like to gift this loaf to a friend, here’s what you should do. First, buy a new loaf pan and another kitchen item such as a whisk or a spatula. Bring them home, and wash and dry the loaf pan. Then, bake the loaf right into the new pan.

Once baked and cooled, garnish the loaf in any way you deem suitable. Wrap the loaf pan up in some cellophane, tie a ribbon on it, and attach the whisk or spatula. Now, you’ve got a dessert and a gift all in one! I’d love to get something like that; so thoughtful, right!?

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.

FOR THE LOAF:

• Coffee – You will need hot brewed coffee.
• Buttermilk – This will keep the loaf rich and moist!
• Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product which adds deep chocolate flavour to desserts and beverages.  Use a good quality cocoa powder, not the kind we used to stir into milk as kids!
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown the loaf. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Baking Soda 
• Peppermint Extract

FOR THE GANACHE:

• Chocolate Chips – I use chocolate chips a lot in my recipes, and I change up the type depending on how I feel.  Unless the recipe states otherwise, you can use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chips. 
• Milk – Use whole milk.
• Peppermint Extract
• Crushed Candy Canes – For garnish.

HOW TO MAKE A MOCHA PEPPERMINT LOAF

To prepare the loaf, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two loaf pans very well by coating the inside of the pans with non-stick cooking spray. Dust the entire baking surface of the pans with one tablespoon of cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the coffee, buttermilk, butter, and cocoa powder. Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is combined. Remove from heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and set aside to cool. Next, sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Once the butter mixture has cooled, add the eggs and peppermint extract. Beat into the butter mixture until well combined. Add the sifted flour mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed through.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans so that the pans are no more than 3/4 full. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 2 hours before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.

To prepare the ganache, place the milk and dark chocolate chips, along with the milk and peppermint extract into a small saucepan. Over low heat, stir the ingredients together until the chocolate has melted and the ingredients are combined. Spoon the frosting over the loaves and garnish with the crushed peppermint candy.

CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT

If you love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, there are several recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen that you should take advantage of! You will have to try my Peppermint Chocolate Biscotti. I shared this one with my readers a few yeas ago as a part of my 12 Biscotti of Christmas series. It was quite the hit!

How about this no-bake Peppermint Chunk Fudge? Unlike those fudge recipes that are basically big chunks of melted chocolate that have re-hardened, this fudge is cake-like; almost like a brownie! They are so delicious and addicting too! I also have these baked Chocolate Peppermint Donuts. Again, they are baked, not fried, so even though they are super chocolatey and covered in icing, they are still healthier than any donut you can buy at a bakery!

Not into cookies, fudge, or donuts? What about ice cream? Remember I mentioned the candy cane ice cream that John.e buys every Christmas? Well, you can make your own No Churn Peppermint Cookie Ice Cream at home. You won’t need a fancy, expensive ice cream maker to do it! I added crushed peppermint Oreos to the ice cream to make it even more indulgent! Anyway, I digress.

MAKING YOUR OWN CRUSHED CANDY CANES

If you don’t want to use the red and white crushed candy canes that you can find just about anywhere this time of year, you can crush your own candy canes by placing unwrapped, broken candy canes into a sturdy bag and firmly rolling over them with a wooden rolling pin.

Either way, the candy canes should not be crushed too finely. Many times, you’ll find they have too much powder, meaning that they have been crushed too much. You want chunky pieces in order to get the red and white speckled pattern.

I’ve tried crushing them myself and have crushed them a little too much. Even the type you buy in the store can sometimes have too much candy cane dust. You can easily fix it by filtering out the dust. Working in small amounts, place a heaping spoonful of the crushed candy canes into a colander. Sift out the dust so that you are left with nice little pieces.

SERVING YOUR LOAF

Here’s the thing about breads and loaves – they both come from humble beginnings. Even looking at it, you can tell that it isn’t pretty, it isn’t spectacular, and it surely isn’t show-stopping. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that your loaf shouldn’t be served with style!

Like scones and biscuits, I think loaves lend themselves quite well to what most people would call English Tea. I like to think of English Tea as an afternoon snack. And, afternoon snacks are terribly underrated! I like to partake whenever time permits. Hot coffee and a slice of this Mocha Peppermint Loaf, or any other sweet treat, is a great break from the 9-5 routine.

With the cooler weather approaching, I can’t think of a better way to serve this loaf than putting out a full set of tea. Sure, it might seem that I have too much time on my hands, but life is short, folks – enjoy it! Take the tea set out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a well-deserved afternoon break!

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 to follow me and never miss another recipe!