Christmas Bakecation

If that picture describes you looking in your pantry thinking what in the peace on Earth goodwill to men you’re going to make for Christmas dessert, then look no further.

I’m not sure when this cake became a staple at Christmas, but I am oh so glad that it did. I’ve mentioned before of my love of chocolate and mint as a duo. It’s like Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. (I promised myself that this was going to be the year that I watched White Christmas for the first time ever. I lied).

This recipe comes courtesy of our eldest sister. The only Stewart not to go into the education field. The Stewart who is always down to host a party. The Stewart who once drove to Bethlehem, Georgia to mail her Christmas cards, so they’d be postmarked “Bethlehem,” and no one noticed.

Her chocolate peppermint cake is the thing of miracles-not virgin giving birth in a stable kind of miracle- more like oooh I just found a crisp 20 on the sidewalk. Miracles are everywhere, and they are found at the end of your fork with this cake.

Ingredients:
1 vanilla, white, or yellow cake mix
1 3.5 oz small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup chocolate syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cup water

Mix all together about 30 sec until combined, scrape bowl, and mix 1 to 2 minutes until well combined.
The batter will be thick.

After removing from oven, let cakes sit in pan for 5 to 10 min before turning out on wire rack to cool.
Cool them completely then wrap and put in freezer.

Split my two cakes into 4 this will be very challenging if you don’t freeze the cake layers first.
It allows for more icing, and all is right with the world.

Icing:
To make one batch
2 stick softened unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 to 5 TBS milk
1/2 cup of crushed candy cane hersey kisses (crushed mine in food processor)
It takes about 25 kisses to get the 1/2 cup
1/4 tps peppermint extract
1 tps vanilla extract

Combine butter, sugar and milk until well combined.
Can add more milk if needed to get a better frosting consistency.
Then add candy pieces, peppermint extract, and vanilla.
Whip the frosting on a higher speed for 3 to 5 min, and it
should be easy to spread.

Make 2 separate batches of icing…apparently this is better than doubling.

Dirty ice the cake and then put in fridge for 20 min.

Ice the cake completely with second batch of icing.

Decorate with more crushed peppermints to your liking.

And there you have it. Christmas dessert is done. Well not really done. You still have to make it and might I suggest Rend Collective’s “A Jolly Irish Christmas” album playing while you bake. I’ve never loved ‘Good King Wenceslas’ more.

Thank you so much for reading! We hope you all have the most wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior. We will be spending the day eating appetizers and peppermint cake and not watching A Christmas Story.