Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

I’ve been so excited to make a holiday cake for you this year: Peppermint Cheesecake Cake!

Its seems that every year I have a sincere desire to come up with some new cheesecake cakes to share.  This cheesecake cake is my newest:  a Peppermint Cheesecake Cake.  It’s a layer of white chocolate peppermint cheesecake sandwiched in between two layers of white peppermint cake.  The whole thing is wrapped in cream cheese frosting and topped with some delicious chopped white chocolate peppermint bar.  It definitely has a festive vibe to it for the holiday season!

The cake comes from a simple white cake batter, flavored lightly with peppermint extract.  I didn’t want the cake to be overpowered with peppermint, so there’s just a hint.

I have a secret that I’ve shared before, and I’ll share it again:  use BAKE STRIPS when you are making a layer cake to get nice, even, flat cake layers!  You can find them at craft stores that sell Wilton products (like Michael’s)- or on Amazon.  Just pre-soak them in water, wrap around the pans and they insulate the pans so they don’t rise with a dome in the middle.  You’ll get nice, flat cakes that are easier to decorate!  They’re less than $10, and if you have one of those coupons for the craft store, they’re even cheaper!  Oh, and they make great stocking stuffers too!!

The cheesecake portion of the cake (the surprise center of the cake) is a simple white cheesecake that has chopped peppermint white chocolate mixed in.  You can use these bars and chop them up, chopped candy cane kisses or Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.  They can all be found at places like Walmart, Target or drugstores.

And here’s the building of the cake… 

I smothered mine in more candy cane white chocolate bits.

I’m tellin’ you– this is such an impressive cake to serve for guests because of that fabulous layer of cheesecake hidden inside!!  It’s over-the-top fabulous.

The cake takes a little bit of time to make- there are several steps involved.  But I promise you that it’s all worth it in the end.  If you’re a fan of the Candy Cane Kisses, you’ll be a fan of this cake too.  Happy holiday baking!

5 from 1 vote

Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

By RecipeGirl.com

This elegant cake is a holiday dinner show-stopper!

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cooling Time: 2 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 16 servings

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Ingredients

CHEESECAKE

• ▢ Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• ▢ ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 pinch salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ⅓ cup sour cream
• ▢ ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1½ cups chopped white chocolate peppermint bar (see *Tips below)

CAKE

• ▢ 3 cups Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ 1½ cups granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 large egg whites
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract

FROSTING, ETC.

• ▢ Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 2½ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ a few drops of red/pink food color (completely optional)
• ▢ 2 cups (more or less, as desired) chopped white chocolate peppermint bar (see *Tips below)

Instructions 

CHEESECAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325. Place a pan filled with 1 inch of water on the lower rack (the moisture in the oven helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking). The cheesecake will bake on the middle rack. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping the sides as necessary. Mix in the eggs, then mix in the sour cream and whipping cream. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is no longer jiggly. Let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack for about an hour When it has cooled, wrap the pan and place it in the freezer until it is quite firm, at least a couple of hours (longer, if needed).

CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray (I like to use the Pam Baking spray with flour). If you don't have the baking spray with flour, it's best to line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the egg whites, milk, butter and extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
• Divide the batter between the two pans. (See *Tips below) Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the cakes test done with a toothpick inserted into the center coming out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes, then gently remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on racks.

FROSTING

• n a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until creamy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable (add some color, if you wish).

ASSEMBLY

• Place one cake layer in the center of a cake plate or platter. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the first cake layer.
• Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take the side off of the pan and slide a knife under the cheesecake to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Trim the cheesecake, as need to match the size of your cake layers (see *Tips). Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cheesecake. Then place the 2nd layer of cake on top of the cheesecake.
• Place a large amount of frosting on top of the cake, spread the frosting out to the edges and down the sides of the cake. Fill in the rest with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle chopped chocolate on the top and down the sides of the cake, as desired..
• Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Let the cake get quite chilled, then gently cover it with plastic wrap

Notes

• For the white chocolate peppermint bar you can use any of the following: Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, or chopped Hersheys Candy Cane Bars. Most of these items are available at Walmart, Target or other drugstores during the holidays.
• To get nice, even, flat cakes I use Bake-Even Strips. You can find them at craft stores that sell Wilton products (like Michael's) or on Amazon. Just pre-soak them in water, wrap around the pans and they insulate the pans so they don't rise with a dome in the middle. You'll get nice, flat cakes that are easier to decorate!
• Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger size round than your cake layers, move it to a cutting board and use a knife to gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 869kcal, Carbohydrates: 96g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 51g, Saturated Fat: 30g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 415mg, Potassium: 300mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 76g, Vitamin A: 1307IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 230mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Disclosure:  This post was created in partnership with Gold Medal Flour, a product I’ve used and trusted in my kitchen for many years.  All opinions shared are my own. There are Amazon affiliate links within this post.