The most wonderful time of the year is finally here, and with it, our December Bundt of the Month, the jolly and joyous Vanilla-Peppermint Swirl Bundt Cake! Like the swirls of a candy cane, this red-hued beauty holds a magical surprise in its center. To create the magnificently marbled interior of this Bundt, one base batter is split into two and then layered one upon the other, with one colored red and brightly flavored with peppermint extract and the other delicately flavored with vanilla. The resulting cake is deliciously moist and tender, not to mention incredibly festive in flavor. Baked in Nordic Ware’s newest pan, the Let It Snow Bundt® Pan, the outside of this cake is just as merry and bright as its striped interior. Dusted with finely crushed soft peppermint candies, this cake will sparkle just like a dusting of freshly fallen snow.
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- 1⅓ cups (303 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs (250 grams), room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk (19 grams), room temperature
- 2⅔ cups (333 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons (3.75 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ cup (120 grams) plus 1 teaspoon (5 grams) room temperature water, divided
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- 4 teaspoons (8 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2½ teaspoons (12.5 grams) red liquid food coloring*
- ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- Garnish: finely crushed soft peppermint candies (see Notes)
- Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed just until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup (120 grams) room temperature water and sour cream. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Place half of batter (about 3½ cups or 770 grams) in another medium bowl; fold in cocoa, food coloring, and peppermint extract until well combined. Fold vanilla bean paste and remaining 1 teaspoon (5 grams) room temperature water into remaining batter until well combined.
- Thoroughly spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Dollop and gently spread one-third of red batter (about 1 cup or 257 grams) in bottom of prepared pan; top with one-third of vanilla batter (about 1 cup or 257 grams), dolloping and then gently spreading to edges of pan in an even layer. (It’s OK if it’s not perfect; if batters start to smudge together, wipe your utensil clean and continue spreading.) Repeat procedure twice until all batter is used. Vigorously tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 minutes. Rotate pan, and bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, crack in top of cake appears mostly dry, and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 206°F (97°C) to 210°F (99°C), 12 to 20 minutes more. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert pan onto a wire rack. Gently tap wire rack on counter a few times to help loosen cake; remove pan, and let cake cool completely. Using a small fine-mesh sieve, dust with candies, if desired.
Notes: To finely crush candy, place in a small resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to pound and crush candy until finely ground.
This Bundt cake may have a small soft spot at the bottom where the warm cake crumbs get compressed when turned out onto the wire rack.
Convert This Recipe Into Bundtlettes
These sweet Bundtlettes are the answer to all your single-serving needs, regardless of whether you decide to save them all for yourself or share with family and friends. Follow the recipe below for perfectly portioned Vanilla-Peppermint Swirl Bundtlettes.
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2½ tablespoons (35 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks (37 grams), room temperature
- 1⅓ cups (167 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking powder
- ¼ cup (60 grams) plus ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) room temperature water, divided
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (4 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1¼ teaspoons (6.25 grams) red liquid food coloring*
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla bean paste
- Garnish: finely crushed soft peppermint candies (see Notes)
- Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed just until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup (60 grams) room temperature water and sour cream. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Place half of batter (1⅓ to 1⅔ cups or about 384 grams) in another medium bowl; fold in cocoa, food coloring, and peppermint extract until well combined. Fold vanilla bean paste and remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) room temperature water into remaining batter until well combined.
- Spray a 5-cup Bundtlette pan with baking spray with flour. Divide one-third of red batter among prepared wells, dolloping and spreading in an even layer (about 1 tablespoon or 18 grams per well); top with one-third of vanilla batter, dolloping and spreading in an even layer (about 1 tablespoon or 18 grams per well). (It’s OK if it’s not perfect; if batters start to smudge together, wipe your utensil clean and continue spreading.) Repeat procedure twice until all batter is used. Vigorously tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release any air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack, and let cake cool completely. Using a small fine-mesh sieve, dust with candies, if desired.
Notes: To finely crush candy, place in a small resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to pound and crush candy until finely ground.
This Bundt cake may have a small soft spot at the bottom where the warm cake crumbs get compressed when turned out onto the wire rack.
Bundtology
Our Bundtologists share their expert tips to help master our December Bundt. Click the image to enlarge. Note that each of these tips is specific to this recipe and the Let It Snow Bundt® Pan. Results may vary for other recipes and other pans.
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