Bring the magic of the holidays to your dessert table with this stunning Candy Cane Cake. Featuring a beautiful red-and-white interior and a refreshing burst of peppermint flavor, this festive cake looks like it came straight from a professional bakery but is incredibly easy to make at home. Topped with a luscious layer of smooth vanilla icing and a sprinkle of crunchy crushed candy canes, it’s the ultimate centerpiece for Christmas parties, holiday dinners, or a cozy family gathering. Get ready to slice into a new holiday tradition that everyone will love!
Here’s a look at the core ingredients you’ll need to make this festive Candy Cane Cake.
Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ White Cake Mix: The perfect shortcut to ensure a light, airy, and moist crumb every single time without the hassle of measuring dry ingredients.
Peppermint Extract: A little goes a long way! Peppermint extract infuses the cake batter with that signature, refreshing holiday flavor.
Red Food Color: This is essential for creating the vibrant, eye-catching red swirls that mimic a classic candy cane. Both liquid and gel food color work in this recipe.
Powdered Sugar: This gives the icing its sweetness and helps it become smooth and spreadable when mixed with the milk (or water) and vanilla.
Crushed Candy Canes: Sprinkled on top, they add a festive pop of color and a delightful, sugary crunch.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Water, vegetable oil, egg whites, milk, and vanilla.
Here’s a quick primer on how to make this beautiful Candy Cane Cake. Follow the recipe below for all the specifics!
Heat your oven as directed and grease your pan. Beat the cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites in a large bowl following the directions on the cake mix box.
Stir the peppermint extract and red food color into 3/4 cup of the batter until it turns a festive red. Leave the remaining batter white.
Pour about 2 cups of the white batter into the prepared pan. Pour the red-tinted batter over the white batter; then pour the remaining white batter over the red batter.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Spread the vanilla icing evenly over the cake and sprinkle with crushed candy canes just before serving.
This festive cake is perfect for sharing, but if you have leftovers, here’s how to store them to keep the cake fresh.
Store the frosted cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze unfrosted cake wrapped tightly in foil and placed in a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on the cake close to serving time. If stored in the fridge or a humid environment, the candy canes will absorb moisture, melt, and bleed red color into your pristine white icing.
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or use baking spray with flour.
Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan.
In small bowl, mix about 3/4 cup batter with the food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour red batter over white batter in pan.
Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter.
In small bowl, mix Icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cake. Sprinkle crushed candy on top just before serving.
