HO HO HO Cake: A Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake Recipe
This festive holiday dessert is as delicious as it is eye-catching. I call it the HO HO HO Cake, but it’s officially a Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake recipe—a light and airy chocolate sponge rolled with peppermint buttercream and finished with a glossy chocolate ganache. While it’s a bit of a project, the results are more than worth the effort.
If you’re ready to tackle a slightly technical bake, this recipe will guide you step-by-step to create a showstopping holiday treat. The sponge cake itself is a genoise, requiring some finesse, but the assembly is straightforward. Let’s dive in!
Ingredients You’ll Need for a Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake
- Cake Flour – Provides the perfect light and tender texture.
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking Powder – Traditional genoise cakes don’t use leavening, but a touch here ensures a light, airy cake.
- Butter – Essential for flavor and texture in both the cake and filling.
- Eggs – Six eggs form the foundation of this sponge cake.
- Sugar – Both granulated and confectioners’ sugar are needed.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth to the cake and buttercream.
- Peppermint Extract – Infuses a festive minty flavor.
- Heavy Cream – Used in the frosting and ganache for richness.
- Dark Chocolate – Melted for the smooth, glossy ganache coating.
- Crushed Peppermint Candy – Perfect for decoration.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Spray a 10×15 jelly roll pan with nonstick spray, line it with parchment, and spray the parchment as well. This ensures the cake releases easily. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Step 2: Double-sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Step 3: Whisk the eggs and granulated sugar in a large heatproof bowl (the stand mixer bowl works great). Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the sugar dissolves, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume and forms thick ribbons. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- Step 4: Gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients in quarters, being careful not to deflate the batter. For the final addition, pour the cooled melted butter down the side of the bowl and fold gently to incorporate.
- Step 5: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, tapping it gently to release air bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Be careful not to overbake, as this can cause cracks.
- Step 6: Dust a clean tea towel generously with confectioners’ sugar. While the cake is still warm, turn it out onto the towel, remove the parchment, and dust the top with more sugar. Starting at a short edge, roll the cake tightly into the towel and let it cool seam-side down on a wire rack for about an hour.
- Step 7: Beat the butter until fluffy, then add cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Beat until smooth. For extra flair, tint a small portion of the frosting red to create a striped effect when the cake is sliced (optional).
- Step 8: Unroll the cooled cake and spread the buttercream evenly, about ¼ inch thick. If using striped frosting, alternate wide white and thin red stripes. Roll the cake carefully and trim the ends for a polished look.
- Step 9: Melt the chocolate and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Stir in confectioners’ sugar, then thin with warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until pourable. Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it cascade down the sides. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top for a festive touch.
Tips for Success
- Avoid Overbaking: Overbaking leads to cracks. A few small cracks are fine; that’s what the ganache is for!
- Adapt for Any Season: Skip the peppermint for a classic chocolate roll cake, it will be like a giant Ho Ho cake.
- Embrace Imperfection: A perfect swirl is rare in real-life baking, and that’s okay—your cake will still impress.
Festive Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake
This HO HO HO Cake is a labor of love that rewards you with festive flair and incredible flavor. Perfect for holiday gatherings, it’s a dessert that’s as delightful to make as it is to eat. Give this Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake Recipe a try, and wow your friends and family this season!
Chocolate Peppermint Roll Cake Recipe
A festive holiday roll cake, filled with delicious peppermint buttercream.
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅔ cup cake flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
Peppermint Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- red food coloring (optional if making stripes)
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
- 4 tablespoons warm water (you might need more or less)
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Spray a 10×15 jelly roll pan with nonstick spray, line it with parchment, and spray the parchment as well. This ensures the cake releases easily. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Double-sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs and granulated sugar in a large heatproof bowl (the stand mixer bowl works great). Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the sugar dissolves, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume and forms thick ribbons. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- Gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients in quarters, being careful not to deflate the batter. Along with the final addition or dry ingredients pour the melted butter down the side of the bowl and fold gently to incorporate. Do not over mix, you don't want to deflate the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, tapping it gently to release air bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Be careful not to overbake, as this can cause cracks.
- Dust a clean tea towel generously with confectioners’ sugar. While the cake is still warm, turn it out onto the towel, remove the parchment, and dust the top with more sugar. Starting at a short edge, roll the cake tightly into the towel and let it cool seam-side down on a wire rack for about an hour.
Make the Buttercream
- Beat the butter until fluffy, then add cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Beat until smooth. (If you would like to make red stripes, tint a small portion of the frosting red to create a striped effect when the cake is sliced, this is optional).
Assemble
- Unroll the cooled cake and spread the buttercream evenly, about ¼ inch thick. (If you are trying to get the striped frosting efect, pipe red lines across the cake). Roll the cake carefully and trim the ends for a polished look.
Make the Ganache
- Melt the chocolate and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Stir in confectioners’ sugar, then thin with warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until pourable. Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it cascade down the sides. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top for a festive touch.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
