Peppermint Buttercream Icing Recipes

Steps:

• whip butter.
• blend in icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of half and half.
• add egg whites and BEAT! until fluffy.
• mix in peppermint extract.
• Be sure to taste!

Steps:

• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and creamy; gradually add confectioners' sugar and milk and beat until smooth. Add peppermint extract and food coloring and beat on high speed until fluffy.

Steps:

• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the peppermint candy, confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk or peppermint schnapps if the frosting seems too stiff.

Steps:

• Put 1 1/2 cups sugar, the corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, without stirring; wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until syrup registers 230 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Reduce speed to low. Carefully pour in hot syrup down side of bowl. Raise speed to medium-high. Mix until completely cool, thick, and shiny, 12 to 15 minutes. Mix in peppermint extract. Use immediately.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8-by-8-inch square or 9-inch round light-colored metal baking pan with oil.
• In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the mixture until foamy and slightly lighter in texture and color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir the espresso powder into the hot water, then add the mixture to the bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a rack for about 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, clean the mixing bowl and make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then add 2 teaspoons of the cream, the vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and salt. Turn the speed up to medium-high, and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, adding a bit more cream a teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to make a smooth and light frosting. Taste the frosting, and add a few more drops of peppermint extract if desired. The frosting can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.
• Top the cooled cake with an even layer of frosting, then use the tip of a toothpick to dot the frosting with a few small dots of gel food coloring, if using. Use a spoon or offset spatula to swirl the food coloring into the frosting to create candy cane-like stripes - just a few swipes will do the trick. If you mix it in too much, the frosting will turn pink. Top the cake with sprinkles and shaved chocolate, if desired. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yolk. Add cocoa and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with ice water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just blended and smooth after each addition. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.
• For dark chocolate ganache:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Chill until firm enough to spread, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Before using, let stand at room temperature until soft enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
• For white chocolate cream:
• Place white chocolate in large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in saucepan. Pour hot cream over white chocolate. Let stand 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Whisk in extract. Cover; chill until mixture thickens and is cold, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.
• Add 2 cups chilled cream to white chocolate cream and beat until smooth and peaks form. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk to thicken, if necessary, before using.
• Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer on platter, cut side up. Spread 1/3 of dark chocolate ganache over cake. Spoon 2 cups white chocolate cream in dollops over cake; spread evenly to edges. Top with second cake layer, cut side down; spread 1/3 of ganache over, then 2 cups white chocolate cream. Repeat with third cake layer, cut side up, remaining ganache, and remaining cream. Cover with fourth cake layer, cut side down. Chill while preparing frosting.
• For peppermint frosting:
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, egg whites, and corn syrup in large bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer. Whisk by hand to blend well. Set bowl with mixture over saucepan of gently simmering water; whisk constantly with hand whisk until mixture resembles marshmallow creme and ribbons form when whisk is lifted, 8 to 9 minutes. Whisk in peppermint extract. Remove bowl from over water and attach bowl to heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until mixture is barely warm to touch and very thick, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using offset spatula and working quickly, spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle chocolate curls over top and sides. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill.

Steps:

• Cream together margarine and shortening until well combined. Add cocoa powder and mix well.
• Add the icing sugar about half a cup at a time and beat well each time adding a little splash of soy milk when all ingredients have been mixed . Beat in the essences for about 3 minutes with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

Steps:

• Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees). Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing speed to high, beat egg whites until stiff and glossy and the bottom of the bowl is cool, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Switch to paddle attachment, and add peppermint extract, salt and, if using, food coloring. Beat until air bubbles are gone and mixture is smooth. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip with paddle attachment before using.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• In small mixer bowl combine sugar, 3/4 cup butter and 1 tablespoon cream.
• Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy (1 minute).
• By hand, stir in all remaining crust ingredients except chocolate chips.
• Press on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Let stand 2 minutes; spread over crust.
• Cool 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large mixer bowl combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup butter, cream cheese, salt and peppermint extract flavoring.
• Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough whipping cream to reach desired consistency and scraping bowl often, until smooth (1 to 2 minutes).
• Spread over cooled chocolate layer.
• Refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour) cut into bars.
• Store refrigerated.