Serves 20
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For sponge

For the icing

To decorate

  1. Preheat the oven to 190oC/170oC fan/gas mark 5. Grease and line the base and sides of four 20cm round cake tins.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, and the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  3. In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, and cocoa powder.
  4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Take care not to over mix.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the cake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the tin for 10 minutes before allowing it to cool fully on a wire rack.
  6. To make the icing, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Slowly add the icing sugar in bit by bit until smooth. Add the peppermint extract and a splash of milk to ensure a smooth consistency.
  7. Divide the icing into two bowls reserving a small amount for decorations. To the first bowl, add a few drops of red food colouring and mix well. Leave the second bowl as-is, and add a few drops of green food colouring to the reserved icing, mixing well again.
  8. Fit two piping bags with round nozzles. Add the white icing to one and the red to the other.
  9. To assemble the cake, place the first sponge layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Using the white icing, pipe a circle around the circumference, and then make another circle with the red inside the circle you just made. Continue this process for the rest of the cake layers. This will give the candy cane effect when the cake is cut. 
  10. To crumb coat the cake, use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of white buttercream over the top and sides, making sure to fill in any gaps. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set.
  11. Once set, spread a generous amount of white buttercream over the cake and smooth it out with a straight cake scraper. 
  12. Using a stripe cake scraper, glide the comb through the buttercream at a 90-degree angle until perfect gaps are formed around the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 45 minutes until it is firm to touch.
  13. Using the red piping bag, fill in the gaps between the white layers. Glide a straight cake scraper over to smooth it out. Keep scraping until all the lines are clear and sharp. Refrigerate this again for 10 minutes.
  14. To make the ganache drip, add the white chocolate to a large bowl. Heat the cream over a low heat until just bubbling, pour it over the chocolate, and let sit for 30 seconds before stirring until smooth. Using a teaspoon, gently add drips around the edge of the cake, filling in the entire top layer. Place the cake in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to set.
  15. To create the wreath, fit a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and fill it with green buttercream. Pipe swirls of green icing into a circular shape. Decorate with Christmas sprinkles and decorations.
  16. To finish the cake, scatter Christmas sprinkles and place candy canes on top.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving 621kcals, 33.8g fat (20.7g saturated), 79.8g carbs (64.3g sugars), 5g protein, 1.9g fibre, 0.243g sodium 

CakesChristmasSweet thingsSpecial OccasionsBaking

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