Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

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Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake – Double chocolate layer cake with creamy cheesecake center and peppermint frosting! This rich dessert is sure to steal the show at your holiday celebration!

Love chocolate and peppermint? Try our delicious Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti recipe with your morning cup of coffee! Or give these easy Chocolate Peppermint Grahams a try for a tasty no bake treat.

Slice of cake with chocolate layers surrpounding cheesecake and iced with peppermint frosting.
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The Ultimate Holiday Cake

I have a new love in my life. It comes in the form of cheesecake cakes.

Seriously. I first fell in love when I made a pumpkin cheesecake cake. Now I’ve made a new version for Christmas.

Believe me. There is NOTHING like this dessert. It has layers of rich chocolate cake surrounding a thick creamy cheesecake filling.

Two cakes in one? Yes, please!

Add in a fluffy buttercream frosting flecked with crunchy peppermint candies and you have the ultimate holiday dessert. A slice of this is the best way to celebrate the most festive time of the year.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed to make chocolate peppermint cheesecake cake.

The recipe starts with a rich dark chocolate cake. You’ll also need to plan ahead to make the cheesecake layer ahead of time.

  • Cocoa powder- The dark chocolate cocoa powder makes the cake layer extra rich and chocolate-y. If needed, you can swap it for regular unsweetened cocoa.
  • Coffee – Cooled brewed coffee is the other secret to getting the deepest chocolate flavor in the cake. Make a little extra with your morning pot and set it aside to cool until you’re ready to bake the cake. And no, the cake will NOT taste like coffee.
  • Andes peppermint crunch baking pieces – Folding these into the cheesecake layer and the frosting makes the peppermint flavor shine. You’ll see I use these candies in our peppermint cheesecakes too! Avoid crushed candy canes as it will create an entirely different texture.

You’ll need to soften the butter and cream cheese to make a creamy frosting. Use our tips and tricks on how to soften butter quickly!

How to Make Peppermint Cake

Step by step photos showing how to make chocolate cheesecake cake.

Yes this cake takes a little more time and effort than some Christmas desserts. The results are more than worth it!

STEP 1. Chocolate cake layers

You’ll need two 9-inch layers of chocolate cake. Freeze until ready to use or while you make the cheesecake layer.

STEP 2. The cheesecake layer

Adding a pan of water to the oven (but not necessarily putting the cheesecake IN the pan) still gives the same moist atmosphere this cheesecake needs to create a perfect texture.

When cooled, transfer entire springform pan into the freezer for several hours or overnight. Then, remove cheesecake and wrap in plastic wrap and return to freezer until you’re ready to use.

STEP 3. Crumb coating of frosting

You’ll need to create a crumb coating on the assembled cake. This provides a nice base to spread the chunky peppermint frosting over.

STEP 4. Frost

Frost entire cake with peppermint buttercream frosting. Add extra andes peppermints on top.

Slice of chocolate peppermint cheesecake cake on a white plate with a fork taking a bite.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make a cheesecake cake ahead of time?

Make the Chocolate Cake layer, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Additionally, you can make the cheesecake layer ahead of time and freeze. Then, when you’re ready to serve the cake, put everything together, top with the frosting and you have an incredible homemade cake without much effort. This cake can also be fully made and assembled up to the day before.

How do you store a Cheesecake cake?

Store your cheesecake cake in the fridge tightly covered, then let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with more crushed peppermint candies or candy canes if desired.

What do I do if my cheesecake cracks?

Nothing. If your cheesecake cracks, it’s okay. You can still use it between the cake layers, nobody will know!

Chocolate cake covered in peppermint andes candies.

More Cheesecake Cake Recipes

Love cheesecake cakes? Here are a few of our favorite versions!

  • Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cake– two layers of chocolate cake, with creamy caramel buttercream frosting and a layer of cheesecake in the center!
  • Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake– two layers of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.
  • Eggnog Cheesecake Cake– the ultimate holiday dessert. From scratch spice cake with creamy eggnog cheesecake filling and frosted with homemade eggnog buttercream.

More Cake Recipes

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Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake Recipe

5 from 2 votes
By: Aimee
Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake – Double chocolate layer cake with creamy cheesecake center and peppermint frosting! This rich dessert is sure to steal the show at your holiday celebration!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients 

For the Chocolate Cake Layers:

  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup brewed coffee cooled
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs

For the Cheesecake Layer:

  • 2 packages cream cheese, softened 8 ounce each
  • cup granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ½ cup Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips
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Instructions 

For the Cakes:

  • In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In a measuring cup, mix together cooled coffee and milk. Set aside.
  • Grease 2- 9inch round baking pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • IN mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee and milk mixture, about 3 additions of each.
  • Pour cake batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans.
  • Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, you can wrap each layer in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for later assembly!

For the Cheesecake Layer:

  • Prepare the cheesecake layer. This can be done early in the day, or the night before. If freezing the cheesecake, can be stored 1-2 weeks in the freezer.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a large roasting pan, add 1 inch of water to the pan. Place it on the lowest rack of the oven! Allow it to preheat in the oven.
  • Prepare 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom (inside) with a circle of parchment paper.
  • Beat cream cheese with granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add in salt and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Beat in sour cream, heavy cream, and peppermint extract, until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Fold in peppermint baking chips.
  • Pour into prepared 9-inch springform pan. Place pan in center of preheated oven, with the roasting pan of water on the lowest rack. The cake will not SIT in the water, but still get the benefit of a water bath by being in the oven with it.
  • Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely on counter.
  • When cooled, remove outside portion of the springform pan and place into the freezer for several hours or overnight. I put it in freezer for about 2 hours. If using within 24 hours, feel free to just refrigerate cheesecake!

For the frosting:

  • Beat butter for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and heavy cream and beat an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Add baking chips.
  • To assemble the cake, lay one frozen layer of chocolate cake on cake plate. Top with frozen cheesecake and second layer of chocolate cake. Frost sides and top with a thin layer of frosting to apply a crumb coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour. Remove from refrigerator and frost remaining cake. I keep the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
  • Remove and allow to sit about 15 minutes before slicing. ENJOY!

Notes

  • Make the Chocolate Cake layer, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Additionally, you can make the cheesecake layer ahead of time and freeze. Then, when you’re ready to serve the cake, put everything together, top with the frosting and you have an incredible homemade cake without much effort. This cake can also be fully made and assembled up to the day before.
  • Store your cheesecake cake in the fridge tightly covered, then let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with more crushed peppermint candies or candy canes if desired.
  • If your cheesecake cracks, it’s okay. You can still use it between the cake layers, nobody will know!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 588kcal, Carbohydrates: 80g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 214mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 65g
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Can you imagine any more indulgent and delicious Christmas themed dessert? This Chocolate Peppermint Cake with a cheesecake center is guaranteed to impress!

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About Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

Learn more about Aimee.

Affiliate Disclosure:**There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I love! Thank you for supporting Shugary Sweets! See my disclosure policy for more info**

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Posted on November 11, 2012

Comments & Reviews

    1. I think that would be a lovely substitution! There is enough peppermint in the cheesecake to give it the peppermint flavor (although you could always sprinkle peppermint on top of the ganache if you’d like! YUM.

      1. I went to the store today so I can make this for Christmas Eve but could not find the Andes Crunch Baking Bits at all. They did have Ghiradelli GREEN mint baking morsels. Can I use those? Also, I have a bottle of candy cane bits (for decorating), there is no chocolate just the candy cane pieces, I guess I could put those in the cheesecake. Which do you think would be better?
        Thanks!

        1. I made the cake with the green peppermint chips and it tasted great, although not as pretty (in my opinion) as the red would have been. I used dark chocolate ganache instead of frosting and it was incredible. (My family is partial to ganache!) I made the cake for the Christmas Eve party and, well, let’s just say, there isn’t any left this morning!! 🙂 I was actually surprised at how easy it was to make and assemble. The only tip I would give to anyone else using ganache is to frost the whole thing very thinly with a chocolate buttercream first. Chill it and THEN pour on the ganache (for a more professional smooth finish). My top was nice and smooth the sides of my cake (without the buttercream layer) were “bumpy”. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! Merry Christmas!

  1. This looks absolutely amazing! My family loves peppermint, the only thing is we don’t like coffee, is there a way I can make this without the coffee or substitute it with something else? I’m really wanting to make this so I am hoping you have a suggestion for me!!

    1. Hi Ashley,
      You can take the coffee out and just use more milk in it’s place. The coffee doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, if that’s what you’re worried about. It just enhances the chocolate flavor! But, if you don’t want it, use milk! Or water.

  2. I made this on Friday night for a party we went to yesterday and it was fabulous! It was the first cake/cheesecake I have made and I couldn’t believe how pretty it turned out! When I took it to the party people kept asking if I made it because they thought I bought it 🙂 I ended up making the two chocolate cakes and cheesecake on Friday night, wrapped them in plastic wrap and froze overnight. Then I assembled everything and frosted the next day. I bake from scratch regularly and am used to making complicated recipes, but I have to say this did take longer than I expected so I’m glad I spread it out over two days. I loved the dark chocolate flavor with the peppermint cheesecake and then the buttercream frosting was the perfect addition. The only comment I received was that there may have been a bit too much peppermint, so next time I will probably cut the Andes baking chips in half for the frosting instead of using the whole bag. I see above you asked for a picture from another reader on FB so I will find you and post mine too – I am a total foodie and take pictures of all my creations 🙂 Thanks for sharing a great recipe, this was the perfect thing to make for a Christmas party – it tasted great and looked so festive!

    1. Ashley, Thank you so much for the feedback! It is a little tedious the stages of making this cake…but so so worth it! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. I love peppermint, so for me it was perfect, but I can see how it might be a bit much. Thank you also for the photo on facebook, it turned out gorgeous!!!

  3. Cakes are made and in the freezer, cheesecake in the oven, decorating it with white fondant, and pink poinsettia’s for my women’s group Christmas Party! Thanks

  4. Yum!! I just made this cake this week…and yes, it pretty much took me the whole week. Wanted to try it out to see if I want to make it for Christmas…and OH BOY!! I am SOOOOO making it at Christmas!!! It was so nice to be able to do it in steps and freeze them. I am sitting here enjoying a piece right now…and I mean I’m REALLY ENJOYING it!! It is so amazing!! I cheated and used Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free chocolate cake mix, since I can’t eat gluten and didn’t feel like experimenting when I know her GF cakes are good. And let me tell you…I have been gluten free for a little over a year now, and this is probably the BEST dessert that I have had in that time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!

    1. I am so glad you enjoyed this cake! And that you are able to make it Gluten Free! Thanks for sharing your feedback, makes my day to hear people enjoying my recipes!

    2. Melissa, I am glad you posted this! I am going to make this for Christmas and was planning to use Betty’s GF cake since I am GF too! Glad to know it turned out. Can’t wait to try it!

  5. Hello Aimee! Just wanted to pop in an let you know I picked your AMAZING cheesecake/cake for my personal favorite at this week’s Weekend Potluck. This will definitely be on my Christmas rotation, my family is going to flip! It is just gorgeous! I look forward to trying your pumpkin one as well. Thanks for linking up to our little party, keep ’em coming! 🙂

  6. Do you have any substitution ideas for the Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips? I think they’ve been discontinued. I can only find them online at very inflated prices. Thanks!

    1. Hey Erin. I just made this cake this past week. Couldn’t find the Baking Chips anywhere. I finally found Andes Peppermint Crunch little rectangle candy things that have the candy cane design on them at Target. I bought those and chopped them up. (Got a blister from it too! UGH!) It turned out great…just annoyed that I couldn’t find them anywhere and had to do all that extra chopping. You could maybe order them online http://www.ecrater.com/p/16270173/andes-peppermint-crunch-baking-chips-10?gps=1 This is the only place I’ve found where you can order them…maybe you’ll have better luck if you look…I may decide to go that route next time to save on time.

      1. You may also be able to try Hershey Kiss Candy Cane kisses, chopped. Or regular Andes Mint Chips, it would just give it a chocolate/green mint look instead of red.

      2. Thanks, Melissa! I actually finally found the chips today at Walmart. They were on a shelf unit in the middle of the large aisle next to the baking aisle. The shelves were full of holiday-related baking products. Before I found them, I did have the rectangle candies in my hand, but I was not looking forward to unwrapping and chopping them all. Ugh! I was ready to give up and saw the chips at the last minute–yay! Thanks for the helpful reply! I had also read about someone substituting the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Baking Bar, chopped. I don’t know how similar it is, but it might work.

    1. You don’t have to use coffee, you can substitute water. But the coffee brings out the chocolate flavor (and doesn’t make it taste like coffee at all)!!

  7. What a beautiful cake… and it sounds delicious. Pinned to try soon!

    New follower here, you have a lovely site,

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
    (¸.·´ (¸.·`¤… Jennifer
    http://jennsrandomscraps.blogspot.ca/
    http://pinterest.com/jennp6/

  8. Chocolate and peppermint! Ah! Yum.

    I have a weekend party I’d love for you to share this on:

    http://westernwarmth.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

    Bobi

  9. Happy Holidays! Do you think I could make the layers now (6 days before), and keep them frozen until Wednesday? This is amazing! Thank you very kindly!

    1. Thank you so very kindly! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving <3 I will be happy to share the outcome of my cake if you wish?

      Best regards,
      Traci

  10. I still haven’t tried cheesecake cake! I need to get up to speed, don’t I? It looks amazing! I can’t wait for Christmas. This would definitely get me in the proper mood. 🙂

  11. Found you through Dorothy’s link up party. This looks absolutely divine and gorgeous to boot!

5 from 2 votes

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