Since our gingerbread decorating party was really a candy extravaganza, I decided to make a white chocolate peppermint cake for dessert. The peppermint flavor and white chocolate were a great pair.  Even though there is no peppermint added to the cake batter, just the icing, the extract from the icing seeps into the cake making every bite pepperminty. I made the “Classic White Layer Cake” recipe from the cookbook The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. If you’re looking for a last minute gift for someone who loves to bake or wants to learn the ins and outs of baking, this is a perfect choice. It’s also at Costco for a very reasonable price. Most cookbooks tell you what to do to make the recipe. This is what often causes me to pick up the phone and call my mom in the middle of my kitchen disaster with questions like, “Should it look like this?” or “Did I really have to use cake flour?”. Not only does is this book loaded with step by step pictures, it has troubleshooting pages which explain things such as the best way to ensure cake layers are even (their answer: weighing the filled cake pans). They also include “Don’t Make This Mistake!” photos showing you how not to make the most common mistakes before you actually dive in. The white chocolate peppermint frosting is from Anne Byrn who wrote the hugely popular cookbook called Cupcakes From the Cake Mix Doctor. If you like peppermint, you won’t be disappointed!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Classic White Layer Cake

1 c. whole  milk room temperature

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2 1/4 c. cake flour (do not substitute all purpose flour)

1 3/4 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Adjust oven rack to the middle position, heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8″ or 9″ cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the milk, egg whites, and both extracts together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Using an electric mixer on medium-low, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds. Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes.

Beat in all but about 1/2 of the milk mixture, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly beat in the remaining 1/2 c. milk mixture until the batter looks slightly curdled, about 15 seconds.

Give the batter a final stir with a spatula and scrape batter into prepared pans. Tap pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake cakes about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with few crumbs attached.

Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cakes, then flip onto a wire rack. Peel off parchment paper, flip cakes right side up on wire rack. Cool completely, at least two hours before frosting.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces (half an 8-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted