chocolate mini bundt cakes with ganache topping and crushed peppermint on a tray next to candy canes and glasses of milk

‘Tis the season for chocolate peppermint everything! It’s a hard choice for me as far as the ultimate holiday flavor, but I know that gingerbread and peppermint chocolate are my absolute top two favorites!  And these peppermint chocolate bundt cakes are perfect for the holiday season.

chocolate individual bundt cakes with ganache topping and crushed peppermint

Also, using a mini bundt cake recipe is perfect for serving at Christmas parties and holiday get-togethers, without making too much or too little. This recipe makes just six small cakes is a little more practical than making a huge layer cake or even a full-sized bundt cake!

closeup of a mini chocolate bundt cake with crushed candy cane and ganache topping

Not to mention, individually-portioned treats are hygienic and portable. You can package them up and spread holiday cheer by dropping them off on the doorsteps of friends and neighbors.

chocolate mini bundt cakes with peppermint topping and candy canes and glasses of milk

However you enjoy these mini bundt cakes, I hope you have them with a tall glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla bean or even peppermint ice cream! I also hope that you have a wonderful holiday season, however you’re celebrating, and that you’re able to enjoy good food with the ones you love. For the full mini bundt cake recipe, scroll on!

Did you try this recipe? Show us your mini bundt cakes on Instagram or TikTok @lulus using #lovelulus and head to our Holiday Shop to outfit yourself for festive season!

This recipe comes from our food contributor, Stephanie Simmons, of Blue Bowl. Her goal with her kitchen-tested recipes is to get you excited about cooking, show you how good food can taste, and prove that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a good meal.

  • PREP TIME: 50 MINS
  • SERVES: 6
  • recipe chocolate bundt cake
  • recipe mini bundt cakes
  • chocolate bundt cakes recipes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 6 Tbsp salted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract (or ¾ tsp, if you want a little bit of a stronger mint flavor)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Candy canes or peppermints, for decorating

 

Directions

Prep:

  • Make sure your butter has softened to room temperature. Grease your mini bundt pan well. I like to use shortening and then coat it with flour, tapping out the excess. Make sure you really get the shortening in all the cracks super well so the cakes don’t stick.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the Cake Batter:

  • Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl (the flour, cocoa, baking soda & powder, and salt).
  • Cream the softened butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until nice and creamy.
  • Add the sugars and mix again until well creamed with the butter.
  • Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extracts and mix until just combined.
  • Add half the dry ingredients and mix until there are a few streaks of flour left.
  • Add the milk, and mix until it’s just about combined, then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl to get everything mixed in. Mix just until you see the last flecks of flour disappear into the batter.

Bake:

  • Evenly divide the batter between the 6 wells in your greased cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cakes should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it. (If the cakes look like they’ve spread out of the wells a ton, don’t freak! I thought they looked like they had overflowed too, but that will sink back down a bit once they’re out of the oven, and they look normal once you pop them out of the pan.)
  • Let the cakes cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
  • Gently loosen the edges with a butter knife, then invert the pan onto your cooling rack.
  • Let cakes cool while you make the ganache.

Make the Ganache:

  • Finely chop the chocolate and add it to a small bowl.
  • Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat.
  • Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate, and let sit 5 minutes. Then, stir it until everything is smooth. If any chocolate chunks remain, microwave the ganache for 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between.
  • Let the ganache sit for a few minutes to thicken a bit.

Decorate:

Spoon or pour the chocolate ganache over your bundt cakes, and top with crushed candy canes!

 

Serve & Store:

Enjoy immediately! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.