I shared this beautiful cake for the holidays last year after testing it multiple times to get the perfect texture and flavor. I immediately texted a photo to my team, and they were basically left speechless.
I mean, just LOOK at that fudgy cake with the most tender crumb and the fluffiest buttercream!
This is my gorgeous chocolate peppermint cake with a luxurious peppermint buttercream frosting (and plenty of crushed candy canes for good measure). She’s festive, she’s cute, and she’s a little “snacking cake” AKA my favorite type to bake when I don’t feel like baking a bunch of layers. OH, and she’s gluten-free, too! So easy to make and perfect for your holiday table. Trust me, after one bite everyone will be asking for this recipe!
Everything you’ll need to make this chocolate peppermint cake
This gluten-free mint chocolate cake is deliciously moist and fudgy, and SO easy to make with simple ingredients:
- Flour: we’re using a mix of fine blanched almond flour and oat flour to keep the cake gluten-free.
- Cacao powder: I love baking with cacao powder because it adds such a rich chocolate flavor. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Yogurt: plain Greek yogurt gives this cake extra moisture.
- Eggs: you’ll need 3 eggs to bake the cake up properly.
- Butter: we’re also adding some melted salted butter into the cake batter for even more fudgy texture. You’ll need butter for the peppermint buttercream as well!
- Sweeteners: we’re naturally sweetening the cake itself with pure maple syrup and coconut sugar.
- Flavor boosters: we’re adding both vanilla extract AND peppermint extract to bring out the sweetness and the perfect mint flavor.
- Baking staples: you’ll need both baking powder and baking soda, plus a little salt.
- For the peppermint buttercream: I’m obsessed with how this frosting turned out. It’s made with salted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and peppermint extracts, and a tiny bit of milk. I like to add a little red or pink natural food coloring to make the frosting pink, and then don’t forget the crushed up candy canes to decorate!
Easy dairy-free and vegan swaps
Yes, you can make this chocolate peppermint cake dairy-free and/or vegan! Simply use:
- A dairy-free yogurt (I suggest siggi’s plant based vanilla cups)
- Coconut oil or vegan butter in the cake itself (I recommend Miyoko’s salted vegan butter)
- 3 flax eggs (if making it vegan)
- And vegan butter in the frosting
Can I use different flours?
Unfortunately, no, I cannot recommend a substitute for the almond flour and oat flour in this recipe, so swap at your own risk!
How to make the best chocolate peppermint cake
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients EXCEPT the butter in a separate large bowl until smooth.
- Combine the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined and smooth, THEN stir in the melted butter.
- Bake it up. Pour the batter into a prepared 8×8 inch baking pan, then bake until a tester comes out clean!
- Make the frosting. Use an electric mixer or hand mixer to whip the softened butter. Add the powdered sugar, extracts, and food coloring (if using), and beat slowly, then increase speed to high until the frosting is fluffy. Mix in some milk to thin it out a bit if you’d like.
- Frost, slice & devour. Spread the frosting onto your cooled cake, sprinkle crushed candy canes, slice, and serve!
The importance of weighing ingredients
I test all of my baking recipes by weighing the ingredients, which is the best, most accurate way to ensure that your baked good turns out perfectly! If you don’t already, grab an affordable kitchen scale and get into the practice of weighing. It makes such a difference, and will save you clean-up time!
Can I make cupcakes?
Yes! Simply divide the batter into a standard cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners, and spray the insides with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 15-18 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting and decorating.
Try a double chocolate version
The peppermint buttercream frosting is truly exceptional, but if you’re a big chocolate lover, try topping the cake with this perfect chocolate buttercream frosting.
Festive toppings you’ll love
I know I’ll get tons of questions about the all natural food coloring I use, so click here to get it! Once you’ve frosted the peppermint chocolate cake, have fun with kiddos decorating the top with:
- Crushed candy canes
- Andes mints
- Red & green sprinkles (for a white frosting)
- Pink & white sprinkles (for pink or white frosting)
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: I recommend storing this chocolate peppermint cake in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: let the cake cool and then wrap it well without the frosting in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the full cake in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. To serve it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before adding the frosting and serving it.
Tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowls
- Parchment paper
- 8×8-inch baking pan
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Electric mixer or hand mixer
- Frosting spatula
Get all of my kitchen essentials here!
More cake recipes you’ll love
- One Bowl Gluten Free Gingerbread Snacking Cake
- Marbled Pumpkin Snacking Cake (gluten free!)
- Apple Snacking Cake with Salted Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)
- Dad’s Extraordinary Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Get all of my cake recipes here!
I hope you love this gluten-free chocolate peppermint cake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Snacking Cake (gluten free!)
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups (196g) fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (48g) oat flour
- ½ cup (40g) cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Wet ingredients:
- ⅔ cup (150g) plain 2% or whole-milk greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (156g) pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup (50g) coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 4 tablespoons (57g) salted butter, melted and cooled (or sub melted coconut oil)
- Peppermint buttercream:
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 to 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your frosting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Optional: 1 to 2 drops of red or pink natural food coloring (to make pink frosting!)
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 3 regular-sized candy canes, crushed (about ¼ cup crushed candy canes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper or generously spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, add the almond flour, oat flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla and peppermint extracts until smooth and well combined. DO NOT ADD MELTED BUTTER YET.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined and smooth. Add in the melted butter and stir again until the butter is well incorporated into the batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter and whip on high until light and fluffy (alternatively you can use a hand-mixer). Add powdered sugar vanilla and peppermint extracts (and 1 to 2 drops of food coloring if desired!) and beat slowly at first, then increase speed to high and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy. Add milk to thin the frosting out and beat again for 30 seconds until fluffy.
- Frost the cake and top: Add frosting to the top of the cake and evenly spread to the edges. Sprinkle crushed candy canes all over the top. Cut into 12 or 16 slices and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on December 17th, 2024, and republished on December 16th, 2025.
This is soooo good! Monique’s GF baked goods are always delicious. My son just requested this for his birthday. One question – the frosting hides it, but my cake always sinks in the middle. Any guess as to why and what I can do to fix it? I weigh everything out and all ingredients are fresh.
So glad you love it! That can happen if there’s too much moisture. Try adding another 1/4 cup flour. 🙂 Otherwise, it’s really not a big deal especially with the frosting on top! 🙂
I really want to make this but my son is allergic to nuts. Is there any other type of flour I could use?
I am also wondering about this. Can we substitute a GF cup for cup flour for the almond flour? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tested it, so I’m not 100% sure how the texture will change. Let me know if you give it at try!
Unfortunately, I’ve only tested the cake as is so I can’t recommend a swap – so sorry!
Can you substitute the almond flour for all oat flour?
I wouldn’t recommend it! The texture will be different.
Wowwwwww! This peppermint buttercream is just dreamy!! Made the recipe as listed and it is so so good!
So happy to hear that!
The best!! I made this for myself on my birthday this week and it is delightful! I did sprinkes on top of it instead of crushed peppermint and halved the powdered sugar amount to keep it ever-so-sweet and it’s perfect! My friends asked for the recipe bc they loved it so much. Another great AK recipe!!
Such a great birthday treat! Glad everyone loved it!!
This cake was SO good! I made it for a gluten-free Christmas, and everybody raved about it all night. The texture and flavors were on point. It is still rich and decadent even with the better-for-you ingredients. Definitely try this one out! 🙂
This cake is the best!!! I’m a big ambitious kitchen cake fan. They’re just the best, in general, but this one is the GOAT. The frosting tastes like those soft butter mint candies and it goes perfectly with the fudgey cake. I’m sensitive to things being too sweet but this is perfect. Even my dessert rejecting husband had highest praise for this. I think it will become a Christmas tradition
I forgot to add, I swapped Forager cashew yogurt for the Greek since it’s what I had and it still came out perfect
Amazing!! So glad you loved it!
I made this last night for dessert. I bake a lot but only about 20% is gluten free. My family said it was one of the best cakes I have ever made. I was shocked as how tender and perfectly flavorful the cake was and never would have guessed it was GF. I did throw in a couple tbs of cream cheese into the frosting because I can’t not. Killer recipe all around.
So happy to hear that!!
I made this for our Christmas cake. I like having cake to honor our saviors birth. The cake was good, especially for being on the healthier side of desserts.
Thank you for your creations.
So glad it was a hit!
I made this a couple of days ago and I am so impressed by the results! I was a bit skeptical looking at the list of ingredients but magic must occur when it goes in the oven. The “not too sweet” chocolate base pairs perfectly with the sweeter peppermint icing. So delish and love that it’s gluten-free for any guests with this dietary restriction. I will definitely be making it again!
So glad you loved it!!
Can the cake stay at room temperature for one day? I.e can it be made one day ahead of time and not be refrigerated.
Also can you can use two 8/9 inch cake pans for a fancier cake and then put frosting in between?
For the storage question – I actually think it got better one day after I baked it!
I’d recommend refrigerating it, but feel free to bring it to room temp before serving it! I think two 8-inch pans should work — let me know if you try it.
Yum! I want to make this recipe for my SIL birthday as she is GF. Can I make them into cup cakes? What would be your suggested bake time?
Yes that should work! I would check them around 15 minutes.