Chocolate candy cane nativity cake, a birthday cake for Jesus

Several years ago, my mother had the idea to have a birthday cake for Jesus as a Christmas dessert. Since then, I have been making a chocolate candy cane cake topped with a chocolate nativity scene to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. This cake is a soft, fluffy chocolate peppermint treat with a crunchy candy cane buttercream frosting, that combines to create a decadent, festive, and meaningful dessert.

One of the Christmas books my parents used to read to my siblings and me was The Legend of the Candy Cane. In the story, the candy cane holds many meanings: its shape resembles a shepherd’s staff when upright and forms a ‘J’ for Jesus when turned upside down. The red stripes represent the Precious Blood He shed for us, while the white stripes symbolize His purity. Altogether, it’s the perfect cake to honor Christ’s birth!

Even if you’re not a skilled baker, this cake is easy to bake and decorate with the help of the nativity silhouette from Joy Food Sunshine. The silhouette comes in two sizes: 5-inch and 7-inch nativities. I used the 5-inch nativity for my 8-inch round cake, but I have also used the 7-inch for a 9-inch round cake in previous years. It’s as simple as melting chocolate, piping it onto wax or parchment paper placed over the stencil, and freezing to set. Once the chocolate topper is set, carefully crown your cake with the adorable nativity scene. This chocolate candy cane nativity cake is the perfect dessert for a Christ-centered Christmas. 

Chocolate candy cane nativity cake, a birthday cake for Jesus

Serves: 12 (1, 3-layer 8-inch cake)  |  Prep Time: 45-60 minutes  |  Cook Time: 23-28 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (95 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2½ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• 2 cups (400 g) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ tsp peppermint extract
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 cup hot, strong coffee

For the candy cane buttercream

• 4 sticks unsalted butter (2 cups), room temperature
• ½ – 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 6⅓ – 6½ cups powdered sugar (about 820–840 g)
• 6 candy canes, finely crushed
• Heaping ¼ tsp. salt

For the chocolate nativity

• ½ – ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• Piping bag or zip-lock bag
• Nativity silhouette 

For decorating

• 4-6 candy canes, crushed

Directions

For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then grease 3, 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the melted butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Over medium speed, add the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the hot coffee. Mix on medium-low for no more than 30 seconds, or until combined. Scrape down the bowl to ensure the mixture is evenly incorporated.
5. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with very few crumbs (the cake will continue to cook in the pan). Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans, but I recommend letting them cool completely. 
6. Once the cakes have been removed, you can frost them immediately, or double-wrap them in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer. You can freeze the cake for about a month in advance; this will also lock in moisture, making the cake firm and easy to decorate (highly recommend). If you don’t freeze the cakes, allow the cake layers to cool completely before decorating. 

For the candy cane buttercream

1. Place unwrapped candy canes in a medium-sized ziplock bag and squeeze out any excess air. Using a rolling pin, crush the candy canes into tiny pieces (you don’t want any pieces too large, or they will be chewy rather than crunchy). Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
3. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go.
4. Once all the powdered sugar is added and it is to your desired level of sweetness (remember, you’ll be adding candy canes as well), whip the frosting on medium to high speed until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt. Taste — you want a balanced, fresh peppermint flavor that doesn’t overpower the chocolate.
6. Fold in crushed candy canes for a beautiful pink-flecked frosting.

For the chocolate nativity

1. Print off the nativity silhouette and place it on a baking sheet.
2. Place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper over the silhouette. Add small paper clips or weights to hold down the wax/parchment paper if needed, or use tape. 
3. Prepare a piping bag with a #7 round tip or use a Ziploc bag and place it in a tall glass with the plastic folded over the sides. This will make it easy to add the melted chocolate. 
4. In a microwave-safe dish or glass measuring cup, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments. Stir the chips until they are melted and smooth. (Note: if you overheat the chocolate, it will turn hard and lumpy, and you’ll have to start over.) Optionally, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. 
5. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared piping bag/Ziploc in the glass. Carefully squeeze out all the air, twist and seal the piping bag or ziplock, and snip the end with a tiny cut if using a ziplock.
6. Trace your nativity scene using melted chocolate. 
7. Carefully transfer the nativity topper on the baking sheet to the freezer or refrigerator to set, about 10-15 minutes or until ready to use. 

To Assemble

1. When ready to frost the cake, remove the cake layers from the freezer (if frozen) and place a small dollop of buttercream on a cake base or cake stand. If need be, use a serrated knife to level your cakes. Choose a sturdy cake for your base and place your first layer in the center of the cake base/stand. 
2. Add a dollop, or about ¾ cup, of the buttercream to the center of the cake, and, using an offset spatula or a regular spatula, spread the buttercream from the center outwards. Once the frosting is even, repeat with the second cake layer, leaving about ⅔ of the buttercream for coating the outside of the cake.
3. Once the second layer has been frosted, place the final layer on top. Dollop most of the remaining frosting on top of the cake, smooth it from the center out, and push the excess to the edges of the cake.
4. Frost down the sides of the cake, then smooth them out with a long offset spatula or a bench scraper, if you have one. 
5. Optionally, crush more candy canes in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin and use your hands to press the crushed candy cane pieces along the bottom of the cake.
6. Remove the nativity topper from the freezer. Then, using a spatula, carefully transfer the chocolate from the paper onto the cake. 
7. Place the cake back in the refrigerator until ready to serve, but remove it an hour or two before serving to bring it up to temperature.