Candy Cane Cake

Preheat the oven to 165ºC and grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans. Set aside.

Beat together the softened butter and oil together until they become homogenous, about 3 minutes. This will not work if your butter is not completely room temperature.

Slowly add the granulated sugar to the oil and butter, beating on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow.

Add the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on high for 3 minutes more to incorporate as much air as possible.

In separate bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to over mix it.

Finally sprinkle over your crushed candy canes and gently fold into your cake batter.

Split the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is a lightly golden brown and springs back when pressed. This will depend on your oven. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely.

Whip up the butter until light in colour and silky smooth.

Add in the icing sugar and mix on high till combined.

Slowly pour in the melted white chocolate while mixing on low. Once combined, turn the mixer up to medium and whip until fluffy and smooth.

Melt the white chocolate and pour in the double cream. This works best if the cream is room temp or slightly warmed.

Test your drip on a vertical surface. If required add in a little more cream till desired consistency is achieved.

Stack your sponges with your White Chocolate buttercream. Chill between layers if needed for added stability.

Once stacked, cover your cake in a crumb coat then place in the fridge to chill.

While your cake is chilling, mix pink food colouring into remaining buttercream. Use this to cover your cake.

Cover the top edge of your cake with your chocolate drip, using a spoon to drip extra down the sides.

Sprinkle crushed candy canes around the top and decorate with canes around the side.

For extra bonus points use two candy canes to create a heart on top.