Candy cane cake is the only dessert recipe you’ll ever need this Christmas! It’s an easy non-baking cake with a crumbly Oreo crust and white chocolate ganache on top. This combo of cream cheese cake filling, whipped cream, instant pudding, butter, chocolate chips and crushed candy canes is the tastiest homemade Christmas dessert ever!
Ingredients
Oreo bark:
36 Oreo cookies
½ cup unsalted butter melted
Cake filling:
8 oz. cream cheese – softened
1 ¼ cups of confectionery sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter – softened
1 and 1/3 cups of heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla (or mint) extract
3.9 ounce box of instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding (for 4 x ½ serving cups)
¾ cup of milk
2 teaspoons of gelatin powder
2 tablespoons of cold water
½ cup of sugar cane or crushed mints
¼ cup of mini chocolate chips
For Topping:
4.5 ounces of white chocolate (or white chocolate chips)
¼ cup of heavy cream
For the garnish:
1.5 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate
Crushed candy canes
Snowflakes spread
Instructions
The bark:
In a food processor, grind the whole Oreo cookies with the filling into fine crumbs. Then add ½ cup of melted butter until evenly moistened.
Then, press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the cake pan. Place them in the freezer while making the filling.
To make the filling:
Mix 1 ½ cups heavy cream until smooth peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar ¼ and vanilla extract and continue mixing until STIFF peaks form. You can use mint extract instead of vanilla, depending on your taste. Set aside.
Beat the softened cream cheese and ½ cup softened butter until smooth. Add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whip until well blended and smooth, too.
In a small heatproof bowl dissolve 2 teaspoons of gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold. Set aside for 5 minutes and then heat on the double grill until the gelatin has melted, set aside to cool.
Then, stir the white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding with ¾ cup of milk until thickened.
Now, add the pudding to the cream cheese and butter mixture and mix to combine.
Then, add 2 cups of heavy whipped cream (reserve leftovers for garnish), mix at low speed just to combine.
Add cooled melted gelatin and mix to combine.
Finally, add the chocolate chips and mashed candy canes. Now, pour into the crust, smooth the top and refrigerate until firm (5-6 hours).
Cover:
In a heatproof bowl, place the white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate. Then, heat the heavy cream until it simmers, then pour over the white chocolate and let it rest for 1-2 minutes. Now, stir until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth.
Then spread it over the firm filling.
Garnish:
Melt 1.5 ounces of chocolate, then transfer to a small ziplock bag, cut off the corner and sprinkle over the layer of white chocolate. Use the leftover heavy whipped cream to make the swirls around the cake.
Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and snowflakes.
Keep it in the fridge.
Notes
To assemble the candy cane cake you will need a plate with at least 8 cups of volume. I used a 9.5 x 2 inch cake pan with a removable bottom. If you don’t have one, I suggest a 9-inch pie plate or a deep dish.