Nothing Bundt Cakes Peppermint Chocolate Chip is their holiday flavor: a rich chocolate cake loaded with chocolate chips and little peppermint pieces, finished with the bakery’s thick cream cheese frosting petals. It only shows up for a few weeks each winter. Last season it ran from December 8, 2025 to January 4, 2026, and the official flavor page now just says to check back.
This copycat gets you the same moist, dense chocolate crumb and cool mint finish any time of year, for about the price of one Bundtlet.
What’s in the Real Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cake?
Nothing Bundt Cakes describes it simply as a decadent chocolate cake packed with peppermint pieces and chocolate chips. It gets the same cream cheese frosting as their other flavors. In 2023 the bakery made it with Andes peppermint pieces, which is a good clue for home bakers: Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips are the closest match you can buy.
Calories by size (bakery version)
| Size | Serving | Calories per serving | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundtini | 1 mini cake (64 g) | 230 | 25 g |
| Bundtlet | 1/2 Bundtlet (92 g) | 330 | 34 g |
| Bundt Cake (8″ / 10″) | 1 of 14 slices (76 g) | 280 | 30 g |
| Big Bundt Cake | 1 of 26 slices (81 g) | 320 | 30 g |
A slice of the homemade version comes out bigger and richer than the bakery’s 76 g serving, so if you’re counting, cut it into 16 instead of 14.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) devil’s food or chocolate fudge cake mix
- 1 box (3.9 oz / 110 g) instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup (240 g) full-fat sour cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm milk
- 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
- 1 cup (170 g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (85 g) Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips (or another 1/2 cup mini chips)
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt
- 3 1/2 cups (420 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes, for the top
How to Make It
1. Prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush every ridge of a 10–12 cup bundt pan with soft butter or shortening, then dust with cocoa powder.
2. Make the batter. Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, warm milk and peppermint extract on medium for 2 minutes. It’ll be thick. Taste a tiny bit: if you want it mintier, add another 1/4 teaspoon of extract, no more.
3. Fold in the chips. Toss both kinds of chips with a teaspoon of dry cake mix so they stay suspended, then fold them in.
4. Bake. Spread the batter in the pan and bake 45–50 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool all the way.
5. Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt, then the powdered sugar a cup at a time. You want it stiffer than usual so it holds those thick stripes.
6. Pipe the petals. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip (about 1/2 inch) or just snip the corner of a zip-top bag. Start at the inner top edge and pipe thick stripes down the outside, leaving a gap between each one. Eight to ten stripes looks right.
7. Top it. Scatter crushed candy canes over the frosting right before serving. Add them earlier and they’ll pull moisture from the frosting and turn sticky.
Tips for Getting It Right
- Use peppermint extract, not “mint.” Mint extract usually includes spearmint, which tastes like toothpaste in a cake.
- Don’t bake crushed candy canes into the batter. They melt into sticky pockets that glue the cake to the pan. Baking chips hold their shape.
- Mini chips beat regular ones. They spread through every slice and don’t sink as fast.
- Frost a cold cake. Chill the unfrosted cake for 30 minutes and the petals keep their shape instead of slumping.
Bundtlets and Bundtinis
For Bundtlet-size cakes, fill a mini bundt pan two-thirds full and bake 16–20 minutes. For Bundtinis, use a mini muffin-style bundt pan and bake 10–12 minutes. Pipe one fat dot of frosting on top of each instead of stripes. They make a nice holiday gift in a clear box.
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Recipe Card
Nothing Bundt Cakes Peppermint Chocolate Chip
Ingredients
- 1 box devil’s food or chocolate fudge cake mix 15.25 oz / 432 g
- 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix 3.9 oz / 110 g
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream 240 g
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 120 ml
- 1/2 cup warm milk 120 ml
- 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract not mint extract
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 170 g
- 1/2 cup Andes peppermint crunch baking chips 85 g, or more mini chips
- 8 oz cream cheese 226 g, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113 g, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 420 g, sifted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies add just before serving
Equipment
- 1 Bundt cake pan 10-12 cup capacity, non-stick
- 2 Large mixing bowls For dry and wet ingredients
- 1 Electric mixer or hand mixer For cake batter and frosting
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons Set for wet and dry measurements
- 1 Spatula Silicone spatula for folding chocolate chips
- 1 Whisk Wire whisk for dry ingredients
- 1 Cake tester or toothpick To check cake doneness
- 1 Cooling rack Wire rack for cooling the cake
- 1 Serving plate Or cake stand
- 1 Piping bag for frosting (optional) For signature thick frosting lines
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush a 10–12 cup bundt pan with soft butter or shortening and dust with cocoa powder.
- Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, warm milk and peppermint extract on medium for 2 minutes.
- Toss the mini chips and peppermint crunch chips with 1 teaspoon dry cake mix and fold them in.
- Spread in the pan and bake 45–50 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, then the powdered sugar a cup at a time until thick enough to hold its shape.
- Pipe thick stripes from the top center down the sides with a large round tip (about 1/2 inch), leaving gaps between them.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes just before serving so they stay crunchy. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQ
When does Peppermint Chocolate Chip come back to Nothing Bundt Cakes?
It’s a winter flavor that usually arrives in early December. The 2025 season ran December 8 to January 4. The bakery hasn’t announced 2026 dates yet as of late September.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake the cake 1–2 days ahead, wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature. Frost and add the candy on the day you serve it.
How do I store leftovers?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let slices sit out 15–20 minutes before eating.
Can I freeze it?
The unfrosted cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap it in plastic, then foil, thaw overnight in the fridge and frost before serving.
Can I make it from scratch instead of cake mix?
Sure. Use your favorite dense chocolate bundt cake, add the peppermint extract and chips, and keep sour cream in the batter. The mix-and-pudding method is just the closest match to the bakery’s moist texture.
One Last Tip
If you’re serving it at a holiday party, set out a small bowl of extra crushed candy canes next to the cake. People love adding more, and the top stays crunchy all night.
More Bundt Cakes
- Nothing Bundt Cake Galactic Brownie Recipe
- M&M Mint Cookies
- Chocolate School Cake
- Caramel Banana Cream Mousse Cake
Sources: Nothing Bundt Cakes nutrition, Restaurant Magazine. Updated September 2026.
WAW