For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare two 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and flour and bake even strips.

Melt the butter and let it cool. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder. To it add the sugar, eggs, milk, and hot water /coffee. Beat until mixed and smooth.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 -35 minutes.

Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack.

Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

For the Frosting

Beat the butter and shortening for 5 minutes. It should be smooth, light yellow, and fluffy. 

Gradually add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until desired consistency is reached. Add in the peppermint extract and candy cane bits. 

Decorate the cake

Remove the cakes from the fridge. Frost the top of one layer and add a covering of crushed candy cane. Top with the second cake and crumb coat the cake. Place into the fridge for an hour to set.

Carefully cut the pirouette cookies in half with a serrated knife and set them aside. 

Frost the cake. It doesn't have to be neat. Add the pirouette cookies around the cake pushing them into the frosting to make them stick. 

Use a serrated knife to cut large triangles out of a Hershey's candy cane bar or homemade bark. Top the cake with the candy shards and top with more crushed candy canes.