Chocolate Mint Cake

Nathaniel's Birthday Cake

Adapted from Triple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mint Filling Bon Appetit Dec. 2001

Filling
8 oz imported white chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup

4 oz of mini chocolate chips
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Cake
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

Chocolate Glaze
4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 oz of milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp peppermint extract

Filling

Melt chocolate with cream and corn syrup over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, add in peppermint extract and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, pour mixture into stand mixer bowl and whisk until thickened. Stir in mini chocolate chips and refrigerate.

Cake

Prepare two 9” round cake pans. Butter pans; line bottom with a round of parchment paper; butter paper; flour cake pans. Preheat oven at 350 F

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Put butter into stand mixer bowl and beat until light in colour. Add in both sugars and continue to mix until creamy. Add in vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add in half of flour mixture and incorporate with half of buttermilk. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk.

Pour mixture into prepared pans.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

Cool cakes.

Once cool, place one cake on serving plate. Spread filling over top of cake. Place second cake on top of filling.

Glaze

Melt chocolates over double boiler with butter, corn syrup and peppermint extract.

Let cool slightly, so mixture is slightly less runny, but can still be poured. Pour half of glaze over cake. Spread over top and let drip over sides. Chill for about 15 minutes. Pour remaining glaze over cake, and spread over sides, smoothing chocolate on edges.

Refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.

Vixen’s note:

For those of you who bake a lot and like rich cakes, you may be tempted to add more chocolate to the cake mixture, as I was. I am glad I refrained as the filling and glaze are extremely rich, and the less rich cake was very complimentary.

Happy eating!