Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe 415

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

Steps:

• For the Chocolate CakePreheat oven to 350 degrees Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend. Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended. Method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry! Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans. *Yields approx 9 cups of batter. For the Mint Buttercream FrostingCream the softened butter until smooth. Blend in the peppermint. Add half of the powdered sugar and most of the milk. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add remaining powdered sugar, milk, coloring gel, and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. The texture will become very smooth. For the GanachePlace your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate and place in the microwave for 1 minute. (Times may vary, see our note below). Remove and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and when the chocolate has melted almost completely, allow it to sit for 1 minute more before stirring. Stir until you've reached a silky smooth consistency. *Microwave times may vary. If you are making a smaller amount of ganache, you will reduce the microwave time. If your chocolate hasn't melted after the 1 1/2 minutes recommended in the instructions, simply microwave in small 10-15 second increments until it has nearly completely melted. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Assembly of CakeAs you assemble the cake, you can first spread with a thin layer of ganache (optional) and then top with Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream. (You can either reserve the Mint Buttercream in a different bowl in stir in your mini chips, or sprinkle them onto the buttercream filling and incorporate the chips as you spread it.) Next, add the second layer of chocolate cake and repeat. Top with the final layer of cake, fill in any gaps with buttercream, crumb coat the cake (add a thin coat of buttercream), and follow with the final coat. If you are frosting the cake just like I did, you will tint a portion of the buttercream a medium shade of green, a lighter shade of green, and leave the rest white. Apply the frosting in sections and then frost with a bench scraper for a smooth finish. (For an extra smooth finish, place the frosted cake in the freezer for 15 minutes before going back over it with a hot bench scraper.) Load your ganache into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away. The ganache should flow easily from the bag but not so fast that it drips all the way down. Warm the bag for a few seconds if too thick, or allow to cool a few more minutes if thin. Apply the drip around the top edge of the cake with thee piping bag. Spoon additional ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula. Once set, pipe french tip stars around the top edge of the cake and add chocolate chips or accents.

MINT-CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract; mix using an electric mixer until smooth. Whisk in boiling water. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cake cool 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, combine milk and peppermint extract in a small bowl and set aside. Cream butter in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Pour in confectioners' sugar and peppermint-milk mixture alternately while continuing to beat. Add green food coloring until frosting reaches desired color. Whip frosting on high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide between two bowls. Stir chocolate chips into 1/2 the frosting using a spoon. Set mint-chocolate chip frosting aside.
• Frost cooled cake with pure mint frosting without chocolate chips. Place cake in the refrigerator to set.
• Meanwhile, combine chocolate squares and butter in a double boiler; stir until thoroughly melted. Remove from heat. Stir ganache vigorously to a smooth consistency.
• Remove cake from the refrigerator. Cover entire cake with ganache; return to the refrigerator and allow to completely set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove set cake from the refrigerator. Frost sides of cake with mint chocolate chip frosting.

MOIST CHOCOLATE-MINT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans with shortening and dust with flour; set aside.
• In medium bowl, beat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with wire whisk; set aside.
• In another medium bowl, beat cocoa and hot coffee with wire whisk, making sure no lumps remain; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the oil with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until fluffy (7 minutes if using handheld mixer). Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and beat 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat 3 minutes longer, stopping halfway to scrape side of bowl. Add 2 of the eggs and beat 1 minute. Scrape side of bowl. Add remaining egg and the egg yolks and beat 2 minutes longer.
• Add about 1 cup of the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the coffee mixture to butter mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. Continue alternately adding dry ingredients and coffee mixture, beating after each addition to combine. When all ingredients have been added, scrape side of bowl. Divide batter evenly between pans.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula between cake and edge of pan to loosen. Invert cakes onto wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until soft. Mix in chocolate, milk, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, beat 1 minute longer or until smooth.
• Place 1 layer on serving plate or stemmed cake plate. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over layer to about 1/4 inch from edge. Top with second layer. Frost side and top with remaining frosting.

CHOCOLATE MINT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large tube or bundt pan and dust the pan with the cocoa. Tap out excess cocoa and set the pan aside.
• Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the creme fraiche. Beat in the cooled chocolate.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Using a spoon, stir in the flour a little at a time, alternating with additions of milk and creme de menthe. Stir until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake until the cake is springy to the touch and just begins to pull away from the edges of the pan, 65 to 70 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cooled, place the rack over a sheet pan. Pour chocolate mint glaze over the cake and smooth with a spatula. Transfer the cake to a platter and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve or refrigerate.