If there ever was a match made in heaven it is chocolate and mint…oh, and cake! You are going to flip when you try this wickedly-delicious creation!
This was the requested dessert on my little sister’s birthday when I was visiting my family out of state this summer. She turned the big 8! It’s so crazy and fun that I have a sister who’s a year younger than my daughter. But there’s nonstop good times when they get together, and they think of each other more like best friends or cousins than aunt and niece. 🙂
But, you know what else is a good time? The experience of this scrumptiousness in your mouth! It’s straight from my grandma’s kitchen, and she was a most excellent baker! We all still sit around and reminisce about the exquisite food that she made.
I wish I could give you a bite of this phenomenal cakey-ness. It’s seriously one of the best I’ve EVER HAD. If you are a chocolate and mint lover, you need to bolt to the mixer and get it working on this!
{LAYERED CHOCOLATE MINT CAKE}
Cake:
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
3 heaping Tablespoons baking cocoa
1 c. milk with 2 tsp. baking soda stirred in
1 c. boiling water
Mint Filling:
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring
Chocolate Ganache Filling:
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
3-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Just enough milk to make spreadable
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 heaping spoonfuls quality baking cocoa
Milk for thinning (to make it creamy, not runny)
For the cake, cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, stir together salt, flour, and cocoa, then add to creamed mixture and mix lightly. Add milk and scrape soda out. Mix, then add boiling water and mix. Pour into two 9″ greased round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes.
Make mint layer by adding powdered sugar, milk, extract and green food coloring to a mixing bowl. Melt butter in a separate bowl in microwave and add to mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Spread over bottom layer of cake. Let it set for 10-15 minutes before covering with chocolate.
For the chocolate ganache, start melting the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. When almost melted, slice butter, add to the chocolate chips, and melt for a final 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and butter is melted all the way. If mixture isn’t thin enough, add just a little bit of milk, quickly stir, and immediately pour chocolate mixture over mint layer. Work very quickly so the chocolate doesn’t harden.
For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and baking cocoa. Add enough milk to make it creamy but not runny (I like to add it a few Tablespoons at a time.) Place the top cake layer over the chocolate and mint layers and frost all around.
Keep cake in the fridge.
We couldn’t stop at just one slice! And, I’ll let you in on a little secret if you promise not to tell. I ate it for breakfast the next morning! 🙂
But, my mom was there and she didn’t stop me, so I’m going to go ahead and say it’s ok to eat cake for breakfast, mmmmmkay?!
One of the perks of being a parent (and one that I’m also taking full advantage of) is that you can tell your kids it’s bad to have sugar for breakfast and then once they leave the room, hide in the pantry and go to town on that piece of dense, moist layered chocolate cake with the most decadent mint and chocolate ganache filling and finished with a whipped chocolate buttercream frosting.
And guess what? I didn’t even feel guilty. I’m a parrot so many days when my kids complain about the way we do things at our house and I say, “Well, when you’re an adult you can….”, or “Just wait ’til you’re a grown-up and then you’ll be able to…”
So if I’m ever caught red-handed with a mouthful of this magnificently rich cake when the sun’s just come up, I can add to that phrase, “When you’re an adult you can…eat chocolate cake for breakfast.” :)It’s totally acceptable, right?!
It’s got eggs and milk in it, so it’s practically healthy!
Enjoy! I won’t tell if it counts for your morning meal!
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