Mint Dark Chocolate Chip Cake

My husband turned 29 last Saturday, and we celebrated with his family at the beach!  We sat in the sun, swam in the ocean, played cornnhole, he went paddle boarding with his brothers, and I made fish tacos for dinner.  And of course, birthday cake.

Birthdays always call for homemade cake, right?  He loves mint chocolate, so I went in that direction!  {Side note, I’m pretty positive that mint chocolate chip ice cream put me into labor with Davis.  I have had barely any ice cream since. Ha!}

Anyway…back on topic.  My original inspiration for the cake helped me conceptualize it.  I blogged about it here.  I have chocolate cake and vanilla cream cheese buttercream recipes that are always reliable.  I decided to reinterpret these recipes to make it more chocolate-y and minty.

You need to try this cake.  It was moist and decadent, and I wish I had a piece right now!

Mint Dark Chocolate Chip Cake

Cake

• 2 c sugar
• 1 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 c boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 3 round cake pans.  (I apply shortening all over the pans, then dust them with flour.  My cake pans are 9″ round).

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, then stir together.  Whisk together the wet ingredients, besides the water.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Beat (with mixer) until all ingredients are incorporated.  Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (I do this while the water is being heated to a boil).  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour into the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 15 minutes, then check.  They should not be done, but at this point, I rotate the pans in the oven.  Bake for 8-10 more minutes, then check to see if they are done.

Once they are finished baking, remove from oven.  Let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes.  Then flip the cake layers out onto cooling racks and let them cool completely.

*Oven temperatures vary.  If I am baking a cake, and start to smell it, I always check it!*

Mint Dark Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• pinch (1/8 tsp) salt
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 lbs confectioners sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
• 2 Tbsp cold heavy cream
• couple drops green icing color (more like gel food color, rather than the runny food coloring)
• 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped small

• Andes mints

Sift confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl. Set aside. Make sure cream cheese and butter are properly softened.

Beat cream cheese with mixer, then add butter and beat on medium speed until incorporated and has a whipped appearance.  Mix in salt, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract.

Gradually add in confectioners sugar. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated and starts to be fluffy.

Add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time.  Beat until lighter, very fluffy and smooth.

Mix in a couple drops of the green food coloring, until barely tinted green.

Fold in the chopped chocolate.

Cake Assembly 

To assemble the cake, lay one of the layers on a cake plate (mine was in a cake carrier, because we were traveling).  Ice that layer with a decent amount of frosting.  Add the second cake layer, and frost again.  Top with the final layer.  Put a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake.  I use a small offset spatula to ice my cakes, but you could use a regular spatula, or a butter knife.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.   This sets the buttercream, so that crumbs do not get mixed in the final layer of icing.  It is called the crumb coat.

Remove from the refrigerator, and use the rest of the buttercream to add another layer of frosting.  I had some leftover chocolate buttercream from another cake, so I piped rosettes around the top – this is not necessary.

Chop 10-12 Andes mints.  These are a great garnish.  I sprinkled some in the middle of the top, and around the bottom edge.  It would look good to have them sprinkled around the top border as well, instead of the chocolate buttercream.

Enjoy!