Chocolate-Mint Cake

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil
• chocolate Ganache

• Chocolate velvet cake batter
  
  
• ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream 
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Preparation

  1. Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
  3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Use immediately, following directions for desired cake.
  Note:
  The addition of hot water at the end of this recipe makes for an exceptionally moist cake
• 
  
• 1/2 vanilla buttercream frosting

  Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

   
  ingredients:
  • 1 cup butter, softened 
  • 2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
  • 2/3 cup milk

  Preparation

  1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
  2. Bourbon Buttercream Frosting: Substitute 1/3 cup bourbon and 1/3 cup milk for 2/3 cup milk.
  
  
• 
  

• Method

  1. Spoon batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 10-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
  2. Stir together Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and peppermint oil until well blended. Spread frosting mixture evenly between cake layers. Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.