Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Let me gear commencement off with a confession… Eucalyptus is not my deary smack. When I judge of it, I retrieve those marmorean hone candies I begrudgingly ate as a person. They're incisive in form and DEFINITELY not a brownness Santa santa (my pick). Nonviolence bumptious to now… it's term to face my fears, so to mouth. 

I'm making my umber eucalypt block. In my thought, group incline to go overboard by adding flavoring to desserts - so for this block - I craved to work the eucalypt broad but subtle. It's drink dish, not a breath-mint…ha! I content it would be cute if the internal was a pink, eucalypt twiddle but maybe I should screw expended with the traditional red? What do you believe??

Ingredients
For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder + 1 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks

For the Peppermint Buttercream

• 1 cup white chocolate melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar sifted
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup cream add a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached
• 10 drops food coloring

For the Italian Buttercream

• 4 egg whites room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 1 pound unsalted butter room temperature
• For the Assembly
• 1 cup crushed candy caines (approximately)
• 1 869 piping tip

Instructions
For the Cake

1. Butter and flour 4 six inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Sift the flour baking soda and powder, salt and cocoa powder.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and yolks in one at a time, then add in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
4. In three batches, mix in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Don't over-mix!
5. Divide batter evenly into pans and bake at 350f for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the centers are done. Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack. 

For the Buttercream

1. Beat the butter and melted (and cooled) chocolate together until well combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and peppermint extract. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

For the Italian Buttercream

1. Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and 1/3 a cup of the sugar on medium high in a stand mixer. At the same time add the rest of the sugar and water to a small sauce pan and cook on medium high. Stir to mix the sugar and water and then keep an eye on the temperature using a candy thermometer. When the sugar is at 240F and the egg whites reach the soft peak stage, slowly drizzle the sugar into the running mixer and lead the mixer running for 10 or so minutes to allow the meringue to cool. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time use immediately. 

For the Assemby

1. Pipe the buttercream on the first cake layer (you can do a two tone swirl if you'd like 🙂 Sprinkle with crushed candy cane and repeat. Crumb coat the exterior and allow to set in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the Italian buttercream and smooth. Apply the crushed candy cane to the base. Using an 869 tip, pipe dollops onto the top. You can also pipe the dollops onto a piping nail, freeze and apply to the top once set. If you use the piping nail you can twirl it while you pipe to get a swirled dollop.

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