Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps
Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devils food cake mix

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 recipe Peppermint Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Prepare the Chocolate Ganache, adding the peppermint schnapps after all the chocolate has melted. Let the ganache cool.

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the over to 350°F. Generously grease two 9" round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

3. Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat two minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

4. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28 to 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Cool completely, 30 minutes more.

5. In the meantime prepare half a recipe of Peppermint Buttercream Frosting.

6. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with Peppermint Buttercream Frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with Chocolate Ganache that has cooled and is spreadable. Work with clean, smooth strokes. Chill the cake until ready to serve.

Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or freeze it, unwrapped in aluminum foil, for up to six months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Chocolate Ganache

This recipe makes two cups, enough to thinly frost a two- or three-layer cake.

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon liqueur such as Grand Marnier, framboise or peppermint schnapps (optional)

1. Place the cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the liqueur, if desired.

2. To use this ganache as a glaze, let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before spooning over a cooled cake. To use the ganache as a frosting or filling, let it stand at room temperature for four hours, or chill it until it thickens and is spreadable.

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

To neatly crush peppermint candy place it on a cutting board and cover with towel. Pound candy with meat cleaver or heavy rolling pin until candy is crushed.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy (about 7 peppermint sticks)
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 tablespoons peppermint schnapps or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy(30 seconds). Stop machine and add peppermint candy, confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk or peppermint schnapps if the frosting seems too stiff.

serves 16
Source: The Cake Doctor, October 1999 (pages 30, 428 & 418)