Chocolate Mint Layer Cake

Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup mint chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups water, divided
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 1/4 cups flour, unbleached
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup mint chocolate chips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons milk
• chocolate leaves
• chocolate shavings
• chocolate curls

Recipe

• 1 cake:
• 2 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 3 in a small saucepan, combine mint-chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of water.
• 4 cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
• 5 cool 10 minutes.
• 6 in medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
• 7 in a large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter; beat until creamy.
• 8 add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 9 blend in chocolate mixture.
• 10 gradually beat in flour mixture alterantely with remaining 1 cup of water.
• 11 pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans.
• 12 bake at 375 degrees f. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cakes test done.
• 13 coll completely on wire racks.
• 14 fill nd frost with chocolate mint frosting.
• 15 garnish as desired.
• 16 chocolate-mint frosting:
• 17 combine over hot (not boiling) water, the mint-chocolate chips and butter.
• 18 stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
• 19 stir in vanilla extract and salt.
• 20 transfer to a large bowl.
• 21 gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar alternately with milk; beat until smooth. (if necessary add more milk until desired consistency is reached.)
• 22 garnishes:
• 23 use chocolate curls and grated chocolate on top of the cake.
• 24 form a ring of grated chocolate pieces around the outside edge and use the curls in the center.
• 25 to make chocolate leaves, select several small leaves, wash and dry them and paint one side of them with melted chocolate.
• 26 chill until firm and peel the leaf off the chilled chocolate.
• 27 use as garnish.