Mint Choc Chip Layer Cake!
 
 
Tender chocolate cake layers, filled with mint-choc chip buttercream and topped with shiny chocolate glaze
Author:
Serves: 1 x 8 inch layer cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 1 + ¾ cup (265g) plain flour
  • ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
  • 2 cups (400g) caster sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
  • ¾ cup (185ml) milk
  • ½ cup (125ml) canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup (250ml) hot water
For the buttercream:
  • 2 + ¾ sticks (300g) butter, soft
  • 3 cups (450g) icing sugar (aka powdered sugar)
  • 2 tsp peppermint essence
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • drop of green food colouring (optional)
  • 100g (4oz) dark chocolate, chopped into chips
For the glaze:
  • 100g (4oz) dark chocolate, chopped
  • 75g (3oz) butter
  • 2 tsp corn syrup, glucose syrup or maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Grease and line 2x 18cm (8inch) cake tins, and preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
  2. To make the cake, sift the dry ingredients together (you really need to for this cake, otherwise you get cocoa lumps) into a large bowl.
  3. In a separate jug, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Pour them into the dry ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon until combined.
  4. Finally add the hot water and stir until smooth - the batter will be fairly liquid.
  5. Divide between the two pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until risen and springing back when touched. Leave to cool completely in the pans.
  6. To make the buttercream, beat the butter for at least two minutes in a mixer at a high speed, until light, pale and fluffy (it can take up to 5 minutes).
  7. Add the sugar in two batches, beating well after each.
  8. While continuously beating, stream in the peppermint essence and then the cream, and the colouring, if using.
  9. Finally, fold through the chopped chocolate.
  10. To make the glaze, melt the chocolate, butter, and syrup in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir gently until everything is melted and combined, and then set aside to cool.
  11. To assemble the cake, trim the layers if they are domed, and then slice each cake evenly into two.
  12. Place one layer onto a cake stand, and spread over a third of the buttercream - leaving the edge swirly and messy. Repeat with the remaining layers and buttercream, pressing downy gently on the layers as you go, and finishing with a bare cake layer.
  13. Pour the glaze slowly over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides, and leave to set for a while (if it's hot, you might need to fridge it for a while) then serve!
Recipe by The Sugar Hit at http://www.thesugarhit.com/2015/09/mint-choc-chip-layer-cake.html