From the Kitchen: Andes Mint Chocolate Cake

I made this Andes mint chocolate cake for my dad's 60th birthday....and it was seriously probably the best dessert I have ever eaten.  If you're as obsessed with chocolate and mint as I am, you NEED this cake in your life...delicious chocolate cake, mint buttercream, rich chocolate ganache, and a chopped Andes mint garnish  We served it at room temperature on my dad's birthday, but I think it was even better served cold the next day.

 

Andes Mint Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Bird on a Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Mint Cake

1 cup boiling water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped Andes mints

Mint Buttercream:

1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish: 

1/4 cup chopped Andes mints

Directions:

Chocolate Mint Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottoms of 3 9-inch cake pans with wax paper and spray the sides of the pans with cooking spray.  Using a kettle or saucepan, start bringing some water to a boil so it will be ready to add to the dry ingredients later.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid mixing bowl), combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together the dry ingredients, then add in the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Beat with an electric mixer (I used the KitchenAid paddle attachment) until well blended.

Add 1 cup of boiling water to the mixture and carefully stir with a spoon (don't use the electric mixer at first or you will splash boiling water all over yourself!)  Once it is incorporated into the rest of the mixture, beat the batter with an electric mixer for approximately 1 1/2 minutes.  Fold 1 cup of chopped Andes mints into the batter.

Pour the cake batter into the pans, dividing evenly between the 3 pans.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Use a knife to release the edges of the cake from the pans and invert onto wire cooling racks to cool.

Mint Buttercream:

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and food coloring.  (I don't measure powdered sugar when making buttercream - I just add sugar until it reaches the right consistency).

Chocolate Ganache:

Heat the heavy cream in the microwave in a glass measuring cup or bowl until it is simmering.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and allow it to sit for a few minutes, then carefully stir until all the chocolate chips are melted into the cream.  Add the vanilla and stir.  Allow the mixture to cool so that it will thicken; I left it at room temperature for a couple of hours and then moved it to the refrigerator to thicken it faster.

Assembly:

Place the bottom cake layer on a cake plate or turntable and frost the top with mint buttercream using an offset spatula.  Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, then frost the sides of the cake.  Pour the thickened chocolate ganache on top of the cake, using an offset spatula to spread the ganache over the top of the cake to the edges so that it drips down the sides of the cake.  Spinning the cake plate or turntable slowly, use the offset spatula to smooth the ganache around the sides of the cake to completely coat the mint buttercream.

Garnish the top of the cake with 1/4 cup of chopped Andes mints.  Allow the cake to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours for the ganache to set.