Double Chocolate Cake With Peppermint Chocolate Frosting Food

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk applesauce and 1 tsp. baking powder in a small bowl. Mix chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour 1 3/4 cups boiling water over and whisk until chocolate is melted. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. baking powder into another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add half of applesauce mixture and beat to blend. Add remaining applesauce mixture, then beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool.
• For the frosting:
• Heat chocolate, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in peppermint extract and 1/4 cup water. Chill, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting thickens, about 25 minutes. If frosting gets too thick, gently reheat over pot of simmering water.
• For the chocolate petals:
• Heat chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dip clean, dry pastry brush into melted chocolate. Brush a stripe of chocolate about 3" long and 1/8" thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill. Repeat process on second parchment-lined baking sheet. Swap trays and go over original brush strokes, repeating and chilling in between coatings and gently reheating chocolate if needed, until stems are 1/4" thick.
• When stems are thick enough, sprinkle one end with crushed candy canes. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
• For assembly:
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake layer, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake layer, domed side down, over frosting.
• Spread top and sides of cake with remaining 2 cups frosting, swirling top decoratively. Press chocolate stems into frosting on sides of cake. Serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frosting can be made 5 days ahead; chill, or freeze up to 1 month. Gently reheat over pot of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts. Chocolate stems can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Stir cocoa and hot water over heat until blended. Remove from heat and beat until smooth. Let cool.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2/3 cup sugar, and instant coffee. Make a well in the centre and add oil, cooled cocoa mixture, and egg yolks. Beat until batter is smooth.
• Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until foamy. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and beat until whites are very stiff. Fold into batter evenly.
• Bake in 8 x 8 square pan at 325 for 30 minutes.
• For the frosting, combine butter, icing sugar, cream, peppermint extract, and a couple of drops of green food colouring until smooth. Frost cooled cake and decorate with chocolate sprinkles.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line the base of two 9-inch cake pans with waxed paper.
• Sift together the cocoa, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully combined.
• Combine the coffee and milk. Stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in all of the coffee and milk. Add remaining flour mixture, mix until smooth.
• Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Watch closely, chocolate cakes dry out quickly with overbaking. Cool in pans about 5 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.
• Frosting: Beat butter until fluffy and smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add peppermint extract to taste and green food coloring as desired. Stir in chocolate pieces. Frost cake layers.
• To decorate as suggested, I carefully broke pieces off sugar cones until they were about 3 1/2 inches and, using my cookie scoop, made small scoops of frosting for mini "ice cream" cones to top cake. Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and increase speed to high. Continue beating while gradually adding sugar until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Remove bowl from mixer. Add half the flour mixture and gently fold in until streaky, then add remaining flour mixture and fold in until well incorporated (do not overmix, as this will deflate the meringue, creating a dense cake).
• Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 9 1/2-inch tube pan with removable bottom; smooth top. Run a knife or small spatula through batter to release air bubbles. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Invert pan; let cake cool completely in pan. Run a knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the pan to loosen. Use knife to release cake from bottom of pan and remove.
• Frosting: Place both chocolates in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 2 to 3 minutes.
• Whisk, starting in center and working outward, until chocolate is smooth. Let cool at room temperature, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Attach bowl to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, gradually adding butter, until frosting is smooth and silky.
• Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on a cake plate. Measure 2 cups frosting and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Top with second layer. Use remaining frosting to cover cake completely, using spatula to create a smooth finish or create swirls. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately.