With a preparation time of 20 minutes, plus refrigeration time, and a cooking time of an hour, your chocolate peppermint cake will be ready for friends and family to devour.
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, chopped
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
- 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
- 100g dark cooking chocolate, chopped coarsely
- ¾ cup water
- 1 egg, beaten lightly
- ¾ cup (110g) self-raising flour
- ½ cup(75g) plain flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Peppermint cream
- 125g unsalted butter, chopped
- 3 cups(480g) icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoons peppermint essence
- Green food colouring
Chocolate ganache
300g dark eating chocolate chopped coarsely
1 cup (250ml) cream
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to slow 150 to 130 degrees, fan-forced
Step 2
Grease two 8cm*25cm bar cake pans; line base and sides with baking paper
Step 3
Stir butter,coffee, chocolate, sugar and water in a small sauce pan and heat until smooth. Transfer into a medium bowl and whisk in egg with sifted flours and cocoa.
Step 4
Pour in mixture in the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes. Stand cakes for 5 minutes; turn top side up on a wire rack to cool
Step 5
Prepare peppermint cream (see below)
Step 6
Using a serrated knife to split the cakes in half. Spread each layer with peppermint cream and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 7
Meanwhile, stir ingredients for the chocolate ganache in sauce pan over low heat until smooth.
Step 8
Working quickly over a metal spatula, pour the mixture over the cake, smoothing the sides. Stand at room temperature until ganache sets.
Peppermint cream
Beat butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until pale as possible. Gradually beat in icing sugar, milk, essence and enough colouring to tint the desired shade of green.
Serve as desert and enjoy with a group of friends and family.