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Dozen Flours

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November 24, 2008

Hint o' Mint Truffle Cake with Chocolate Mint Ganache and Mint Whipped Cream


If you're looking for a rich, sinful chocolate cake, this isn't the cake for you. No, this cake is on the other end of the chocolate cake spectrum. It's light, delicate crumb is perfectly paired with the fluffy, not-too-sweet minty whipped cream. And its flavor? All I can say is that it wasn't a chocolate cake with some mint or a mint cake with some chocolate; it was the perfect balance of both.


The light, ethereal quality of this cake comes from the fluffy, air bubble-filled batter. This is achieved by spending some time at the beginning of the recipe to cream the butter and sugar together. We're not talking about thirty seconds here, no, not even a full two minutes of mixing. No, my friends, we're taking a full six minutes of creaming here. And then after that, you take time to blend in the eggs, one at a time, taking a full two minutes for each one. By the time you're done mixing the butter, sugar, and three eggs together, the batter it will have almost tripled in volume.

And if the cake itself isn't enough, its creamy, minty ganache center is like a Foodie's version of a peppermint patty. This just might be the best chocolate mint cake, ever.

Hint o' Mint Truffle Cake
Yield: About 15 servings
Adapted from Epicurious

Cake
1 3/4 cups white cake flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Droste brand cocoa)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Mint Ganache Filling
3.5oz Lindt mint chocolate bar (or other high quality mint chocolate bar), chopped (optional: reserve 2 of the large squares for the garnish)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Mint Whipped Cream
3 cups chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 10-inch cake pans with high sides (1 1/2-inch-high sides or higher). Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.

Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until very pale yellow and fluffy, about 6 minutes (see photo below). Be sure to stop and scrap the bowl at least once every two minutes.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating 2 minutes after each addition (yes, I know it's a lot but trust me). Mix in vanilla and the peppermint extracts. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beating until well blended. Divide batter equally among prepared pans; smooth top of batter.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs still attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off paper. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer each cakes on a plate.

Ganache Filling: Heat the whipping cream in the microwave in a glass measuring cup or heat proof bowl just until it comes to a boil (this should take 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave). You can also head the cream on the stove top if you should choose.

Remove the cream from the microwave and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about a minute and then slowly stir the melted chocolate and cream together until they are well combined. Using a big spoon or rubber spatula, spread half the chocolate on the top of each cake, being sure to saturate each cake.
Put the cakes in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour or overnight until the ganache is good and firm. Put your whisk attachment and metal mixing bowl in the fridge now too (this will make your whipped cream come out better).

When you're ready to assemble the cake, remove whisk attachment, metal bowl, cream, the two cake layers from the fridge and place one on a cake board or plate (if you haven't already done so.)

Whipped Cream: To make the whipped cream, beat cream on the highest setting until it has soft peaks (if you're using a stand mixer, this will only take a minute or two, but if you're using a hand mixer, it could take 5 minutes or longer). Add powdered sugar, cream of tarter, and extract until stiff peaks form.

Spread 1 1/4 cups whipped cream on top of the cake. Top with second cake, making sure the chocolate ganache side is face down against the whipped cream (you're essentially forming a ganache/whipped cream sandwich). Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

To make the garnish, use a sharp knife and slice very thin, long strips of chocolate. Pile it in the center of the cake just before you're ready to serve.



15 comments:

  1. Mint & chocolate...one of the best combos ever!!! I'll have to put this on my "to make" list! :)

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  2. Your cake looks wonderful. I agree with Bridget, chocolate and mint, yum! It's odd, I don't like chocolate on it's own but pair it with mint or peanut butter and I'm all over it. (I do like dark though) I really need to give this a try. I have a co worker that loves mint & chocolate. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Happy Thanksgiving!
    ~ingrid

    Btw, guess what Babygirl had me make for her class as a Thanksgiving treat? Yup, you guessed. The kids don't ask for anything except it. I have to tell them no so that I can make something else. I've even tried to get them to let me make the pumpkin version but they want whine so much I cave.

    Sorry this is so long!

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  3. Like a good soft mattress, I need to roll all over this! This looks incredible! You rock!

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  4. mint is my favorite ingredient to pair with chocolate, and this cake looks and sounds stellar. :)

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  5. Oh my goodness, this sounds wonderful! Mint and Chocolate are definitely better together.

    I'll definitely try this!

    ;)amy

    PS. You’ve been tagged! Come on over if you want to play. http://calminthekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/few-bits-of-housekeeping.html

    I can't figure out how to put the link in....forgive me!

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  6. At one point in my life I was addicted to mint chocolates:) This cake brought back memories:) Looks so good!

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  7. mmmmmm. anything with a "hint o' mint" and chocolate truffle is alright by me! if you ever need help eating any of this stuff... you just let me know ;)

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  8. Me again! I tagged you, too! Come on over to see, but I understand if you don't "play". I just wanted to let everyone know your page rocks!

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  9. It is happy to see your posting. Yes really informative article. I will tell this information again to my friend, oh yes I suggest you to check my blog on Cakes , I hope the article on my blog will be usefull for you… and we can share each other. thank you… ;-)

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  10. your photos are absolutely fabulous-i am dying for a slice of this cake. YUM!

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  11. Wow, this is definitely THE perfect after-dinner mint.

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  12. Oh wow. I definitely have to try this out!

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  13. This is one of my favorite cakes ever! Pure perfection - who doesn't like chocolate and mint? LOVE, LUV, L-O-V-E the frosting (yum - whipped cream style). :) Thanks for making this on my b-day (the real one). tee hee

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  14. Hi! This looks absolutely delicious! I had a question though: if I was making it for someone who loved chocolate and mint, and yet really liked the intense, rich kind of chocolate cake, could I swap out a different recipe for the cake part? Or would you say that the "light, ethereal" quality of the cake really is essential and it just wouldn't be as good with a rich, dense cake?

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  15. Hi Marie -- I'd say that this isn't the cake for your friend. It's just my opinion but one of the things that we great about this cake was its subtleness which appealed to me personally because it seemed to match the texture too. Everything was light and airy. Perhaps this isn't the best recipe to try?

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