From Scratch

I rarely need a reason to eat chocolate, but I’ve discovered it’s American Chocolate Week, so now I have a good excuse. This is one of my favorite chocolate cakes. It’s delicious and very light, thanks to cake flour. The whipped cream frosting is what makes it special — don’t be tempted to leave out the mint — but the recipe makes a ton and could be halved. If you make the full recipe, what’s left will keep in the fridge for a day or so, covered tightly with plastic wrap. You could also eat some right from the bowl; it’s very finger-friendly.

That’s it on top over there. If you’ve only got 2 cake pans, park the remaining batter in the fridge while the first two bake. If you leave it at room temp, the leavenings will start to work and you’ll end up with a sorry third layer. I usually make the cake during the week and freeze the layers, well-wrapped of course, then on serving day I let them defrost on the counter for the few minutes it takes to make the whipped cream. The whole thing goes into the fridge for a couple hours; by serving time, it’s perfect. It’s a great cake for entertaining, and dividing the work makes it quick and stress-free. I have other things to worry about the day I’m entertaining.

I found the recipe in the April, 1999 issue of Bon Appetit and it’s on their website. And I’ve added allchocolate. com to the blogroll  Useful Links Page, which has just about everything you need to know about this heavenly stuff, from substitutions to storage. And recipes!

Chocolate Mint Layer Cake

1 3/4 cups  cake flour
3/4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons  baking soda
3/4 teaspoon  salt
1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
2 cups  sugar
1 1/2  sticks  unsalted butter — room temperature
3 eggs — large
4 teaspoons  vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups  buttermilk

Mint Whipped Cream

3 1/2 cups  whipping cream — chilled
6 tablespoons  sugar
1 teaspoon  peppermint extract

Beat cream, sugar and peppermint extract in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Makes about 6 cups.

Chocolate curls for garnish
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. 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 well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beating until well blended. Divide batter equally among prepared pans (generous 2 cups for each); 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. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/4 cups Mint Whipped Cream over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 1 1/4 cups Mint Whipped Cream over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining Mint Whipped Cream over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Pile chocolate curls atop center of cake. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serves 8 to 10.

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Tags: entertaining