Mint Chocolate Cake

American Cuisine

Chocolate cake ingredients:
- 1 cup cocoa powder.
- 1 ½ cup flour.
- ½ tsp baking powder.
- ¼ tsp salt.
- 1 cup butter.
- 2 ¼ cup sugar.
- 5 eggs.
- 1 cup buttermilk.
- 1 tsp vanilla.

Mint buttercream frosting ingredients:
- 6 egg whites.
- 1 ½ cup sugar.
- 2 cups powdered sugar.
- ½ cup shortening.
- 1 cup unsalted butter.
- 1 tbsp vanilla.
- 2 to 3 tbsp mint extract based on taste.
- 3 tbsp green food colouring.

Chocolate ganache ingredients:
- 1 cup chocolate chips.
- ½ cup whipping cream.

Chocolate cake directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Butter two 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl as you go.
- Sift the dry ingredients salt into the mixture.
- Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, alternating the two.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Mint buttercream frosting directions:
- Combine sugar and egg whites in a heat proof bowl and set it over simmering water.
- Heat it until the sugars dissolve and the mixture reaches 115 degrees F.
- It will become foamy on top. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk until stiff peaks.
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar to egg white mixture.
- Add butter and shortening all at once and whip until stiff.
- Add mint extract and green food colouring as needed.

Chocolate ganache directions:
- Melt together and refrigerate until needed.
- Assemble with a layer of cake, a layer of frosting and chopped up mint chocolates.
- Heat the ganache to a pour-able consistency in the microwave.
- Using a spatula, help spread it to the sides and let it drop down over a cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet.