Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

By amberwherley

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened, Dutch process cocoa powder (I used Hershey Special Dark)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• Frosting:
• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, slightly softened
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp mint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Drop or two of green food coloring
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 eight or nine inch pans.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until fully combined. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then slowly stir in the boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30 -40 minutes, until tops of cakes spring back when you lightly touch in the center.

3. Remove cakes from oven. Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to finish cooling on wire racks.

4. Prepare frosting: In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream, and both extracts on medium speed until smooth. With mixer speed on low, slowly add powdered sugar and mix until just combined. Add food coloring and increase speed to medium high and beat for about minute, until frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add another Tablespoon or two of cream and beat for 30 more seconds. Add chopped chocolate and mix on low until incorporated. Frost cooled cake.

Notes:

Refrigerate cake until serving.

Do not sub chocolate chips for chopped chocolate in frosting — it will make the cake very difficult to frost. I used bakers chocolate, but feel free to use your favorite dark chocolate bar.

To make frosting the cake easier, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and or refrigerate for an hour or two before frosting. It will make the cakes more firm, which is easier for handling. Bonus — it also makes your cakes more moist.