Chocolate Mint Fantasy Cake

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The Spokane County Interstate Fair has announced winners of the special recipe contests.

Judges picked Meleah MeltingTallow’s Chocolate Mint Fantasy Cake for the top prize in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship. The rich, chocolate cake is topped with mint-infused buttercream and ganache. It’s the first time MeltingTallow, of Medical Lake, has ever competed in a fair or cooking contest, according to a news release. She received a $150 prize.

Lesley Parker, of Spokane, won first place in the Karo Perfect Pie contest with a Salted Nut Caramel Pie, a recipe inspired by her favorite candy bar. The home economics teacher won the $150 first prize.

Kathy White won the Fleischmann’s Yeast “Bake for the Cure” contest with Oatmeal Bread. White, of Spokane, said she was inspired by the farm breads and molasses breads served at restaurants. She won $100 in the competition, which is held at 52 fairs across the country and helps to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Twelve year old Jeanna Wagner, of Newman Lake, was also a winner in the Fleishmann’s Yeast “Bake for the Cure” contest with her Honey Bread.

Wagner loves spending time in the kitchen with her family and took home $150 for her recipe.

The Spokane County Interstate Fair continues through Sunday at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. There is more information online at www.spokanecounty.org/ fair/sif/.

Other recipes in collection: Salted Nut Caramel Pie, Oatmeal Bread and Honey Bread.

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  • 1

Ingredients

  • Cake:
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Peppermint Buttercream:
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • Dash salt
  • Water or milk
  • Chocolate Mint Ganache:
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn in half
  • 1 2/3 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Sift dry ingredients together. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Slowly add boiling water and stir the mixture by hand. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove cakes and allow to cool completely.

To make the Peppermint Buttercream: Cream butter and shortening in electric mixer. Add extracts. Slowly add powdered sugar and salt and continue to mix in mixer until combined and fluffy. Add sufficient water or milk until spreadable consistency. Spread between stacked layers of cake and around sides and top of cake.

For the Chocolate Mint Ganache: Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium heat. Add mint leaves and remove from heat. Allow mint to steep in cream for 20 minutes. In a small saucepan, add chocolate. Pour warmed cream through a sieve onto the chopped chocolate. Stir to combine, warming if necessary. Allow mixture to sit until spreadable consistency and frost the cake. Decorate cake with chocolate roses and mint leaves if desired.



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